How should advisers reach out to the community?

Michael Crowe has been a financial planner for nearly 20 years, and takes great pride in his work at the Hendrie Group. In this chat, he discusses how he came into the profession and the important role advisers play in the community.

Just to start off, how did you come into financial planning?

I was in my mid-to-late 20s, basically doing admin roles outside the industry. I really wanted to do something better, and someone mentioned something which sounded like an exciting career. At school, my favourite things were maths and economics, so I decided to study for the Diploma of Financial Planning.

How did you get your first job in the field?

I decided to send my resume around to local businesses, and one of the places I sent it to was looking for someone to do a bit of quarterly reports of portfolio management. I got in there, and I’ve been here for 18-and-a-half years since!

What do you like most about your role?

I think most of all, I like helping people get into a better financial position. You know, if people come in and they’re not sure about their direction or what position they’re going to be in if they can retire, helping them get that relief after their first meeting – of knowing they’re going to be okay – is very satisfying.

What kind of client base do you have?

We probably do more in regards to pre-retirees, helping people work towards a comfortable retirement. But certainly there are younger clients. I have a view that the younger someone can start, the more choices they’re going to have in the future. Everyone can do this and improve their future.

How can advisers reach out to the community?

That’s a really good question for us, since we have a guide on how to retire on your own terms. Thinking about it, I think there is unfortunately the problem where a lot of people think that compulsory super and some government benefits are going to be sufficient for them in later in life, when in most cases that’s not the case.

This is particularly difficult for Gen X and Boomers, who haven’t had super at a high level for some time. Basically, we try to educate clients – once you’re in your 50s, this is something you need to think about. It’s obviously a very individual thing, but there is this “she’ll be right” attitude that needs to be addressed, because if you don’t think about it you’re not going to be able to retire the way you want.

Thanks very much for your time, Michael.


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