FAQs

CommonCents is a financial advice & education firm with the purpose of helping clients live their richest life. We believe the right place to start is with an open and transparent relationship on costs. 

We are a fee-for-advice business and we’ve computed what it costs to produce our work and how much financial value is being delivered as a result. Because of that we have a flat cost for our initial work and a separate cost (also flat) for any further work we provide. 

Our Initial Advice program costs are below:

Our initial advice is project managed for each stage from Discovery to Implementation. Typically this is completed within a 90 day timeframe but this can differ depending on the levels of complexity. 

The standard cost for our Initial Advice Program is $6,600 incl GST however this may be higher or lower depending on the benefits provided. 

As our relationship is still building, we’ve broken down our Initial Advice Program into the following four stages:

• Stage 1: Discovery – no charge as this is a get-to-know each other meeting so we wear the cost of this so that there’s no pressure on you
• Stage 2: Mudmap (Strategic Advice) – $1,650 which covers guidance for all components of advice that don’t require specific product recommendations
• Stage 3: Advice (Product Advice) – from $2,200 which builds on and strengthens our strategic advice with specific product recommendations ie. is ‘xyz super’ the best one
• Stage 4: Implementation (making theory happen) – from $2,750 makes sure that everything we’ve advised on actually gets done in a way that’s understandable and sustainable

Each of these points run one after the other and each one provides you with the opportunity to continue to the next stage with the security and peace of mind that your financial plan is being tailored specifically to you.

Depending on the level of work involved at each stage, these costs may vary from time to time. Rest assured, to avoid any surprises we quote for each stage and gain your written authority prior to commencing any work.

What happens after the Initial Advice Program is complete?

After twenty years working with busy families to remove their financial worries, we’ve found that the best outcomes are achieved when at least the first year after implementing a financial plan is spent working with our Annual Advice program.

It’s our requirement that when we are engaged to Implement our financial advice that at least one year of our Annual Advice program is undertaken.

The details of our Annual Advice program and costs are below:

We know that it’s important for families to work with someone they can trust so they have the peace of mind in knowing that changes to personal goals and changes to rules and regulations can be dealt with.

So, we offer an Annual Advice program that means families can ensure their financial strategy is current, up to date and on track to achieving your specific goals.

Our Annual Costs look much like this:

• Our standard cost is $5,500 per annum incl GST however this may be higher or lower depending on the benefits that we provide to you. We’ll provide you with a quote so that there aren’t any surprises.
• Our costs are agreed between you and your adviser and are fixed for a term of one year or less
• Each year, we will seek your re-engagement on the services to be provided for the coming 12 months and what the new cost will be

Please note that we do not accept commissions on any investments regardless of the size or the complexity of our advice and your situation.

Depending on your financial situation we may consider the option of funding our costs through a commission on personal risk insurances where it is suitable and you agree.

Further information about costs is located in our Financial Services Guide (FSG)

None. We do not receive investment commissions, rent subsidies, discounted printers, computers or computer software or fully or partially subsidised tickets to conferences either in Australia or abroad. We are remunerated by our clients only when we can demonstrate sufficient value to warrant.

No, we are not owned by a bank or any other large or small financial institution.

Yes. We hold Diplomas of Financial Planning, Masters Degrees in Financial Planning, Commerce Degrees and are members of the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA).

Yes. We are Authorised Representatives of CommonCents Advice Group Pty Ltd AFSL #524454. CommonCents Advice Group provide us with the services of audit & compliance, investment research, insurance research and legislative & technical research.

No, CommonCents Financial Planning and CommonCents Advice Group are owned by individuals.

We each have over 20 years experience and have insights into the intimate money habits of over 2,000 financially successful families.

More on our experience, qualifications and testimonials can be found at the independent research firm Adviser Ratings. Nick Girle’s profile is here, Richard Brannelly’s profile is here and Kim Klein’s profile is here.

We provide the most value to those families that are approaching or are in retirement. You may be feeling a little overwhelmed with the range of options available and need someone to provide a little clarity so you can feel more comfortable about what lies ahead. 

We employ Superannuation, Life Insurance, Total & Permanent Disability Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Income Protection Insurance, Managed Investments, Investment/Insurance Bonds

Comprehensive advice that may or may not involves us providing implementation services so that our clients can stop worrying about their money problems.

At CommonCents we abide by stringent professional and legal processes to ensure your information is kept secure.  You can read more about our privacy policy here

At CommonCents we choose to use DocuSign for some of our documentation that requires a signature.  We have chosen DocuSign as it is the most widely used e-signature solution in the world.  It consistently meets national and international security standards and complies with applicable laws, regulations and industry standards around the world, governing digital transactions and electronic signatures.

But is it really safe I hear you ask…. In truth an electronic signature is more secure than a wet signature.  Wet signatures can be easily forged or tampered with, while electronic signatures have many layers of security and authentication built into them, along with a court-admissible proof of transaction.

Electronic signatures come with an electronic record that serves as an audit trail and proof of transaction.  It includes details of when and where the document was opened, viewed and signed and even identifies the phone, tablet or computer that you used. 

Once completed both you and CommonCents receive a certificate of completion that contains specific details including your agreement to use an e-signature, the signature image, key event timestamps, your IP address and other identifying information.

When all signatures are complete, the document is sealed using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), an industry-standard technology which shows the electronic signature is valid and that the document hasn’t been tampered with or altered since the date of signing.

If you have any further questions regarding using electronic signatures please give us a call and we would be happy to talk to you about your concerns.