How much money should you have before seeing a financial planner?
You do not need to be wealthy to benefit from advice. The better question is whether a decision is important, complex, or costly enough to justify help.
Plenty of Australians delay financial advice until they feel they have earned the right to it. By then, many of the most valuable opportunities have already passed.
The right question is not how much money you have. It is whether the next decision is important enough to get right.
Why it matters in Australia
Australians often seek advice for super, insurance, home buying, debt, investing, retirement, inheritance, redundancy, divorce, business planning, or tax coordination.
Some advice is one-off; other advice is ongoing. The right scope depends on the question, not the balance sheet.
What to work through
Start with the decision, not the balance. The conversation becomes much more useful once the question is clear.
- Identify the decision you need help with before asking about fees.
- Compare the cost of advice with the cost of getting the decision wrong.
- Ask whether the adviser offers scoped advice, comprehensive advice, or ongoing service.
- Make sure the adviser is licensed for the advice you need.
Common traps
Watch for the patterns that lead people to delay or under-use advice.
- Waiting until retirement misses opportunities during working years.
- Free tips become expensive when they are not personal to you.
- Advice fees should be clear before work begins.
Next steps
Bring your real situation to the first meeting and ask for a clear scope.
- Prepare your goals, income, assets, debts, super, and insurance details.
- Ask for the Financial Services Guide and fee explanation.
- Start with a specific question if a full plan feels too large.