Independent financial advisers: Canberra and ACT

SuperGuide has always recognised that financial advice can add significant value to your retirement plans, so long as it’s truly independent, free from conflicts of interest and in the best interests of the clients.

The challenge is finding it. With that in mind, we’ve been tracking Australia’s independent financial advisers since 2010 and compiled a nationwide directory to save you some of the legwork. Listed below are the independent financial advisers that are based in Canberra and the ACT.

But before we get to the list, it needs pointing out that not just any adviser can declare they are independent. There are rigorous standards that must be complied with.

What makes a financial adviser ‘independent’?

According to ASIC, which regulates all Australian financial advisers:

Many of the financial advisers listed below belong to the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers (PIFA) which requires all members to meet the following criteria:

• No ownership links or affiliations with product manufacturers. Impartiality is impossible where an adviser has links to a product manufacturer. Ownership links create an environment where the adviser resembles, at best, a well-intentioned salesperson.
• No commissions or incentive payments from product manufacturers. Commissions are payments made by product manufacturers to their distribution network. They create a conflict of interest between advisers and their clients.
• No asset-based fees. Asset fees, although authorised by the client, are calculated on the volume of business an adviser places with a product manufacturer. (On this basis, advisers who receive a percentage fee from an administration platform or wrap can’t describe themselves as independent.) Asset fees are incentives that prevent an adviser from being impartial and therefore create a conflict of interest between adviser and client.

The list below includes financial advisers who are not members of the PIFA but who have signed a declaration that they only charge fees for service, and do not receive any remuneration from:

• Commissions or trailing commissions
• Asset-based fees for service, including trailing income or fees based on a percentage of assets under management
• Bonuses (of whatever description)
• Conflicted remuneration as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) pt 7.7A div 4
• Any other form of monetary or non-monetary remuneration that could reasonably give rise to a conflict between their interests and the interests of their clients.

Canberra independent financial advisers

Independent financial advisers for other states

There are more than 100 independent financial advisers across Australia, who are listed in the following guides.

Independent financial advisers: Adelaide and SA

Independent financial advisers: Brisbane and Queensland

Independent financial advisers: Canberra and ACT

Independent financial advisers: Hobart and Tasmania

Independent financial advisers: Melbourne and Victoria

Independent financial advisers: Perth and WA

Independent financial advisers: Sydney and NSW

Are you an independent financial adviser?

If you’re an independent financial adviser that would like to be included on this list, please follow the instructions here.