Four members of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) have been awarded for their commitment to their clients, and their dedication to ensuring they deliver the highest quality advice.

The FPA announced the national winners of this year’s Value of Advice (VOA) Awards, at the 2009 Annual National Conference.

FPA CEO, Jo-Anne Bloch congratulated the four winners on their outstanding entries which demonstrated the high level of professionalism in their work for clients.

Ms Bloch said the calibre of this year’s winners is a true indication of the standard of FPA Member practitioners.

“These four individuals have clearly demonstrated the value of advice and have shown how a financial planner can help clients achieve their goals or ease a tough financial situation,” Ms Bloch said.

“Only three out of ten Australians seek professional advice and yet these case studies show the very valuable benefits of securing advice in many different situations.

“The FPA is very proud of what these winners have achieved by going well beyond what is required to assist their clients.”

“Congratulations to the national winners who have shown the true spirit of what the awards are about,” Ms Bloch added.

The national winners of the 2009 VOA Awards in each category are:

Category	Winner	Brief Overview of Case Study
Wealth accumulation and protection	Peter Wilson CFP® Strategic Wealth Management Solutions Licensee: Godfrey Pembroke VIC	When Justin and Meagan* first met Peter, they were married with seven children. They required advice on how to best structure Justin’s new company, as well as how to create significant income to fund their children’s education as well as renovations. This was made more complicated because Justin was a US citizen, and Peter had to balance both Australian and United States law. To help Justin, Peter introduced and facilitated meetings with Australian and US tax advisers. Peter’s plan for Justin and Megan resulted in great peace of mind and also significant savings, such as: $54,000 in interest savings by moving their significant cash savings into an offset account. $13,250 p.a. by reccommending Meagan make Concessional super Contributions.
Pre-retirement planning	Paul Little CFP® Landmark Financial Management Licensee: Apogee QLD	When Steven and Lauren* sat down with Paul, they were seeking to ensure that their finances were managed as effectively as possible to achieve the lifestyle they wanted in retirement. They required a regular income of $72,000 p.a. after tax, indexed with inflation, plus $20,000 - $30,000 p.a. for travel and retirement lifestyle. By implementing Paul’s strategy, Steven and Lauren received many financial benefits: § Around $35,000 by managing their capital gains tax through the use of Concessional Super Contributions. § Almost $10,000 p.a. by rearranging their assets in superannuation.
Post-retirement planning and management	Josef Stadler CFP® PSK Financial Services Licensee: Charter Financial Planning NSW	When John and Jane* sat down with Josef, John’s health had begun to deteriorate, and Jane was unable to manage their finances. Josef established a strategy that covered all ongoing medical costs and extended the longevity of John and Jane’s day to day funds. Josef’s strategy meant Jane could focus on looking after John; it also created significant financial benefits, such as: § $24,500 through changes to the Daily Income Tested Fee’ and the ‘Basic Daily Care Fee’, § A reduction of their annual tax bill from $25,000 to Nil.
Pro-Bono	Chris Craggs CFP® Argurion Financial Group Licensee: Australian Financial Group Financial Planning WA	Simon’s* parents initially came to Chris to discuss their own financial situation. Their eight year old son Simon had a severe mental disability, and they believed that they had done everything they could to financially plan for his future. Chris offered to research Simon’s case, and after he studied Simon’s situation, he knew there was more he could do to help. He offered to work on Simon’s case at no charge. Chris negotiated the many complex financial systems on behalf of Simon, and set in place a strategy that would meet Simon’s financial needs for the rest of his life. The plan Chris implemented was of significant financial benefit to Simon: Chris negotiated with many Superannuation Fund Managers until he achieved a tax free pension for Simon. § $255,000 more than his previous strategy over a projected 10 year period; $863,000 instead of $608,000.

* Client names changed for privacy reasons

“Each of the 81 entries in the 2009 VOA Awards provides real-life case studies reflecting financial situations experienced by many Australians. Our winners demonstrated extra care in their service delivery that clearly impressed the judging panel.”

Ms Bloch also thanked the judges for providing their time and careful consideration.

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Note to journalists

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) is the peak professional body for financial planning in Australia. The FPA has an office in each capital city and a network of 31 Chapters across the country, which provide a focus for business networking and professional development activities for more than 12,000 members. FPA practitioner members manage the financial affairs of more than 5 million Australians whose investments are valued at $630 billion.