20 SMSF-suitable retirement planning appointments in 60 days. Funnel already built below.

Thanks for booking your consultation. It usually means one of two things is on your mind, either you're not sure your super is set up the way it should be, or you've been wondering whether taking more control of it through your own fund is worth the effort. Both are good reasons to be here.

The call itself is more relaxed than people expect. One of our advisers gets on the phone or a video call with you for about half an hour, has a look at where your super sits today and what you want retirement to actually look like, and gives you a straight read on whether you're on track. If a self-managed fund would genuinely put you in a better spot, they'll talk you through it. If it wouldn't, they'll tell you that just as plainly, because we'd rather you left with the right answer than a product you didn't need. We've built the whole firm on treating people as individuals rather than account numbers, and this call is where that starts.

You should already have a confirmation with your time and the details to join, so keep that handy. Over the next few days we'll also send you a couple of short emails. They cover the questions that come up on nearly every one of these calls, so nothing takes you by surprise when you speak with the team.

Before then, the most useful thing you can do is sitting right below this video. There are a few short clips on the questions we hear most, things like whether your balance is at the point where an SMSF makes sense, what the responsibility really involves, and whether advice is worth paying for at all. Have a look through the ones that apply to you, so we can spend the call on your situation instead of the basics.

Watch a few of those, have your super details somewhere close by, and one of our advisers will take it from there.

This is the first thing most people want to know, and it's the right place to start, because an SMSF only earns its keep once there's enough in it to spread the running costs across.

As a rough guide, we'd generally want to see at least $200,000 in super before an SMSF really starts to make sense. That's not a hard line in the sand, and the balance isn't the only thing we look at. Someone with a bit less who's about to sell a business or receive a lump sum can be in a very different position to the number on the statement today. But below that mark, the fixed costs of running your own fund tend to eat into the benefit, and you're often better served staying put for now.

Above it, the picture changes. You get control over how the money's invested, access to a wider range of assets than a standard fund offers, and the ability to build a strategy around your own goals rather than a default option chosen for a million other members. Once you're past that mark, the responsibility of running your own fund starts paying you back.

The reason we ask for your real balances on the call is so nobody's guessing. Your adviser will run the actual maths on your numbers and tell you where you sit. If you're not there yet, they'll say so, and they'll tell you what would need to change for it to be worth revisiting.

Let me deal with the money side head on, because it's the question people are most reluctant to ask out loud.

The consultation you've booked costs you nothing. It's a genuine free 30-minute conversation, and there's no obligation attached to it. You'll come away with a clear read on where your super sits and whether it's worth doing anything about, whether or not you ever become a client.

If you do decide to work with us beyond that, any advice fee gets laid out in plain figures before you agree to a single thing, so you always know what you're paying and what you're getting for it. We won't quote you a number on this video, because the right fee depends on how much work your situation actually needs, and we're not in the business of pretending one price fits everyone.

As for whether advice is worth it, here's a number worth sitting with. A study by AustralianSuper found that 62% of Australians aged 65 and above still rely on some form of Government Age Pension. A whole working life of super contributions, and most people still arrive at retirement leaning on the pension. Good advice is largely about not being in that group, making the money you've already earned work harder and last longer than it would on autopilot. Your adviser will show you what that looks like against your own numbers on the call.

It's worth being cautious here, so I'll go through what running your own fund actually involves, and where we sit in it.

An SMSF does come with real responsibilities. As a trustee you're accountable for the fund meeting its obligations, keeping proper records, having it audited each year, and staying inside the rules the ATO sets. That's what puts a lot of people off, and it should be taken seriously, because getting it wrong can be costly.

Where we come in is carrying most of that load for you. We handle setting the fund up, we build the investment strategy, and we manage and review it on an ongoing basis, working alongside your accountant so the fund stays compliant year to year. You keep control of the decisions you'd want to keep, what the fund invests in and where it's heading, without having to become an expert in super law to do it. Think of it less as taking on a second job and more as having a team who does the heavy lifting while you stay in the driver's seat.

The rules also keep moving, which is part of why having someone on it matters. Just this year there've been changes around SMSF property borrowing and valuation deadlines that caught plenty of trustees out. Staying across that so you don't have to is a large part of what the ongoing relationship is for.

If the responsibility still feels like more than you want to take on, tell your adviser that on the call. Sometimes the right answer is a simpler structure, and they'll say so.

You're handing over the thing you've spent a working life building, so wanting to size us up first is exactly right.

A few plain facts. We've been advising Melbourne clients since 2016, and these days we work with people right across Australia by phone and video, so where you live isn't a barrier. The firm operates as a Corporate Authorised Representative under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which means the advice you get is regulated, and there's a licensee standing behind it. That's the floor any firm should meet before you trust them with your money.

Past the paperwork, the better answer is in what our clients say. One of them, Suren, told us he and his wife were reluctant to seek professional help at first, and that we ended up exceeding what they expected, especially through a rough stretch during COVID when they needed someone watching their situation closely. Another, Thomas, said that inside sixteen months the investments we suggested had returned a very good result, and that any call or email got answered promptly. Those are the two things that tend to matter once someone's actually a client, the results and being kept in the loop, and they're the two things we work hardest at.

On the call you'll get a feel for how we operate before any commitment. A free consultation is built to work that way, it lets you weigh us up while it still costs you nothing.

Plenty of people manage their own super for years and do perfectly fine, so this is worth thinking through rather than assuming the answer either way.

You probably don't need much help if your situation is simple, you're comfortable with how your fund is invested, and you're confident you're on track for the retirement you want. There's no sense paying for advice you won't use.

It's usually worth a conversation when a few things are true at once. Your balance has grown to the point where small decisions carry real money. You've got more moving parts than you used to, maybe a business, a property, a partner's super to coordinate with, or an inheritance on the horizon. Or you simply don't have the time or the appetite to keep on top of it yourself, and you'd sleep better knowing someone qualified is watching it for you. That last one is more common than people admit, and it's a perfectly good reason on its own.

The free consultation is designed exactly for working this out. Your adviser will look at where you're at and give you a straight answer on whether advice would genuinely leave you better off. If it wouldn't, they'll tell you, and you'll have lost nothing but half an hour. Bring your real situation and your hardest questions, and one of our advisers will take it from there.

Subject: Your consultation is booked
Preview: What we'll cover, and where to check us out before the call.
Send: Day 0, immediately after booking

You're booked in for your free 30-minute consultation with Smart Financial Advisory, and we're looking forward to the chat.

The call is by phone or video, so it works wherever you're based in Australia. Nothing to prepare. It helps if you've got a rough idea of your current super balance somewhere nearby, but if you don't, we can work around it.

Here's roughly how the half hour goes. You tell us where things sit now and what you want retirement to actually look like. We tell you straight whether an SMSF or a change to how your super is invested would get you closer, or whether you're better off leaving things as they are. Some people leave the call and decide to do nothing for now, and that's a perfectly good outcome too.

If you want a sense of who you'll be speaking with before then, our team, our authorisation and a few client stories are all on the site. We've been advising Melbourne families and business owners since 2016, and we work as Corporate Authorised Representative No. 001239266 of Iconic Partners (AFSL 450822).

See you soon.

The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: The enough-to-bother question
Preview: The number we work from, and why it's not the whole story.
Send: Day 1, AM

The question we hear most before a first call is some version of: do I actually have enough super to make this worthwhile?

It's the right thing to be asking, because an SMSF has real running costs, and below a certain balance those costs eat any benefit. As a starting point we generally suggest you'd want at least $200,000 in super before an SMSF is worth considering. Treat that as a guide rather than a strict cut-off. Whether it stacks up for you depends on what you'd invest in, whether you're doing it as a couple and can combine balances, and how hands-on you want to be.

Plenty of people arrive at the call assuming they're well short and find they're closer than they thought once a partner's super is in the picture. Others are over the line on paper but, once we talk it through, are better served leaving their super where it is. Both happen most weeks.

On the call we'll put your actual numbers against that $200,000 guide and tell you which side of it you're really on. No pressure to set anything up either way.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: What control looked like for one family
Preview: Less about the result, more about how the thinking went.
Send: Day 1, PM

We want to give you a feel for how these conversations tend to go, so here's one, in the client's own words.

Kate came to us as part of a young family with almost no time or energy left over for their own finances. She's since written:

"Pallavi and her team have always provided us with a professional, reliable and approachable service. In a time where we have had little time and energy to pay much attention to managing our own finances, it has been very reassuring to have Pallavi on our side and managing things for us."

What's worth noticing is where she started. Her want was simple: someone she trusted to take the weight of it off her, keep an eye on things and keep her informed. That's most of what an ongoing advice relationship is, well before any SMSF or investment decision gets made.

If you'd rather read the rest of the client stories yourself, they're all on the site, named and unedited.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Prefer to watch? There's a short walk-through of how we approach a first consultation on the page you booked from.

Subject: The money side, three ways
Preview: The maths we run so a structure has to justify its own cost.
Send: Day 2, AM

Let's talk about the part people find hardest to get a straight answer on: does the cost of an SMSF actually pay for itself?

We think about it by running your situation three ways before recommending anything.

- Underneath the line. Balance under the $200,000 guide, or invested in things a regular super fund handles perfectly well. Here the running costs of an SMSF usually outweigh what you'd gain, and we'll say so.
- Around the line. Enough to consider it, especially combining a couple's balances, and a genuine reason to want control, like direct property or a wider investment mix. This is where it gets worth a proper look.
- Well over it. A larger balance and clear plans that a standard fund can't accommodate. Here the structure tends to earn its keep, and the conversation moves to how to set it up properly.

We won't put a projected return on any of these, because nobody can promise one and we won't pretend to. What we can do is show you where your real numbers land across those three and let the maths make the call.

That's the bulk of what the consultation is for.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: Worth checking before 30 june
Preview: A rule change that affects SMSF property, useful even if you never call us.
Send: Day 2, PM

A bit of homework you can do without us, and it's worth doing regardless of what you decide on the call.

If you already run an SMSF that holds property, two things are worth having sorted before 30 June 2026: an up-to-date valuation of the property, and a clear view of where the rules on SMSF property borrowing are heading, because they're changing. We've written both up on the blog with the dates and steps spelled out, and you can read them today.

Even if you're only thinking about an SMSF rather than running one, it's a useful window into what ongoing responsibility actually looks like. Some people read it and feel more ready. Others read it and decide the admin isn't for them. Either reaction is genuinely helpful to know before we talk.

The posts are linked on the site under the blog.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: Trusting us with your super
Preview: How to check us out properly, and what you'll find if you look.
Send: Day 3, AM

Handing your retirement savings to someone you found through an ad is a big ask. Check us out properly before the call, and it's easy to do.

We hold an AFSL authorisation as Corporate Authorised Representative No. 001239266 of Iconic Partners (AFSL 450822), which you can verify on ASIC's public register. Our Financial Services Guide is on the site and lays out exactly how we're paid, so there are no surprises about fees. We've been doing this from Melbourne since 2016, and the client testimonials on the site are named people you could look up.

What you won't find is a promise about returns, because we don't make those. You also won't find pushy follow-up after the consultation. If it's not the right fit, we'll tell you, and that's the end of it.

Do the digging before we speak. It makes the 30 minutes far more useful when you already know we're legitimate.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: Why super's on everyone's mind lately
Preview: The shift behind all the SMSF interest, and where it leaves you.
Send: Day 3, midday

There's a reason super and SMSFs are coming up in conversation more than they used to.

As of June 2023, SMSFs were overseeing more than $876 billion for over 1.1 million members. Many of those members are people who got tired of feeling like an account number in a large fund and wanted a say in where their retirement money actually goes. At the same time, a study by AustralianSuper found that 62% of Australians aged 65 and above still receive some form of Government Age Pension, which tells you plenty of people reach retirement with less certainty than they'd hoped for.

You're somewhere in the middle of that, still working, still able to change the trajectory. Whether an SMSF is your route or not, the useful move now is to get a clear read on where your super's heading and whether it needs adjusting. That's exactly what the call is for.

Talk soon,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: Quick note before your call
Preview: Two things to have handy, and how to reschedule if you need to.
Send: Day 3, evening (or Day 4 AM if the call is in the morning)

Your consultation is coming up, so a short note to make the 30 minutes count.

Two things worth having near you when we talk: a rough figure for your current super balance, including any old accounts from previous jobs, and a plain answer in your own head to what you want retirement to look like. Neither needs to be exact. Rough is fine, and if you can't find a number we'll manage.

Come with the questions you actually want answered. The half hour is yours, and the more openly you tell us what's worrying you, the more useful we can be.

If something's come up and the time no longer works, use the reschedule link on your booking confirmation rather than letting it lapse. A clean reschedule is easy and we'd genuinely rather find another time than lose the chance to help.

See you then,
The team at Smart Financial Advisory

Subject: What $200,000 actually buys you

A lot of people hear the guidance that you want at least $200,000 in superannuation savings before considering an SMSF, and they read it as a gate you either clear or you don't. That reading misses what the number is actually for.

Running your own fund costs money every year regardless of how big it is. Around $200,000 is roughly where those fixed costs start to be worth what the structure gives you back, which is control over how the money's invested and a wider set of things you can invest in. Below that, the same costs take a bigger bite out of a smaller balance and the maths gets harder to justify. Once you're comfortably past it, the trade opens up for more people.

The more useful question is what you'd actually do with the control if you had it. If you can't picture that yet, the balance was never really the thing holding you back.

If you ever want to talk it through, our first 30-minute consultation is free.

Subject: The set-and-forget default

Your industry fund is doing exactly what it was built to do. Take the contributions, spread them across a default option, rebalance in the background, and stay out of your way for thirty years. For a lot of people that's genuinely fine.

It stops being fine when your situation gets specific and the fund can't. A default option has no idea you're five years from stopping work, or that your partner's balance sits in a different fund on a different strategy, or that you'd rather not be as heavily weighted to one asset class as it's put you. It treats you the way it treats every other member, because handling millions of people the same way is the only way a default can work at that scale.

None of that means you should move tomorrow. It's worth knowing what the default is doing with your money though, so that staying put becomes a decision you made rather than one that got made for you by default.

Subject: Enough to retire on

The question we hear most often is quieter than any question about SMSFs or investments. It usually comes out as some version of: will there be enough.

The worry isn't irrational, and you're far from alone in carrying it. A study by AustralianSuper found that 62% of Australians aged 65 and above receive some form of Government Age Pension.

The reason "will there be enough" sits so heavily is that it's unanswerable in the abstract. Enough for which lifestyle, starting from which balance, drawn down over how many years? A lot of the anxiety comes not from the money itself but from the question having no shape yet.

Giving it a shape is most of the work. Once you can see the actual numbers in front of you, your balance, your contributions, what you'd want to spend, the feeling tends to shift from dread into something you can plan around. The not-knowing is usually heavier than the answer turns out to be.

Subject: A client who nearly didn't call

One of the couples we work with told us afterwards that they'd sat on the idea of getting advice for the better part of a year. Their words were roughly that they were reluctant to seek help through a professional and weren't sure it would be worth it.

Then things got complicated, the way they do, and they finally booked in.

What stayed with us wasn't the outcome. It was the year they spent not calling. That reluctance runs through almost everyone who eventually sits down with an adviser. People assume advice is for a version of themselves who already has it sorted, and so the ones who'd benefit most are often the slowest to ask.

Two things tend to be true at once. You don't need to have it figured out before you talk to someone. And the sooner you do, the more of the decades ahead you get to plan with rather than react to.

If you've been sitting on it, the first conversation is free and runs about 30 minutes. No preparation needed at your end.

Subject: When you don't need an adviser

Plenty of people think they don't need an adviser, and for a stretch of life they're right. When your super is one balance, sitting in a default option, and retirement is decades off, there isn't much to advise on. Keep contributing and get on with your life.

What changes is the number of moving parts.

At some point you've got more than one super account, a partner's balance to coordinate with, a house, maybe an investment or two, a view forming about when you'd like to stop working, and a tax and super system that keeps shifting the rules underneath all of it. Good advice at that stage is really about someone holding the whole picture at once and keeping it pointed at the retirement you actually want, rather than telling you what to do with any single balance.

If you're still in the one-balance stage, you probably don't need us yet, and we'll say so. If you're past it and it's starting to feel like a lot to track alone, that's usually the sign.

Subject: Control, and what comes with it

An SMSF gives you control. That's the whole appeal, and it's real. You choose the investments, you set the strategy, and you're no longer inside a default built for a million other members.

There's a cost on the other side of the ledger.

You take on responsibility for the decisions, for staying compliant, and for the admin that a big fund used to absorb on your behalf. Some people are happy with that swap and genuinely enjoy being at the wheel. Others realise it's exactly the load they'd rather hand to someone else at this stage of life.

Neither answer is the wrong one. The common mistake is deciding on the appeal of control alone without pricing in what carrying it actually involves. An SMSF should earn its place in your plan before it goes in.

If you're weighing it up, that's a good conversation to have out loud. Ours runs 30 minutes and costs nothing.