How is fee-for-service financial planning different?

Clear, Transparent Fees

Our fees are a set dollar amount based on the work we do, whether that’s creating your tailored financial plan or providing ongoing advice. You know what you’re paying and why, with costs agreed before any work begins.

Truly Independent Advice

Because we are a privately owned, fee-for-service firm, our advice is genuinely independent and focused on your financial goals, not influenced by commissions or product-provider incentives.

No Commissions or Conflicts

We don’t receive commissions from banks, insurers or investment providers, and we do not promote products to generate revenue. This removes common conflicts of interest and ensures your best interests are always the priority.

Independent Financial Advice

We believe in the value of Independent Financial Advice

To feel comfortable advice is in your best interests, it must be free of conflict of interests.

There are many financial planning firms that claim to be ‘independently owned’, but this does not mean they are truly independent financial advisers.

Strategy First Financial Planning has been operating since September 2005, under its own licence, charging a fee for service, rebating all commissions and providing impartial advice.

We have no influence from or association with financial product providers.

We do not accept commissions on any financial products.

The only way we are paid is by you, our clients, and it is a flat dollar fee. These costs are agreed upfront before any work is undertaken.

Since March 2021, we have met the legal definition of Independent Financial Advice, which was updated in the Corporations Act, post the Royal Commission.

The Definition of Independent Financial Advice

As per section 923A of the Corporations Act 2001 financial advisers can only call themselves “independent”, “unbiased” or “impartial” if they (and their associates) do not receive any of the following:

• commissions (apart from commissions that are rebated in full to the person’s clients)

• forms of remuneration calculated on the basis of the volume of business placed by the person with an issuer of a financial product

• other gifts or benefits from an issuer of a financial product that may reasonably be expected to influence the person

To call yourself "Independent' you must rebate or avoid all commissions, not charge fees based on a volume of product sold and have no affiliation or ownership with any product manufacturer that could lead to a conflict of interest or a perceived conflict of interest.

The only fees we receive are directly from our clients which means we only work for you. We rebate all commissions on all products.

You can check out Superguide's list of Independent Advisers.