What Documents To Provide For Your Financial Planner

If your finances are looking a little worse for wear, you might want to consider contacting a financial planner — a registered, qualified professional who can provide expert advice to help you meet your long-term financial goals.

We can work out where you stand based on what you own and what you owe and provide potential investment opportunities and insurance options to protect your assets.

To get the most out of our first meeting, we ask that you provide the information listed in this article and email it to us ahead of time so that we can provide the most accurate, reliable financial advice possible.

Alternatively, download our interactive checklist here!

Note: If you can’t gather these documents before our first meeting, we recommend cancelling and rescheduling the appointment until you have all the documentation compiled.

#1. Identification

As a bare minimum, we require some form of identification, e.g. a copy of your driver’s licence(s). We will require a passport or proof of ID card if you do not have a licence.

#2. Superannuation Information

Next, we will require information about your most recent superannuation fund. If you have multiple funds, please provide statements for all of these funds. If you can’t find a statement, please provide the following details:

• Approximate account balance
• Membership number
• Fund provider
• Risk profile.

#3. Investment Information

Do you own managed funds, direct shares, or an investment property? If so, we ask that you provide us with the following investment information:

• Your most recent statement
• Your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN)
• Purchase price
• Date of purchase
• Number of units
• Rental income.

#4. Insurance Information

Do you have life, total and permanent disability (TPD), income protection or trauma insurance? How about private health, home and contents, car/boat/caravan/motorbike or business insurance? If you have any kind of insurance, please provide policy statements that we can review.

#5. Debt Information

In order to know where you stand, we will also need to know about any debt you have. This might include a mortgage, personal loans, student debt, and credit cards. Please provide your home/investment loan statements and credit card statement(s) if possible.

#6. Tax Information

You may be entitled to more than you know. Please provide us with your most recent tax return, including your tax file number (TFN). We also ask that you provide a payment summary from your employer, your employment contract and/or your last three payslips.

#7. Estate Planning Documents

It’s crucial to know what will happen to your assets after you pass. With this in mind, we ask that you provide a copy of your will and powers of attorney.

If you do not have this information yet, we can help! We offer estate planning services in-house to ensure your estate and assets are protected and distributed according to your wishes.

Contact Elliot Watson Financial Planning for more information about your first appointment

Of course, you are welcome to provide any other information you feel may be relevant. The more information we have about your financial situation, the more effective and detailed your financial plan will be!

If you are unsure whether to provide certain documentation, please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@elliotwatson.com.au and our team will be in touch the next business day. Alternatively, contact us at (02) 4038 1623 for immediate assistance.

The information within, including tax, does not consider your personal circumstances and is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account any of your individual objectives, financial solutions or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider its appropriateness regarding your objectives, financial situation and needs. You should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statements and seek personal advice from a qualified financial adviser.

The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author; they are not reflective or indicative of the licensee’s position and are not to be attributed to the licensee. They cannot be reproduced in any form without the author’s express written consent.
Elliot Watson Financial Planning Pty Ltd and its advisers are Authorised Representatives of RI Advice Group Pty Ltd, ABN 23 001 774 125 AFSL 238429.