How To Choose A Financial Planner Near You Without Getting Burned

Last updated: 22 July 2026

Searching for a financial planner near you can produce dozens of polished websites, five-star reviews and promises of personalised advice.

That does not make the decision easy.

The planner closest to your home may be expensive, inexperienced in the problem you need solved or restricted to products that suit their business. Another planner two suburbs away, or working online, may offer a clearer service for a lower total cost.

According to my research, people often begin with the wrong comparison. They look at location, personality and the first quoted fee before checking authorisation, relevant experience, product restrictions and the complete cost of the advice.

Convenience matters. It should not decide who handles your savings, retirement or investments.

General information only: This article does not recommend a particular financial planner, investment or financial product. “Financial planner” is a broad business description. Check the person’s current registration, authorisation, qualifications, fees and written service documents before acting on personal advice.

Work out what you need before searching

“I need help with money” is too broad to guide your search.

Financial planners may work in different areas:

• Retirement planning.
• Superannuation.
• Investment advice.
• Personal insurance.
• Debt management.
• Estate and wealth transfer planning.
• Small-business finances.
• Planning for couples and families.

A planner who mainly works with retirees may not be the right choice for a self-employed person with irregular income. Someone experienced in investment portfolios may have little experience with debt trouble or business succession.

Write down the decision you need help making.

For example:

• I want to know when I can afford to retire.
• I need a plan for paying off debt and beginning to invest.
• I have inherited money and do not know what to do with it.
• My partner and I want to combine our financial plans.
• I want an independent review of my current investments.

Once the problem is clear, you can ask each planner how often they work on that exact type of case.

Our article on knowing when it is time to hire a financial planner can help you decide which problems may justify paid advice.

Do not treat “near me” as a qualification

A nearby office may make meetings easier. It does not prove that the planner is suitable.

Location tells you nothing about:

• The planner’s qualifications.
• Their legal authority to provide advice.
• The clients they normally serve.
• The products they can recommend.
• The fees they charge.
• The quality of their written advice.

A local planner may still conduct most meetings by video. An online planner may offer face-to-face appointments occasionally.

Decide how much physical location matters to you.

You may prefer a local office when:

• You want to discuss sensitive matters in person.
• You are uncomfortable uploading documents online.
• Several family members need to attend meetings.
• Your situation involves local business or property arrangements.

An online planner may suit you when:

• You live outside a major city.
• You need a planner with narrow specialist experience.
• Your working hours make office visits difficult.
• You are comfortable with video meetings and secure document portals.

Our comparison of local and online financial planners covers the practical differences in access, communication and service.

Confirm the person’s identity and authority

Do not rely on the business name alone.

Ask for the full name of the individual who will provide the advice. Then check their current details on the Australian Financial Advisers Register when the service involves personal advice about relevant financial products.

The person you meet during the first appointment may be:

• The adviser responsible for the advice.
• A business-development employee.
• An associate planner.
• A client-service manager.
• An administrator collecting information.

Ask who will sign the advice and accept professional responsibility for it.

You should also request:

• The name of the licence holder.
• The Australian financial services licence number.
• The planner’s registration or representative details.
• A copy of the Financial Services Guide.
• Confirmation of the areas they are authorised to advise on.

A large firm may employ many people. The firm’s licence does not mean every employee is authorised to provide personal advice.

Check qualifications, then check relevance

Qualifications can indicate training. They do not tell you everything about a planner’s ability to handle your situation.

You may see titles or credentials connected with:

• Financial planning.
• Investment analysis.
• Accounting.
• Tax.
• Aged care.
• Self-managed superannuation.

Ask the planner to explain each qualification in plain language.

Useful follow-up questions include:

• When did you complete it?
• What subjects did it cover?
• How does it relate to the advice I need?
• Is continuing education required?
• Does the qualification allow you to provide this advice, or is separate authorisation required?

A credential can be genuine and still be unrelated to your problem.

Our guide to CFP certification requirements in Australia explains what the designation may indicate and what it does not prove by itself.

Ask how many similar clients they work with

Years in the industry can sound impressive without revealing much.

A planner may have twenty years of experience, yet only one year dealing with retirement-income planning. Another may have spent most of their career selling personal insurance.

Ask:

• What type of client do you mainly work with?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled recently?
• What problems usually arise?
• Which parts of my case fall outside your normal work?
• When would you refer me to another professional?

From my experience comparing planner profiles and service proposals, broad claims such as “we help Australians build wealth” tell you very little. A useful description names the clients served, the work completed and the problems the planner does not handle.

Our article on the skills that separate good financial planners from great ones explains what to look for beyond qualifications.

Ask what the planner will actually deliver

“Financial advice” can mean several different things.

You might be paying for:

• A single consultation.
• A written financial plan.
• Investment recommendations.
• Product implementation.
• Superannuation advice.
• An annual review service.
• Ongoing portfolio management.

Ask for a written service description before agreeing to the work.

It should explain:

• Which financial questions will be examined.
• Which questions are excluded.
• What documents you will receive.
• Who will prepare the analysis.
• How long the work should take.
• Who will implement any recommendations.
• What happens after implementation.

Do not assume that a planning fee includes implementation. Do not assume that an annual fee includes new advice after a divorce, redundancy or inheritance.

Ask about each stage separately.

Get every fee in dollars

Financial planners may charge through:

• An hourly rate.
• A fixed project fee.
• An implementation fee.
• An ongoing annual fee.
• A percentage of investments under advice.
• Permitted commissions or referral payments.

The planner should explain every amount in dollars based on your likely balance and service.

From my experience comparing quotes, the lowest initial price can become the most expensive arrangement once implementation charges, product costs and ongoing fees are included.

Ask:

• What is the initial advice fee?
• Is implementation charged separately?
• What will I pay each year?
• Which product fees will apply?
• Will the fee rise when my balance rises?
• Can I receive the service without ongoing advice?
• How do I cancel recurring fees?

Our breakdown of financial planner costs in Australia can help you compare fixed, hourly and percentage-based charging methods.

A cheap first meeting can lead to an expensive five years

Our data shows, meaning the worked figures below, why the first quoted fee should not be viewed in isolation.

The figures are an example, not a survey or recommendation.

Planner B may provide useful ongoing work that Planner A does not provide. The point is to compare the full service and full cost over the period you expect to use it.

A lower first-year fee does not guarantee a cheaper arrangement.

Ask who benefits from the recommendation

A planner may receive money or another benefit from businesses connected with:

• Insurance.
• Investments.
• Mortgage broking.
• Property services.
• Accounting.
• Legal referrals.

Ask direct questions:

• Do you receive commissions?
• Do you receive referral payments?
• Does your employer own any recommended products?
• Would you earn less if I chose another option?
• Do you pay anyone for sending me to you?

A payment does not automatically prove that the recommendation is poor. Hidden payments and vague answers should concern you.

Ask for every financial relationship to be disclosed in writing.

Find out whether product choices are restricted

Some planners work from an approved product list.

This means the adviser may choose recommendations from a set group of products reviewed by their licensee.

Ask:

• How many products are on the list?
• Who decides which products are included?
• Can you recommend something outside the list?
• Does the business have financial links with any listed provider?
• Did you compare my current product with the available alternatives?

A restriction does not automatically make the advice unsuitable.

You need to know that the restriction exists. Otherwise, you may believe the planner compared the whole market when they reviewed only a limited group.

Listen to the questions they ask you

The first meeting is not only your opportunity to interview the planner. It also shows how they work.

A planner preparing personal advice should ask about:

• Your income.
• Household expenses.
• Debts.
• Cash savings.
• Superannuation.
• Investments.
• Insurance.
• Dependants.
• Financial goals.
• Your comfort with financial losses.

Be cautious when a product is recommended before these details are gathered.

A planner cannot know that an investment suits your position without understanding when the money will be needed and what would happen if it fell in value.

Their questions should feel specific to you, not copied from a sales script.

Ask how recommendations are researched

A planner should be able to explain the process behind the advice.

Ask:

• Which alternatives will be compared?
• How are fees assessed?
• How do you test investment risk?
• Which assumptions will be used in projections?
• How are tax consequences checked?
• Who reviews the work before it reaches me?

Software may be used for calculations, product comparisons and retirement projections.

The planner should still understand each assumption and explain it.

Our article on what a certified financial planner does during a working day describes the research, modelling and documentation clients may not see.

Ask how risk will be explained

Labels such as “balanced”, “growth” and “aggressive” can sound precise while hiding the possible financial loss.

Ask the planner to explain:

• How much the investment could fall.
• How long a recovery might take.
• What happens when you need money during a market decline.
• How much is held in one company, market or asset type.
• What would cause the strategy to change.

Ask for possible losses in dollars.

A 20% fall means:

The planner should discuss what you might feel and what your financial plan could withstand.

Those are separate questions.

Pay attention to how they communicate

You should not need a finance degree to understand your own plan.

During the first meeting, notice:

• Whether the planner listens before answering.
• Whether they interrupt.
• How they explain unfamiliar terms.
• Whether questions are welcomed.
• How quickly they turn the meeting towards a product.
• Whether risks receive as much attention as possible benefits.

A planner should be able to explain the recommendation in several ways until it makes sense.

Do not mistake complicated language for expertise.

You are paying for decisions you can understand, not an impressive collection of abbreviations.

Ask who you will speak with after signing

The person selling the service may not manage your account later.

Ask:

• Who will prepare my plan?
• Who will sign the advice?
• Who answers questions?
• Will junior staff handle routine work?
• Who covers the planner during leave?
• What happens if the planner leaves the business?

A team arrangement can work well. You should know each person’s role.

Ask how long replies usually take and what happens when a question is urgent.

Read reviews carefully

Online reviews can reveal patterns, but they have limits.

Look for comments about:

• Communication.
• Fees.
• Follow-up.
• Pressure to sign.
• Document accuracy.
• Service after implementation.

A review saying “great person” tells you little about the advice.

Repeated comments about unexplained fees or unanswered messages deserve attention.

Check the dates. A business with new owners or staff may be different from the one described in older feedback.

Do not rely on reviews supplied only by the planner. Search beyond their own website.

References may help, but do not treat them as proof

A planner may provide references from existing clients.

Those clients are likely to be people who had a positive experience.

You can still ask useful questions:

• How long have you worked with the planner?
• Were fees explained clearly?
• Did the written advice match the meetings?
• How quickly were problems handled?
• Was the annual service completed?
• Have you ever felt pressured?

Never ask a reference to reveal private financial information.

Use references as one part of the decision, not as a replacement for registration and document checks.

Check the complaint and exit process

Ask how complaints are handled before a problem occurs.

The Financial Services Guide should explain:

• How to lodge a complaint.
• Who receives it.
• How the business responds.
• Which external dispute service may apply.

Also ask how you can end the relationship.

Find out:

• How much notice is required.
• How recurring fees are stopped.
• Whether an exit charge applies.
• What happens to your investments.
• How you obtain copies of your records.

A planner confident in their service should not make leaving unnecessarily difficult.

Local planners should not ask for unsafe access

Meeting someone in person does not remove security risks.

Do not give a planner:

• Your internet banking password.
• Your government account password.
• One-time security codes.
• Access to your personal email account.
• An unsigned blank form.

Ask how identity is verified, how documents are stored and which staff members can access them.

A planner can review statements and complete authorised work without knowing your personal passwords.

Red flags during the first meeting

Walk away or seek another opinion when the planner:

• Guarantees investment returns.
• Recommends a product before reviewing your finances.
• Refuses to provide fees in dollars.
• Creates pressure to sign immediately.
• Will not explain commissions or ownership.
• Claims one strategy suits every client.
• Cannot produce registration details.
• Dismisses the value of a second opinion.
• Asks for passwords or security codes.
• Uses fear to sell an ongoing service.

Some financial decisions have real deadlines.

The planner should be able to show you the date, explain the rule and describe what happens when it is missed.

Use the first meeting as a test

Before the appointment, prepare three questions that matter most to you.

For example:

1. Can I afford to retire at 60?
2. Should I pay down my mortgage or add more to super?
3. What will your advice cost over five years?

You may not receive complete answers during an introductory meeting. You should receive a clear explanation of how the planner would investigate them.

Notice whether the planner:

• Understands the question.
• Asks for relevant facts.
• Explains uncertainty.
• Avoids promising an answer before seeing the numbers.
• Describes the next step clearly.

Our list of questions to ask before paying a financial planner can help you prepare for the interview.

Score each candidate using the same criteria

A friendly conversation can make comparison difficult.

Use a simple scorecard after each meeting. Score each category from zero to two:

• 0: Missing, vague or concerning.
• 1: Partly explained.
• 2: Clear and supported in writing.

The highest score does not automatically decide the choice. It shows where more questions are needed.

A sample hiring decision

Consider Emma and Luke, a couple in their early forties.

They want help with:

• Mortgage repayment.
• Super contributions.
• Investing outside super.
• Planning to reduce work in fifteen years.

They meet two nearby planners.

Planner A

Planner A has an office five minutes away. The initial meeting is friendly, but the planner recommends changing super funds before reviewing the couple’s insurance or complete household budget.

The first-year fee is low. The written proposal includes an ongoing percentage fee that was not clearly discussed during the meeting.

Planner B

Planner B works thirty minutes away and offers video appointments after the first meeting.

The planner asks for mortgage statements, super records, household expenses and insurance details before discussing products. The initial fee is higher, but the five-year cost is lower because no ongoing service is required.

Planner B also explains which work requires an accountant.

Emma and Luke choose Planner B.

The decision is not based on distance or personality. It is based on service scope, total cost and the quality of the planning process.

When the cost may not be worth it

You may not need a full financial plan when:

• Your question is narrow.
• Your finances are straightforward.
• The amount involved is small.
• You only need general education.
• A one-hour consultation could resolve the issue.

Ask whether the planner offers a smaller service.

A fixed consultation may be enough to review a budget, explain investment basics or prepare questions for a later decision.

Our article asking whether a financial planner is worth it when you are starting out examines when the likely benefit may justify the fee.

A thirty-day planner search

Days 1 to 5: define the problem

• Write down the decision you need help making.
• List your main financial goals.
• Choose the type of service you expect.
• Decide whether local meetings are necessary.

Days 6 to 10: create a shortlist

• Find three to five possible planners.
• Check their stated specialities.
• Read recent reviews.
• Remove anyone whose service does not match your problem.

Days 11 to 15: check credentials

• Confirm the individual’s identity.
• Check registration and authorisation where relevant.
• Review qualifications.
• Ask who holds the licence.

Days 16 to 22: hold interviews

• Ask each planner the same questions.
• Request fees in dollars.
• Ask about commissions and product restrictions.
• Record your impressions after each meeting.

Days 23 to 27: compare the paperwork

• Read the Financial Services Guide.
• Compare service proposals.
• Calculate the cost over several years.
• Check the cancellation process.

Days 28 to 30: make the decision

• Complete the scorecard.
• Ask final questions in writing.
• Seek another opinion when something remains unclear.
• Do not proceed because you feel pressured or embarrassed.

Choose the process, not the postcode

A financial planner near you can be convenient. Convenience should come after competence, authority and cost.

Start by defining the problem. Check the individual who will provide the advice, not merely the firm’s name. Compare the complete service in writing and calculate what it may cost over several years.

Watch how the planner gathers information. Someone who recommends a product before understanding your income, debt, goals and timeframe has skipped the work that makes advice personal.

Ask uncomfortable questions about commissions, restrictions and complaints.

A trustworthy planner will not punish curiosity. They will explain the service, show the fees and give you time to decide.

The right planner may be around the corner. They may be several hours away and meet you online.

Choose the person whose work you can verify and whose advice you can understand.