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Neil was General Manager with the National Australia Bank running one of their financial planning divisions with over 120 advisers.

Neil also spent seven years with Bankers Trust and resigned from his position of Vice President to join MLC in 1999.

Neil has been Chair of the Financial Planning Association Board and the Chair of the Financial Planning Standards Board Council.

During his role as an FPA Director he has been pivotal in the FPA’s evolution to a professional association and in raising standards for members. Neil works with members, government and law makers to ensure the profession evolves in Australia.

During his time as Chair of FPSB Neil was involved in lifting the standards of financial planning and in the management of the Certified Financial Planner® designation globally.

Academically, Neil has completed the Diploma of Financial Planning; and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Neil has also achieved the Certified Financial Planner® certification, a standard recognised internationally.

Neil has been recognised as a Fellow of the Financial Planning Association and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

MY ADVICE PHILOSOPHY

When I started giving advice I wanted to be the financial planner I would be happy to see myself. I would want honesty, integrity, exceptional knowledge and skills in my financial planner.

I would demand independence. I would want to be 100% confident my financial planner was working for me and not a financial services company. I would expect that my planner was paid for giving me advice, not selling me products. I would not accept a commission or product based payment arrangement.

Knowing that, I have always tried to offer my clients the service I would want. Over time I have learnt that success for me as a financial planner is about making a meaningful positive difference in my clients lives.

I worry about my clients money so they don’t have to.

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James is a practitioner member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the former Deputy Chair and Treasurer of the Brisbane Chapter of the FPA.

James is well regarded for his uncompromising “client first” approach and has been a key-note speaker for the Griffith University Professional Degree in Financial Planning, the Sunsuper Adviser Professional Development program and the Financial Planning Associations National Congress and Young Professionals events.

James has been a regular contributor to publications including The Age, The Courier Mail, Financial Review SmartInvestor, The Australian Financial Review, Money Magazine, The Gold Coast Bulletin, and various industry publications including Professional Planner, Risk Info, Money Management, Financial Planning, Wealth Professional and IFA magazines.

Qualifications

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Financial Planning and Investments (Accounting major), and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (an internationally recognised standard and the Financial Planning Association’s highest professional designation). James has also completed specialist training to provide advice in relation to complex areas such as self-managed superannuation.

Achievements

James was recently awarded Runner-Up in the 2017 PlanPlus Global Financial Planning Awards and was a National Finalist in the 2017 Independent Financial Adviser Excellence Awards. James is the first Financial Planner in Australia to win three prestigious awards in the same year including:

• 2013 FPA Best Practice Award – National Winner, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional category
• 2013 PlanPlus Global Financial Planning Award – Winner, Asia Region
• 2013 Money Management Financial Planner of the Year

James has also previously been awarded the QLD winner in 2011 and 2012 for the Financial Planning Association Best Practice Awards (Certified Financial Planner category) and was recognised as one of the Top 50 advisers in Australia in 2012 by Wealth Professional magazine.

James competed against hundreds of financial planners from across Australia in the AFR Smart Investor Masterclass exam for financial planning in 2010 and 2013 and was awarded a Top-50 honour roll position on each occasion. In 2010, James qualified in the Top 10 nationwide and featured prominently in the February 2011 edition of the Australian Financial Review’s Smart Investor magazine.

James was also a national finalist in the 2009 Financial Planning Association Value of Advice Awards (Pre-retirement Planning Category).

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At the age of 28, Maragna became the youngest Australian to receive all three professional designations in her field: CA (Chartered Accountant Designation), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Self-Managed Super Fund Specialist Adviser certification. In 2012, Olivia was named the Association of Financial Advisers 2012 Adviser of the Year. The honour of this award is compounded as she is the first female ever to win this accolade, and the youngest to do so in the 10 year history of the award.

Olivia is proud of Aspire Retire’s transparent fee-for-service model, which has been company policy from the beginning. By building a financial advisory business not based on commissions or percentage-based structures, Aspire Retire has always been able to provide unbiased advice, giving clients confidence that their financial plan will deliver the outcomes and lifestyle of which they dream.

Olivia’s success has attracted people to Aspire Retire via both referrals from delighted clients and also via her media profile and speaking engagements around Australia. She is regularly called upon to speak across the country and internationally at various organisations such as Ernst and Young, SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia, AMP, Centrelink, AFL Association, Women in Technology, Canegrowers and numerous other corporations.

Olivia currently serves as a judge for the Telstra Business Awards, is the finance columnist for Fairfax Media Publications, has a money segment on ABC radio and appears on Channel Nine talking money.

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Alan is married with four adult children. He serves in the community as a state committee member of the Australian Family Association and teaches marriage and parenting courses with his wife for their church. He enjoys occasional overseas travel with his family, following sports such as basketball and rugby league and spending time with his three grandchildren.

Details of professional milestones in Alan’s career:

• Studied Economics / Journalism at University of Queensland 1972-74
• First adviser in Queensland for Beyson Investment Services 1985-89
• First adviser in Queensland for KPMG Financial Services 1989-95
• Received Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University in 1992
• Granted the professional designation of Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in 1992
• First specialist financial planning adviser in Queensland for Prudential-Bache Securities 1995-97
• Joined Retirewell Financial Planning in 1997
• Came second in the inaugural Personal Investor magazine Master Class exam to identify the top 50 financial planners in Australia in 1999
• Obtained his Master of Commerce (Financial Planning) degree with Distinction from the University of Western Sydney in 2003
• Entered the Master Class exam again in 2009, this time under the auspices of AFR Smart Investor magazine, and qualified for the 2010 honor role of the top 50 financial planners in Australia
• Granted the professional designation of SMSF Specialist Advisor (SSA) in 2016
• Author of the book Investing Your Super: Tips, Traps and Tax Advantages and many reports on superannuation and retirement issues
• Recognised as one of the Top 10 Financial Planners in Brisbane – www.top10financialplanner.com.au

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Sally holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Griffith University and was the top graduate from her year. She also has a Diploma of Export Management, a Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University and holds the internationally recognised CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® practitioner designation, the highest certification for financial advisers in the profession.

Sally was recognised in The Australian’s Top 100 Financial Advisers, in association with Barron’s in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017. She was also recognised for being in the Financial Standard’s Top 50 most influential advisers in Australian in 2017. She was awarded runner-up for Money Management’s Australian Financial Planner of the year 2013. In 2015, she was an FPA CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® Professional of the Year Finalist. She was also awarded runner-up for Money Management’s Australian Financial Planner of the Year 2013. She has been ranked in the top 50 financial advisers across Australia through the prestigious AFR Smart Investor Masterclass for Financial Planning 2012 and was named in the Top 10 in 2013.

Prior to joining Shadforth Financial Group, Sally was a financial adviser with Douglas Wenck, a boutique wealth management firm that became part of the merger to create Shadforth Financial Group ten years later.

Sally is highly experienced in providing personal advice on private wealth management, including cashflow and debt management, asset structuring, wealth creation and preservation strategies, self-managed superannuation funds, retirement planning, investment portfolio construction, Centrelink advice, estate planning guidance and life insurances.

Sally is trilingual (English, Vietnamese and Mandarin) and has assisted many migrants and refugees to develop an understanding of Australian culture. Sally also provides educational seminars to community groups and is very passionate about helping people make smarter and more sustainable financial decisions.

Away from work, Sally is married with two children. When she is not helping her clients,Sally is a doting mum who enjoys keeping her family active through golf and tennis.

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A specialist in long-term investment planning and structuring of investments, Stephen is passionate about realising Aspire Retire’s core promise to every client: clarity, direction and confidence.

He works closely with clients to clarify both personal and financial goals and then recommends a strategic direction that best suits each client’s unique situation. Stephen’s qualifications and experience, coupled with his focus on delivering a very personalised planning service, instills confidence in his clients that their investment strategy is a sound one and will deliver the lifestyle and financial security they desire.

His clients include self-funded retirees, wealth accumulators, family businesses, self-managed superannuation funds and high net worth individuals. In particular, he has played a vital role in developing the financial planning divisions of companies with whom he has worked throughout his career.

Stephen is a Certified Financial Planner with the Financial Planning Association of Australia Limited and a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) with more than a decade’s experience in superannuation and income tax. He is also a recognised SMSF Specialist Adviser with the Self Managed Super Fund Professionals Association of Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Law in Administration.

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Her qualifications are extensive. Since graduating from university, Patricia has completed the Diploma of Financial Planning, the Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning and the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Patricia is well regarded in the financial advice industry by her colleagues, peers and of course – by her clients. She was a board member of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) for over 4 years and was appointed as a board member for the merged Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) in April 2023.

Patricia has received many industry accolades and awards. She won one of the most esteemed awards in the industry in 2017 – the ‘Financial Planning Association AFP Financial Planner of the Year’ award. Some of her most recent successes include being a finalist for ‘Fortnum’s Adviser of the Year’ award in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and being awarded one of the ‘50 Most Influential Advisers‘‘ in 2022.

Outside of the office, you’ll find Patricia travelling to unique and interesting places, hosting dinner parties or tasting the latest exotic beer.

Qualifications and Awards

Patricia is well regarded in the financial advice industry both by her colleagues and peers, and of course – by her clients. She is also currently on the Board of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA).

Her qualifications are extensive. Since graduating from university, Patricia has completed the Diploma of Financial Planning, the Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning and the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Over her time as a financial adviser, Patricia has also been nominated and awarded for several accolades:

• Financial Standard 50 Most Influential Adviser of 2022
• Finalist – Fortnum’s Adviser of the Year 2021, 2022, 2023
• Financial Planner AFP of the Year Award Winner – Financial Planning Association of Australia 2017
• Women in Financial Services Rising Star Award Finalist – Money Management 2016
• Innovator of the Year Award Finalist IFA Excellence Awards – 2016
• Rising Star of the Year Award – Financial Wisdom Queensland Winner 2014

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Over the past decade, he has developed a strong client base and positioned the Brisbane office for growth.  Neil is passionate about being independent and will play an important role in the coming years as financial planning graduates into the professional era.

While the working week is dedicated to clients, the weekends are all about family.

Specialisation

Neil has a diverse client base of successful business owners, high income individuals, humble achievers and has a particular interest in working with medical and dental professionals.

Initial call

Use this link if you would like to arrange an initial call with Neil. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Business Science (Finance Honours) from University of Cape Town, South Africa
• PIFA Gold Standard of Independence
• Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
• Specialist courses in Self Managed Super Funds from Kaplan
• Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning from Kaplan
• Diploma of Financial Planning from Finsia
• Named Adviser Ratings first platinum adviser

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Mark joined Tupicoffs after owning and managing a successful customer services business for several years. He has over fifteen years’ experience providing comprehensive financial advice to clients, and prides himself on high standards of professionalism and personal service.

Mark specialises in developing strategies to assist his clients to meet their goals leading up to retirement and beyond, as well as wealth accumulation and protection.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mark holds a Bachelor of Business degree, and has completed the Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning. Mark has also achieved the Certified Financial Planner®certification, a standard recognised internationally.

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