Five lessons I’ve learnt working in financial planning

Financial planning is about creating a brighter and more confident future, and over my career, these are the five key lessons that everyone should know.

1. It’s never too early or too late to get financial advice.

A question I often hear is “When is the right time to get financial planning help?”, and the answer is always “Now!”. Whether you're being proactive about your finances or reactive due to unexpected circumstances, financial advice makes a huge difference. 

Many people believe that it’s something they can leave for later in life when their situation starts to look more comfortable and optimistic, but starting early gets you into that situation faster. Starting as early as possible, setting your goals, and taking advantage of compounding returns gives you time to plant the seeds and watch them grow. 

Others get to a point later in life and start believing that they’ve left it way too late and the opportunities have already passed them by. The tough but fantastic truth is that they’re wrong! The beauty of financial planning is that there are always strategies that can help people to build and grow their position.

The key lesson is that the right time to start is now, even if you think that it’s too early or late. 

2. The benefits of paying for advice far outweigh the cost.

Financial advice that gets your future on track isn’t an expense, it’s an investment that yields returns throughout your entire life. 

An organised, custom financial plan cuts costs and gives you a strong safety net in both the short term and the long term. You’ll see it when you minimise your tax every financial year, when your investments grow and pay dividends, and when you’re prepared for life’s unexpected events. 

Avoiding financial mistakes and saving money through better structuring of assets pays for itself many times over, making financial planning a short-term cost with life-changing results.

3. Financial planning isn’t just about the numbers.

If financial planning was as simple as pasting numbers into a spreadsheet, it would get very boring very quickly. Thankfully, it’s a lot more than that!

Creating adaptable strategies that align with your life, sticking to them, and making changes when necessary is what financial planning is really about. 

Everyone has a different strategy as it takes a lot of things into account - priorities in your personal life, where you are in your career journey, managing risk, overcoming debt, planning your estate, and creating the safeguards to protect your future and your family. 

4. There’s no such thing as a silly question.

Finance is complex, but your financial journey should never be. My role as a financial planner is to not only make complexity simple, it’s also to make sure that advice and strategies are delivered with clarity, and are appropriate to your individual circumstances.  

I can truthfully say I’ve never heard a silly question, because everyone has a different level of knowledge, a different life situation and learning is part of the journey. 

5. Every financial plan should evolve with you.

Life is constantly changing. Careers shift, families grow, priorities adjust. Your financial plan should be just as dynamic.

Think about your life ten years ago, five years ago, even one year ago, the best way forward for you then might not be the best approach for you today. Regular check-ins and adjustments helps your financial plan to keep pace with your life so that you’re always in the best position for the future.