Client Stories

An inheritance can be a life-changing event...

In 2013, Matt and Debbie were happily planning for the future…

With retirement around a decade away, they felt comfortable with their finances, particularly with Matt’s Defined Benefit superannuation. And then a change in Matt’s employment circumstances threw their world, and their plans, into a spin. They got in touch with Apt Wealth Partners, and today, the couple are on track to live their dream retirement.

“I was working for a large international corporation, and had a Defined Benefit Scheme on my super, so I felt really comfortable that no matter what happened, I’d be okay in retirement,” Matt explains. “So when the company was sold to a new parent organisation who discontinued this arrangement, it was devastating.”

Matt says the couple were in a state of panic when they reached out
to Apt Wealth Partners Director, Andrew Dunbar, for guidance. “We really didn’t know what to do and we were genuinely concerned about our future. In that first conversation, Andrew just took control, and we knew we were in good hands. We went from a state of panic to a state of comfort really quickly.”

Andrew helped the couple to restructure Matt’s superannuation, and then began to help them with their broader financial planning and
life goals. From moving to their dream home and helping their children into property to travel plans and setting up their finances so that they could spend more time with their grandchildren, Matt says Andrew has really supported the couple to reach their goals.

“Andrew took the time to understand what we wanted to do, our goals and what was important to us. He then created a well-considered plan that would get us there. From that first meeting, he really kept us informed, told us exactly what would happen – and that’s what did happen, every time.” Matt says Andrew’s professionalism, honesty, and transparency were obvious from the outset – and they have had full faith in him ever since.

For Matt and Debbie, the partnership with Apt Wealth Partners has proved a positive on every level. Even through COVID-19, Matt says they didn’t have to worry about their finances. Today, the couple live in their ideal home and are looking forward to the future. “We are in a better position to live the retirement we want than we ever would have been, even if my super hadn’t changed. That’s all thanks to Andrew’s support, advice and expertise,” Matt concludes.

Dealing with aged care is complex and emotional.

Dealing with aged care is complex and emotional.

In 2019, Diana and her partner, busy parents to two young children, were trying to negotiate Australia’s complicated aged care system to fund the right care options for Diana’s father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. A family friend who worked in the finance industry recommended they give Apt Wealth Partners a call, and they haven’t looked back.

“Initially, we tried to work it out ourselves, but the aged care system is so complex. Of course, we wanted the right care for Dad, but we needed the confidence that we could afford it long-term too. There are so many avenues for funding and it’s overwhelming when you are already feeling stressed,” Diana says.

“We were nervous going in. We had never worked with a financial planner before and it felt a little intimidating, but when we met our Apt Adviser, Steve Toniazzo, we instantly felt comfortable. He was transparent and upfront, and down-to-earth while still being professional. From that first meeting, we felt confident that he really knew his stuff and was the right person to help us at a pretty emotional time.”

Steve helped the family negotiate their options to work out how to fund the best care options for her father, something Diana says really took the pressure off. “We were, of course, dealing with a lot of emotions but to know the financial side was looked after really took the pressure off and helped us sleep better at night. Steve made it really clear what information we needed to provide, and all we had to do was collect it and Steve did the rest.

“I’d highly recommend Apt Wealth to anyone who is trying to finance aged care. Having the backing of someone who knows what they are doing and is in your corner is invaluable at a difficult time for any family.”

Redundancy creates an urgent need to restructure.

Redundancy creates an urgent need to restructure.

In 2014, Angela and her husband, John, were looking for some help navigating their finances after John was made redundant. Aged in his late fifties, John hadn’t planned to retire just yet, and so the couple needed some clarity on their next steps. They were introduced to a number of financial planners as part of John’s transition and found Apt Wealth best suited to their needs. Today, the couple continue to work with their Apt Adviser, Steve Toniazzo, on everything from their investment portfolio to their property needs.

When John and Angela recall meeting with financial planners as part of John’s redundancy six years ago, they remember clearly what stood out to them about Steve. “We not only felt that Apt Wealth was best suited to us, but we also really just liked Steve. There is a lot to think about in something like this and we were immediately comfortable with Steve and liked his demeanour, which is important,” Angela says.

Steve helped the couple explore their options when it came to making the most of John’s redundancy payout to make sure they could still reach their retirement goals – something he continues to assist with today. “Steve has provided invaluable guidance on diversifying our portfolio over the years and is now helping us with purchasing a property and structuring the asset in the best way for our family,” John explains.

John and Angela really value not just the advice but the relationship they have developed with Steve and the Apt team. Based in regional Victoria, the couple say that one of the things they missed during COVID-19 restrictions was being able to visit the Apt offices in person. “We miss visiting the Apt offices in Melbourne because the whole set-up at Apt is great. Working with Steve has been wonderful,” Angela adds.

Most importantly, the couple say that Steve has taken the stress out of managing their finances at a time when they should be able to take a step back and focus on the important things in life. Angela concludes, “By taking the worry out of our finances, Steve has allowed us to concentrate on other things, like our family. Not knowing much about the share market, having someone to guide us has provided us with peace of mind that our finances are on track.”

An inheritance can be a life-changing event...

An inheritance can be a life-changing event…

…and is often a loved one’s way of continuing to play a role in your future when they are no longer around. Making the most of an inheritance and ensuring it has the biggest possible impact on your life is important. This was at the forefront of Tom and Jess’ minds when they sought our advice, after Tom received an inheritance from his late father.

They had both always wanted to travel the world, and Tom knew that his father’s advice would have been to “make the most of life and enjoy the things you love while you can”. At the same time, Jess had accepted Tom’s engagement proposal, so a wedding, plans for a house and settling down together were all top of mind.

At Apt Wealth, our philosophy is to ‘live for today while planning for tomorrow’. We believe that in the end you will regret the things you didn’t do rather than the things you did. This resonated with Tom and Jess, so we put in place a plan for them to take their 6-month dream holiday, including both touring and getting married in Europe, followed by a honeymoon in South America.

Upfront, we knew that this would be expensive, so we worked together to budget the trip, from flights through to accommodation and spending money. Ultimately, we worked to a ceiling that also ensured they were in a position to come home financially secure, with the ability to put down a deposit on their first home.

 

  After being diagnosed with cancer, Laura’s life was turned upside down. However, her trauma cover was there to support her. Receiving fast payout on her claim, Laura was able to approach her doctors to ask what else was out there because money wasn’t an issue. As a result, she was able to access a trial treatment that would have been out of reach at $88,000 per cycle, if it weren’t for her insurance.

Trauma cover buys unaffordable treatment for Laura*

In 2017, aged in her late 50s, Laura was diagnosed with tongue cancer. At the time, she was retired and living with her elderly mother, for whom she acted as a carer. The radiation and other required treatments would mean Laura could not eat or swallow normally for some time, and her mother was unable to act as a ‘reverse carer.’

While this was an incredibly stressful time in her life, Laura did not have to worry about money as she had suitable trauma cover. Two days after submitting her claim, she received entitlements of $800,000 into her bank account.

Immediately, this money allowed Laura and her mother to move into residential care for the duration of her treatment. This way, both women could access the care they needed at a difficult time. Laura did not have to worry about meals or medication for herself or her mother as this was all taken care of.

Her prognosis was not great, but access to her insurance funds would prove life-changing when it came to treatment too.

With her current treatments proving unsuccessful, Laura approached her doctor asking if there were any other avenues she could try. He explained there was a new immuno therapy trial available, however, it was not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

At $88,000 per cycle, it was out of reach for most, and Laura’s doctor admitted that he didn’t usually raise it as an option because he felt it was futile to even discuss when it was so unaffordable.

However, thanks to the trauma cover, for Laura the money was not a barrier to life-changing treatment, and she was able to participate in the program.

Insurance can seem like an unnecessary expense until you need it. For Laura, the right trauma cover was able to ensure she and her mother had access to care and, most importantly, that she could access an experimental treatment that would have been unaffordable otherwise.

*Name has been changed to protect privacy

Financial advice helps David and Caroline power their son’s dreams

Financial advice helps David and Caroline power their son’s dreams

“We’ve been clients of Apt Wealth Partners for over a decade. Our advisers take a genuine interest in us. They know what’s important to us and what’s going on in our lives.

We know our kids will be well set up for the future because we’ve received quality support and advice to maximise our investments. We’ve also been able to set ourselves up for the retirement we want when that time comes.

Apt Wealth had the expertise to look at the bigger picture and develop the right plan and balance of investments to achieve our goals.

The advice we’ve received has enabled us to redirect some of our income today into supporting our son with his motorbike riding and giving him the best opportunity to build a career in the space.

With Apt Wealth, it’s so much more than a transaction; our advisers genuinely care and want the best for us – we couldn’t ask for more.”

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