1. About this Financial Services Guide

 

This Financial Services Guide (FSG) provides you with important information to help you understand the services we offer. Its purpose is to educate you prior to us providing a financial service. It provides information such as:

 

• Who we are and how we can be contacted;
• The financial advisers at RetireCare Pty Ltd;
• The financial planning services and products we provide advice on;
• How RetireCare Pty Ltd is paid for the services it provides;
• Disclosure of any association or relationship that could create potential conflicts of interest;
• What to do when you receive our advice;
• How we treat your personal information;
• Our privacy policy;
• Details of who to contact should you have a complaint.

 

2. About our practice

RetireCare Pty Ltd (RetireCare) has been involved in financial planning for our clients since 1984 and is a principal member of the Financial Planning Association.

RetireCare is independently owned and is not aligned to any Bank, Life Insurance company or Industry Fund.

RetireCare is a holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence 229242 and is located at:
Offices 9-11 Arabin Plaza
Arabin Street
Keilor Victoria 3036
Tel No:  (03) 9336 7800
Fax No: (03) 9336 2100
ABN: 66082986641

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.retirecare.com.au

We also have access to offices in Surrey Hills, Kew, Hawthorn and Melbourne CBD.

3. Our Services & Fees

RetireCare is authorised to provide advice on the following strategies and products:

Services Self Managed Superannuation Funds Retirement Planning Retrenchment & Termination of Employment Advice Aged Care Facility Planning Superannuation Strategies Wealth Creation Strategies Wealth Protection Investment Advice Cashflow Management Debt Management Business Succession Planning Business Risk Management Strategies Social Security/Centrelink entitlements Estate Planning Â

Products Deposit products Managed investment funds and trusts Wrap accounts and master trusts Superannuation Risk Insurance ASX Listed Securities Government Stocks and Bonds Annuities, allocated pensions and account based pensions Managed Investment Schemes & Agribusiness Margin lending facilities (standard) Â

 

How will I pay for the service?

Strategic Advice (which includes investment advice)

 

RetireCare operates on a fee for service basis for our initial advice and our ongoing advice service.

Fees are charged at the rate of $110 to $385 per hour (GST Inclusive) or part thereof, depending on which financial adviser, para planner or administrative assistant is involved in providing our service to you.

A fee for service will be charged on our written recommendations (Statement of Advice). The cost to prepare our Statement of advice is dependent on the complexity of the advice. It is calculated on the anticipated time, experience and expertise required in formulating and documenting the advice strategy.

RetireCare has a minimum fee for preparing a Statement of Advice of $1,100 (inclusive of GST), however this fee may vary according to the intricacy and complexity of the advice required and will be mutually agreed by you and our office.

Note that, with respect to ongoing services, RetireCare may receive a commission based fee due to the existence of legacy based products. In these instances, the commission fee will generally be offset against the advice fee. Details of which will be disclosed in your Statement of Advice.

 

Wealth Protection

If you purchase or retain a life insurance policy on our recommendation, we may receive a commission payment from the insurer who issues the policy. There are a number of ways these payments can be structured. The initial commission varies depending on the issuer and the product. This can range between 0% and 130% of your first years’ premium. The on-going commission varies depending on the issuer and the product. This can range between 0% and 30% of your annual premium.

RetireCare will provide you with a choice of fee for service or commission on any recommended insurance product. Due to design and cost features of the insurance product you may be given the choice of payment that suits your individual circumstances.

As is required by law all fees, commissions and on ongoing fees will be disclosed to you in a tailored Statement of Advice.

Before the preparation of the Statement of Advice you will be asked to sign an authority to proceed.

 

Do we accept soft dollar benefits from providers?

RetireCare neither accepts nor receives any soft dollar benefits. By refusing such benefits it ensures that our personal advice is never compromised by external influences.

 

Do any relationships or associations exist which might influence us in providing you with financial advice?

RetireCare is an independently owned financial planning business. RetireCare is not aligned to any Bank, Life insurance company, and Industry fund.

All recommendations made within your Statement of Advice are selected purely on our independent research.

 

Will anyone be paid for referring me to you?

From time to time, RetireCare may receive referrals from existing clients and other professionals.

These referrals are important to RetireCare as they help to build our business. If you have been referred to us by another party, we may pay that party a referral fee. The amount and details of the referring party will be disclosed to you in your Statement of Advice.

 

4. Our Advisers

Your adviser is an authorised representative of RetireCare and RetireCare is responsible for the financial services provided by its representatives and the distribution of this Financial Services Guide (FSG).

Our advisory team includes:-

Luke Eres:  Director - Principal Consultant

• SMSF Specialist Advisor^TM
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM
• Diploma of Financial Planning
• Bachelor of Social Science - Major Economics and Law
• 16 Years Advisory Experience
• Superannuation and Retirement Planning Specialist
• Authorised Representative Number 230831

Mirko Cugura:  Director - Principal Consultant

• SMSF Specialist Advisor^TM
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM
• Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning ASIA
• Bachelor of Economics
• F Fin – Fellow of Financial Services Institute of Australasia
• Postgraduate Diploma of Econometrics
• 12 Years Advisory Experience
• Superannuation and Retirement Planning Specialist
• Authorised Representative Number 230833

Shane Nicholas: Director - Principal Consultant

• SMSF Specialist Advisor^TM
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ^TM
• Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning) with distinction
• 9 Years Advisory Experience
• Superannuation and Retirement Planning Specialist
• Aged Care Facility Specialist
• Authorised Representative Number 260900

Laurie Hellier:  Senior Financial Planner

• ^§ CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ^TM
• Diploma of Financial Planning (Deakin University)
• 24 Years Advisory Experience
• Associate Chartered Accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants)
• Registered Tax Agent
• Authorised Representative Number 336578

Ben Nguyen:  Financial Planner

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM
• Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning) with distinction
• 5 Years Industry Experience
• Authorised Representative Number 332178

 

Sara Thomas: Financial Planner

• Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (KAPLAN)
• 4 Years Industry Experience
• Authorised Representative Number 338154

William Vuong: Financial Planner

• Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
• Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning FINSIA
• 4 Years Industry Experience
• Authorised Representative Number 342768

5. Our Process

Will you provide me with advice, which is suitable to my needs and financial circumstances? 

The advice provided to you by RetireCare, should complement your lifestyle and financial objectives. In order to do this, your adviser needs to have a clear understanding of what your individual objectives, financial situation and needs are before any services and products are recommended to you.

Whilst you do retain the right not to divulge certain information to your adviser we are obliged to advise you of the potential risks you face in failing to do so.

What should I know about the risks of the financial products or strategies you recommend to me? 

When presenting your tailored Statement of Advice your adviser will clearly explain why a particular strategy has been pursued and outline all potential risks that could undermine the recommended approach. We would strongly encourage you to ask as many questions as possible because the better you understand the strategy the better we believe the outcome will be.

What information do you maintain in my file and can I examine my file?

National Privacy Principles apply to the collection of personal or sensitive information. In effect, this means that information provided by you in the course of receiving financial planning services must be used only for the following purposes:

 

• to provide you with information, products or services that you might reasonably expect or request;
• to fully understand or anticipate your needs during our relationship;
• to manage rights and obligations under any laws applying to the services provided; or
• to conduct research, or planning and marketing, which includes direct marketing, although you do have the right to specifically instruct that your details aren’t used for these purposes

 

The type of information which will usually be requested will include significant details about your financial, taxation, health, employment and estate planning matters. This may include details relating to your partner or family members.

You are entitled to request access to your file for the purpose of reviewing and correcting the information held. However, you cannot access information where it would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of another person, or if the information is relevant to legal obligations or legal proceedings.

We will, from time to time, disclose information about you to our Authorised Representatives and to other professionals, insurance providers, superannuation trustees, product issuers and our service providers in connection with providing our services to you.

You are entitled to obtain access to the information which we hold about you by contacting our Privacy Officer on (03) 9336 7800 or by writing to our:

Privacy Officer, RetireCare Pty Ltd
11 Arabin Plaza, Arabin Street
KEILOR VIC 3036

 

For more information regarding our collection, use, storage and disclosure of your personal information, our Privacy Policy can be accessed on our web site www.retirecare.com.au

 

How can I instruct you about matters pertaining to my file?

Whilst we would prefer face-to-face discussions with you, you may provide your Adviser with specific instructions by letter, email, telephone, fax or other means (as agreed with your Adviser).

What documents will I receive?

You may receive the following documents, designed to help you make an informed decision on any financial strategy or recommended product.

 

Statement of advice (SoA)

You are entitled to receive a ‘Statement of Advice’ on the first occasion that we provide you with personal advice, or a ‘Record of Small Investment Advice’.  These documents will contain personal advice, the basis on which it is given, details of fees, commissions and information on relevant associations.

After providing you with our Statement of Advice, any ongoing personal advice that we may provide will be documented in a further ‘Statement of Advice’, or a ‘Record of Advice’ depending on the nature of the advice.

Copies of the Statement(s) of Advice, Records of Small Investment Advice, and/or Record(s) of Advice will be retained on your client file and if you have not already been provided with one, you may ask for a copy of these documents at any time.

 

Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)

You will receive a PDS if your financial adviser has provided advice on a particular product. A PDS will contain the key features of the financial product, significant risks and benefits, and fees associated with the financial product.  You should read this information to enable you to make an informed decision prior to purchasing the recommended financial product.

What ongoing services are provided?

If you elect to participate in RetireCare’s ongoing review service, we will ask that you sign a Financial Service Agreement (FSA).  The FSA will be tailored to meet your individual requirements and will be set out in your Statement of Advice.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

RetireCare Pty Ltd and your financial adviser maintain professional indemnity (PI) insurance policies. These insurances cover advice, actions and recommendations which have been authorised by RetireCare to be provided by your adviser. These arrangements satisfy the requirements imposed by the Corporations Act 2001 and financial services regulations.

If you have any complaints

RetireCare is committed to providing immediate acknowledgement, a professional response and timely resolution to all complaints made. If you have a complaint about the service provided to you, you should:

1.  Discuss your complaint with your adviser and we will try and resolve your complaint quickly and fairly.
2. If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved within three days, please put your complaint in writing and send it to:
           RetireCare Pty Ltd – Complaints
           PO Box 380
           Keilor VIC 3036.
           We will seek to resolve your complaint in a timely and unbiased manner.
3.  If your complaint cannot be satisfied to your satisfaction, you have the right to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This is a free service and they can be contacted on 1300 78 08 08.

 

If your concerns involve your Adviser’s conduct, you may wish to raise this with the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).  You can write to them at:

Financial Planning Association
PO Box 109 Collins Street West
Melbourne Vic 8007

Alternatively, The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) also has a free call information line on 1300 300 360. You may use this number to make a complaint and obtain information about your rights.