DELIVERING PEACE OF MIND
Chris & Stephanie* first sought advice from Pathway Financial Planners in their early 60’s, as they were wanting to retire and travel around Australia in a caravan. We sat down with Chris & Stephanie to find out more about their interactions with Pathway since then.
From downfall to triumph
When sitting down with Chris & Stephanie, the first thing they told me was that they had had a terrible experience with a financial advisor in the past. Chris explained “he made some bad moves and we lost just about everything!”.
They worked hard to recover from this bad situation and built themselves back up again. They were sceptical about trusting another financial advisor, given the situation they had found themselves in previously.
Chris & Stephanie learned about Hayden’s services via a referral from a friend and it has led to very successful outcomes for the couple. “We’ve been with Hayden for 4 or so years now and it’s worked out really well.” Trust was key.
The couple explained “When we first spoke to Hayden we were on a very small budget, we were just looking for comfort. Over the years, our situation has changed, and Hayden has worked hard to turn this around for us”
What have you been able to do as a result of working with Pathway Financial Planners?
Retirement
“Retirement. We had retired, but unfortunately had to go back to work again. We had been since trying to retire and get some money in and Hayden worked with us to be able to achieve that”
Hayden worked hard to ensure Chris & Stephanie could retire, spreading out their financials so all their eggs weren’t in one basket.
Family
Not only were Chris & Stephanie able to retire, they were able to set up accounts to further support their family in the future.
“He has helped us set up accounts for our grandchildren” (of which Chris & Stephanie have 11 grandchildren between them!). “He’s done well for us, and our grandkids will do well too”.
Trust is key
“We trust Hayden”. Trust was a big thing for Chris & Stephanie, having been through such a negative experience with a previous financial advisor, it was essential to find someone that they could wholeheartedly trust. “Any advice he gives, we trust. If he thinks something isn’t the right way to go, he will tell you, and we believe him”.
Stephanie went on to explain that no matter their situation, he has always remained honest and genuine – “he guided us well when we didn’t have a lot of money, and he has guided us since our circumstances have changed and we came in to a bit of money. It didn’t change a thing!” It was reassuring for the couple to know that Hayden treated them the same when they had a modest asset base to when this grew.
What is it like working with Hayden and the team?
They described Hayden as “professional”, “open” and “friendly”. Chris will often pop in without an appointment – “We’ll sit down, have a cup of coffee and talk about things. It’s no trouble at all”.
“We can’t fault the team at Pathway. Everything is very clear. Hayden speaks to you in layman terms you know? It’s like talking to a friend. The team in the office is great too.”
Would you recommend Pathway Financial Planners to others in a similar situation to yourself? Why?
“Yes, definitely. We have referred his services to others if we think they are in a situation that he could be helpful in”
Anything else you’d like to add?
Stephanie and Chris encourage “Go and have a talk to him. See if there’s anything he can do for you. If he can’t help you, he’ll let you know. That’s the way he is, very honest”.
*Client’s names have been removed and replaced with fictitious names to protect their privacy.
PREPARING FOR AND EXECUTING A REMARKABLE RETIREMENT
How Pathway Financial Planners helped Tony & Sue’s retire in style
Background
Tony & Sue’s experience has involved growing and selling multiple businesses and collaborating with a network of advisors along the way. Tony & Sue have been working with Pathway Financial Planners for more than 20 years, even before Hayden took over as owner!
Transitioning to a new financial advisor naturally raises some concerns, but Tony & Sue found confidence and security in Hayden’s commitment and have been with his team ever since.
History
Tony & Sue have had a varied business history, even owning a newsagency in Wynnum which they sold in 1992. Following that, Tony tried his hand at real estate before buying a stationery business at Yatala. Over the next 15 years they built and sold that business with ups and downs along the way. All the way through Hayden and the Pathway team have been guiding and supporting Tony & Sue’s journey.
When we sat down with Tony & Sue, we asked them what it had been like working with Pathway Financial Planners.
They said “it’s been no fuss!”.
“Even when our stationery business burnt to the ground in 2006, we were able to leave all our monetary worries in their hands. We were able to build the business up again and sell it successfully.”
What have you been able to do as a result of working with Pathway?
Retirement
About 10-12 years ago Hayden approached Tony to discuss when they wanted to retire. Tony’s initial response was “we’re happy to keep working” as they had no plans to retire soon. Things changed when they received an offer on their stationery business and Hayden advised they would have enough money to retire comfortably. Tony told us “Hayden gave us comfort knowing our plans would allow us to retire with confidence.”
As a result, Tony & Sue were able to retire at age 60 and continue to have regular meetings with Hayden to keep their money working for them.
Travel
When we asked Tony & Sue about the results they’ve been able to achieve through working with Pathway Financial Planners, they immediately said “we’ve just about travelled the world and have ticked off all 7 continents!”
It’s not just the ability to travel that Tony & Sue have achieved, but they’ve also been able to afford a more comfortable means of transport in their retirement as a result of their hard work.
Security
Not only were Tony & Sue able to retire, they are able to enjoy their retirement without stress as they feel financially secure. It’s hard to put a price on that sort of peace of mind!
Lifestyle
After living in their family home for nearly 20 years, Tony & Sue chose to downsize to a unit on the Gold Coast. It wasn’t long before they decided to move again and Hayden at Pathway Financial Planners was able to step them through every part of the process. Tony & Sue even commented on the lovely home they have now in a nice, upmarket area which was enabled by years of collaboration, hard work and guidance from Hayden and the team.
Family
“It’s been great to work with Hayden to build the ‘total package’. We are always able to explore any ideas we might have and it’s great to have a support network to ‘sanity check’ our ideas.”
“If anything happens to either of us we both feel comfortable knowing we can go straight to Hayden to get help. We know we would get support during that time.”
Selling their business
Selling the business was a collaboration with Hayden and our accountant. Anything that worried us about leaving or selling the business, whether we’d had enough for retirement, we always passed it through Hayden and got guidance from him.
“All along the way Hayden has been helping us build our wealth. It’s been absolutely excellent to have the support by our side. We can ring Hayden any time if we have a question and it just takes the stress out of worrying about your money. Working with advisors and different people it can be hard to know where to put your money and you worry whether you’re going to be ripped off so it’s fantastic to have an honest team by your side.
Pathway Financial Planners even helped us when Dad got sick and we needed help getting him appropriate care. It was one less thing to worry about for us.”
What would you say to others in a similar situation to yourself, if they were considering Pathway?
“We’ve recommended Hayden to many family and friends as we like to try and help people set themselves up for the future.”
Tony noted that you have to have motivation within yourself in order to get value out of a financial advisor. “Some people want to get rich quick and some people don’t understand the value of a financial advisor’s fees. In reality, Hayden and the team at Pathway Financial Planners are creating a tailored plan for you which will guide you on how to build your wealth. You do need to have motivation in order to make it work for you.”
Anything else you’d like to add?
“Hayden is always prompt and available for us, and always makes us feel comfortable.”
“Hayden is a good business owner because he has honesty and integrity in his business dealings, we highly recommend him.”
*Client’s names have been removed and replaced with fictitious names to protect their privacy.
MAKING THE COMPLEX SIMPLE
We sat down with Kathy* to find out about her experience with Hayden and the Pathway Financial Planners team.
Getting started with Pathway.
To start, we asked Kathy for a little background information.
Kathy and her husband Ralph were working with a separate financial advisor for years but the fit wasn’t quite right. Kathy explained “I wasn’t completely happy with the previous advisor as I didn’t feel things were explained very well to us.”
After Ralph passed away in 2016, Kathy realised as a widow she needed to be careful about the future, including her finances and pension.
“After losing Ralph it was such a terrible time” Kathy said, “but Hayden always went very gently. There were a few times where I didn’t understand what was going on but after I took things to Hayden to have a look at, he made everything simple.”
“I started out with trepidation as I did have a connection to Hayden’s family which I didn’t want to be disrupted. After the first chat with Hayden I knew he was trustworthy and I never had any second thoughts” Kathy said.
“As a new widow there was a lot I didn’t know. One of the first things Hayden did was talk me through the Seniors Health Card, which is a significant thing for an older person with prescriptions. He went above and beyond and even filled out all the paperwork for me.”
Making the complex, simple
Most of us would agree that accounting, tax and financial matters can get complex and confusing for the layman. Kathy told us “There were a few things where I didn’t even know what they meant, like franking for example. I had asked others what franking was a half-dozen times and never understood the explanation. When I asked Hayden, he explained it so clearly. He always explains things in terms that really make sense.”
Kathy hasn’t looked back since! “From then on Hayden and the team have been great. He’s taken over everything and their suggestions have been really helpful.”
“It has been to my advantage in those 4 years, even while taking a pension out.”
“They keep on top of things and they don’t just make changes for the sake of it. If there are changes to be made they will be explained clearly. It’s obvious that they are working on my behalf.”
Integrity
“We found out the previous financial advisors were affiliated with a particular bank and were only recommending certain things as a result. Pathway Financial Planners is very different and don’t have that same affiliation. You can trust the information they give you and trust is so important when it comes to your finances.”
Why did Pathway Financial Planners stand out?
“The clarity of explanations was the main reason I switched to Pathway Financial. They took extra time at the start to help me which he didn’t have to do, Hayden does that sort of stuff for you and goes the extra mile.”
What has it been like working with the team at Pathway Financial Planners?
“Working with Pathway Financial has been very good. They are a small organisation so you feel like you’re welcome.”
USA Taxes
“I have some extra complexities being from the US, I have to file US taxes. That means I have to get Hayden and the Pathway team to prepare some extra reports for the US tax year, for example. These always come to me very quickly and I’m not made to feel like it’s a hassle.”
Accessible
“I meet routinely with Hayden but I can always call in between our meetings if I have any questions. They are very accessible, easy going, and the team all seem very knowledgeable and helpful.”
What have you been able to do as a result of working with Pathway Financial?
Kathy laughed as she told us “Hayden has actually convinced me I can do some of the things I want to do!” He graphs it out fully for me to work out what can be achieved, so they are very thorough.”
Aged Care Specialists
During the conversation Kathy made particular mention of Hayden’s accreditation as an Aged Care Professional.
“As a result, Hayden is leaps and bounds ahead of your average financial advisor for the older age bracket. He has extra skills to deal with the complex government systems and processes which are so hard (and expensive) to navigate.”
“The goal is to help people live a comfortable lifestyle as long as they can and Pathway Financial Planners helps you get as many advantages they can.”
“2 years ago I began to panic wondering how I will afford aged care. I had a chat with Hayden who explained it all and showed me that it was all taken care of. That conversation gave me an incredible sense of relief.”
Would you recommend Pathway Financial Planners to others in a similar situation to yourself?
“I would tell others to at least have the initial consultation with Hayden and I am certain they will be impressed”
“I have recommended Pathway Financial Planners to other people, including those not in the same aged bracket as myself.”
Anything else you’d like to add?
“I meet with them regularly and I always get a nice report I can understand. He always explains everything and gives me good insights into financial markets.”
*Client’s names have been removed and replaced with fictitious names to protect their privacy.