Fees and Bias

Pidgin Economics

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  Another Budget, another yawn…

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  Good news – Australia’s inflation is down! Or is it up?

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  Financial Meltdowns

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  Why is the global economy so messed up?

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  Carbon Tax – Market Strategy Update

Financial Planning is all about understanding money. The problem is that traditional financial planning is all about your Financial Planner understanding money, and your simply agreeing with whatever it is that they are telling you. How do i know this? i know that this is the case because i am an avid reader of all things financial, and my role as an active Financial Planner in Perth, Western Australia, keeps me up-to-date with the latest trends on what is happening in Western Australia. Constant contact with other planning professionals, and with employees, representatives and management of major financial institutions, helps to bring about a fairly wide picture of how things stand at any given point in time. If there is a "zeitgeist" to financial planning (and i am referring to the "spirit of the times" definition and not the popular conspiracy theory video) then right now that would be a spirit of Inquisition. That's not all good, by the way. Financial Planners and the financial planning world are under the microscope in a way that has not happened before. Fees and bias are being raised in a negative sense, with very little perspective or history being presented to help the average person understand money or how the financial planning world works - and that is a bad thing, as legislative changes as well as consumer group pressure, are combining to fundamentally alter the fabric of financial planning in Australia. All change is not always for the better, and Financial Planning will not necessarily involve less fees and bias in the future. If anything, the changes to legislation for financial planning operators is already working towards a greater reduction in choice and clarity. Bias driven by commercial arrangements are being hidden even further, as financial planning groups take positions in financial products to gain some financial exposure to investment and superannuation funds flows. The term "independent" is mistakenly assumed to mean "free of bias", and that is a mistake that is made by legislators, consumer groups, consumers and even financial planners. This site aims to bring about a greater understanding of money and the financial planning world. It's not a destination but a journey, and not a short one at that. If you are interested in financial planning (especially Perth financial planning) then spend a while to get to know this site, and i believe you will learn far more than you expect. If you do not, click on the "contact" links and tell me where we fall short. I assure you that all input will be attended to and considered. - Michael O'Hara
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