Note: You can learn more about the importance of independent financial advice in the SuperGuide article: Independent financial advice: Why it’s important, and how to find it.

SuperGuide has been tracking Australia’s independent financial advisers since 2010. We have always recognised that financial advice can add significant value to your retirement plans, so long as it’s truly independent, free from conflicts of interest and in the best interests of the clients.

Important: SuperGuide does not have a commercial arrangement with any of the advisers listed below, and advisers do not pay SuperGuide to be featured on this list.

What makes a financial adviser ‘independent’?

According to ASIC, which regulates all Australian financial advisers:

Under [Section 923A of] the Corporations Act, a person who carries on a financial services business or provides a financial service is prohibited from using the terms ‘independent’, ‘impartial’ or ‘unbiased’, or any other term ‘of like import’ in relation to the business or service except where the person meets certain conditions, such as not receiving any commissions, volume-based payments or other gifts or benefits.

Most of the financial advisers listed below belong to the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA), formerly known as the Independent Financial Advisers Association of Australia (IFAAA), which requires all members to meet the following criteria:

No ownership links or affiliations with product manufacturers. Impartiality is impossible where an adviser has links to a product manufacturer. Ownership links create an environment where the adviser resembles, at best, a well-intentioned salesperson.

No commissions or incentive payments from product manufacturers. Commissions are payments made by product manufacturers to their distribution network. They create a conflict of interest between advisers and their clients.

No asset-based fees. Asset fees, although authorised by the client, are calculated on the volume of business an adviser places with a product manufacturer. (On this basis, advisers who receive a percentage fee from an administration platform or wrap can’t describe themselves as independent.) Asset fees are incentives that prevent an adviser from being impartial and therefore create a conflict of interest between adviser and client.

President of PIFA Daniel Brammall has also described how to identify an independent financial adviser in the SuperGuide article What makes a financial adviser independent?

The list below includes financial advisers who are not members of the PIFA but who have signed a declaration that they only charge fees for service, and do not receive any remuneration from:

Commissions

Trailing commissions

Asset-based fees for service, including trailing income or fees based on a percentage of assets under management

Bonuses (of whatever description)

Conflicted remuneration as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) pt 7.7A div 4

Any other form of monetary or non-monetary remuneration that could reasonably give rise to a conflict between my interests and the interests of my clients.

The financial advisers listed below that are not members of the PIFA have signed a similar declaration, which you can see here.

Sydney independent financial advisers There are 23 independent financial advisers listed across Sydney, including 12 that are members of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Below this list you can also find 5 independent financial advisers that service regional NSW. Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Vince Lam Plutus Financial Guidance Chatswood Yes Christine Fenech Quantum Financial Chatswood No Claire Mackay Quantum Financial Chatswood No Tim Mackay Quantum Financial Chatswood No Ricky Truong Quantum Financial Chatswood No Ben Liddicoat BBK Financial Planning Dulwich Hill Yes Jo-Anne Nelson Arc Financial Solutions Neutral Bay Yes Howard Pitts Arc Financial Solutions Neutral Bay Yes David Harper Naked Wealth Newport Yes Kevin Smith The Professional Super Advisers North Sydney No Deborah Lin Liquidity Independent Advisers Oatley Yes Fergus Hardingham FM Financial Solutions Pyrmont Yes Philip Davies Liquidity Independent Advisers Sutherland Yes Michael Morrison M Financial Planning Sydney Yes Michael Radalj Your Private Advisers Sydney Yes Bill Raffle Bennelong Private Wealth Sydney Yes Peter Surtenich Suetonius Wealth Management Sydney Yes Harry Buckeridge Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No Michael Ogg Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No Carlo Queddeng Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No Grant Patterson Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No William Porter Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No James Smith Providence Wealth Advisory Group Sydney No NSW regional independent financial advisers Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? James Cruz Evolution Financial Planning Ballina No Stephanie O’Connor Custom Accounting Cootamundra Yes Kyle Frost Millennial Independent Advice Newcastle Yes Daniel McGregor Wealth Train Orange Yes Richard Barber Liquidity Independent Advisers Shellharbour Yes

Melbourne independent financial advisers

There are 18 independent financial advisers listed across Melbourne, including 14 that are members of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Below this list you can also find one independent financial adviser that services Geelong.

Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Trent Alexander Financial Planning Expert Caulfield North Yes Rick Horvat Horvat Financial Advisors Essendon Yes Mathew Horvat Horvat Financial Advisers Essendon Yes Adriano Donato Roskow Independent Advisory Hawthorn Yes Matthew Ross Roskow Independent Advisory Hawthorn Yes Tom Barlow Roskow Independent Advisory Hawthorn No Stephen Farrell Guided Wealth Hawthorn East No Amir Salehi Planning Wealth Independent Advisory Kew Yes James Stephan Stephan Independent Advisory Kew Yes Joe Stephan Stephan Independent Advisory Kew Yes Dennis J. Maddern Maddern Financial Advisers Malvern Yes Dominic Alafaci Collins House Melbourne Yes Natasha Hall Planning Hall Melbourne Yes Jason Smith Think Independent Melbourne Yes Sean Dwyer Curve Financial Moorabbin Yes Berivan Dubier Curve Financial Moorabbin Yes Cameron Howlett Independent Wealth Partners Parkville No Corin Jacka Priority1 Wealth Management Group Ringwood North No

VIC regional independent financial advisers

Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Chris Thoms Super-Focus Geelong Yes

Brisbane independent financial advisers

There are 16 independent financial advisers listed across Brisbane, including 4 that are members of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Below this list you can also find 3 independent financial advisers that service regional Queensland.

Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Crystal Bobir Tupicoffs Brisbane No Rocco Costa Tupicoffs Brisbane No Simon Hepson Tupicoffs Brisbane No Neil Kendall Tupicoffs Brisbane No Ross McConachie Tupicoffs Brisbane No Mark Milner Tupicoffs Brisbane No Delma Newton Tupicoffs Brisbane No Mark O’Flynn Tupicoffs Brisbane No Rebecca Scarrabelotti Tupicoffs Brisbane No Aaron Crosthwaite Curve Financial QLD Fortitude Valley Yes Justin Brand Brand Financial Newstead No Caleb Dozzi Dozzi Newstead No Ellie Fordham Dozzi Newstead No Neil Salkow Roskow Independent Advisory Stones Corner Yes Samuel Turrisi Roskow Independent Advisory Stones Corner Yes Guy Rasmussen Whole Wealth West End Yes QLD regional independent financial advisers Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Jayne Graving Arch Financial Planners Maroochydore No David Harper Naked Wealth Noosaville Yes Keith Henderson Malibu Wealth Advisory Noosaville Yes Perth independent financial advisers There are 5 independent financial advisers listed across Perth, including one that is a member of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Below this list you can also find 2 independent financial advisers that service regional WA. Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Dennis Barton Andep Investment Consultancy Perth No Elizabeth Gliddon Andep Investment Consultancy Perth No Christopher Young CY Financial Advice South Perth Yes Nick Bruining N.C. Bruining & Associates Subiaco No David Sharpe Globe Financial Planning West Perth No WA regional independent financial advisers Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Mick Steffan Independent Advisers WA Bluff Point Yes Peter Humble Rise Wealth Eaton Yes

Adelaide independent financial advisers

There are two independent financial advisers listed in Adelaide, including one that is a member of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Below this list you can also find one independent financial advisers that services Port Lincoln.

Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Craig Meathrel Strategiq Wealth Eastwood No Jacie Taylor Periapt Advisory Kent Town Yes SA regional independent financial advisers Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Cameron Foster Horizon Advisory Port Lincoln Yes Canberra independent financial advisers There are 5 independent financial advisers listed across Canberra, who are all members of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Philip Harvey Construct Wealth Dickson Yes Naomi Horobin Clover Financial Group Kingston Yes Phil Thompson Rise Financial Monash Yes Daniel Brammall Brocktons Independent Advisory Phillip Yes Susannah Kulincevic Brocktons Independent Advisory Phillip Yes

Hobart independent financial advisers There are 4 independent financial advisers listed across Hobart, including one that is a member of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA). Adviser name Business name Suburb PIFA member? Jane Clark Jane Clark Financial Management Howden No Simon Duigan Core Independent Financial Advice Kingston Yes Anton Diedericks WellAdvised Financial Advisers North Hobart No Jared Schrank WellAdvised Financial Advisers North Hobart No

Are you an independent financial adviser? If you’re an independent financial adviser that would like to be included on this list, please follow the instructions here.

Disclosure: SuperGuide is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Independent Financial Advisers Australia. Daniel Brammall is a Director of both Independent Financial Advisers Australia and the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA).

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