What types of clients do you typically work with?
Clients who are:
Many of our clients are seeking clarity around their financial future, peace of mind, and ongoing professional support. With aged care moves, we often work with adult children or Powers of Attorney helping to manage the affairs of older clients.
What type of clients aren’t you suitable for?
We may not be the right fit if you:
If we’re not the right fit, we’re always happy to point you in the direction of someone who may be better suited to your needs.
Do you work with younger clients?
Not usually, unless they are helping an older friend or relative navigate retirement or aged care. Our core focus is on pre-retirement, retirement, retirement village and aged care advice.
For example, younger clients often require personal insurance advice, and this is not an area we specialise in.
What services do you offer?
We provide comprehensive financial advice tailored to your situation, including:
We offer both ongoing advice relationships and one-off advice engagements, depending on your needs.
Do you offer ongoing services?
Yes.
Some clients choose to work with us on an ongoing basis for regular reviews, strategy updates, and peace of mind.
We’ll recommend this for most clients where we have prepared and implemented detailed advice, including investment advice.
How much does financial advice cost?
This varies depending on the complexity of your situation and the scope of work required.
We provide a clear, upfront fee proposal after the initial consultation before any further work begins, so you know exactly what to expect. We do not proceed without your agreement. You can see the steps in our advice process and our fee range for each stage in our “How we work” page.
Our initial consultation fee is $750, or $950 if you need us to visit you. Most clients proceed with at least two stages, but there is no obligation to proceed beyond the initial consultation.
If you need or would like further assistance, the next stage would be either a Summary Report from $660, a Strategy Paper (including a second meeting) from $1,950 and/or a detailed Statement of Advice (including implementation assistance) from $5,500.
Once we understand your situation and your needs after the initial consultation, we will provide you with a fixed price quote for further assistance.
Do you charge for the initial consultation?
Yes.
Our initial consultation fee is $750 in our Greensborough office (which has stairs and no lift) or if you would like to meet via Zoom or by phone. If you would like us to visit you (within 15km), our consultation fee is $950.
This cost ensures that:
We find this leads to more productive and valuable first meetings for both you and us.
What happens in the initial consultation?
In your first meeting, we will:
There is no obligation to proceed beyond this meeting.
How do I book an appointment?
Booking an appointment is easy.
You can:
We’ll work with you to find a suitable time for your initial consultation.
Do you offer appointments outside the office or at home?
Yes, we can accommodate different meeting preferences, however, we limit our travel to a 15km radius from Greensborough.
Appointments are typically held in our Greensborough office, however we can also:
Please let us know your preference when booking.
Where are you located?
We are based in Greensborough in Melbourne’s north-east, and we work with clients both locally and more broadly via virtual meetings. There is a large car park immediately behind our office (opposite Woolworths).
Please note that our office has stairs and no lift.
Why should I choose AgeWise?
As a small business, we offer:
Our goal is to simplify complex decisions and give you confidence in your financial future.
Do you deal with Centrelink for me?
No.
We can help you to understand your Centrelink entitlements and means testing, direct you towards the right forms to use and also help you with specific questions on paperwork. However, we don’t take on the role of Centrelink nominee or deal directly with Centrelink for you.
If you do need this detailed help, we would refer you also to a lovely business called Pensioner Solutions that we often work very closely with.
“I feel guilty every time I spend money now.” After forty-two years as a teacher, Margaret had saved diligently, built a solid super balance, yet couldn’t bring herself to book that long-awaited European trip.
She’s not alone.
Research shows that about 25% of retirees decrease their spending in retirement[1], even when they have more than enough. After decades of building and protecting, flipping that psychological switch from accumulation to drawdown feels like breaking a lifelong rule.
In Australia, the government has set minimum pension drawdown rates from your super retirement account[2]. Yet many retirees treat this minimum as a maximum, living more frugally than necessary.
During your working years, every deposit felt like progress. Now, watching your balance decrease, even when it’s the plan, triggers what psychologists call loss aversion. This is the pain of seeing your balance go down, feeling more powerful than the pleasure of watching it grow.
The key? Reframe your thinking. That super isn’t there to admire, it’s your deferred salary, finally coming due. You’ve already earned this money. Now it’s simply changing form.
The first year of retirement brings expenses you didn’t anticipate. Car insurance premiums have risen at double or triple the overall inflation rate for most of 2025, catching many new retirees off guard. Overall, the average annual health service cost per person for people in their last year of life was 14 times as high as for those not in the last year of life ($24,000 and $1,700, respectively)[3].
Create a three-tier approach:
Many financial advisers recommend the “bucket strategy,” which treats your portfolio as a set of compartments. One bucket holds 1-2 years of living expenses in cash, providing security and reducing the pressure to sell investments during market dips. This psychological safety net helps you spend more confidently.
Your first year of retirement is about learning to trust your planning. You didn’t save for forty years to die with the biggest bank balance in the cemetery. You saved to live – meaningfully, comfortably, generously.
Start slowly if you must but start. Book that trip. Upgrade the kitchen. Help the grandkids. This is what you worked for.
The information contained in this article is general information only. It is not intended to be a recommendation, offer, advice or invitation to purchase, sell or otherwise deal in securities or other investments. Before making any decision in respect to a financial product, you should seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional. We believe that the information contained in this document is accurate. However, we are not specifically licensed to provide tax or legal advice and any information that may relate to you should be confirmed with your tax or legal adviser.
[1] https://morningstarinvestments.com.au/the-psychology-of-retirement-income-from-saving-to-spending/
[2] Payments from super | Australian Taxation Office
[3] The last year of life: patterns in health service use and expenditure, Key findings – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare