How did you feel before you sought our advice?
“Prior to receiving advice, I felt completely lost. My brother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia at age 54, in September 2020. As one of his Power of Attorney, I applied for a TPD payment via my brother’s super fund. The application was granted sometime later. The estimated tax on the payment was going to exorbitant in my view. Before releasing the funds, I looked for financial advisers who could advise about Super/TPD, Centrelink, and tax minimisation strategies, given that my brother was under preservation age. I tried to find advisers who specialised in the area in Adelaide, but my searches returned zero. I wanted specific advice from a company who understood the issues. I went to see a company in Adelaide that I had used in the past and I left feeling deflated as it was clear there was no real understanding of this niche area. I finally found EFS and spoke to Andrew Reynolds and Andrew Eadie. I had the initial statement of advice which I was very happy with then proceeded to a financial plan for my brother so that he could have the best possible financial security for the time he had left. Things improved markedly from there on in. As an aside, we also received advice about an inheritance we received in the interim which obviously impacted the advice. We also had to consider estate planning for my brother’s 18-year-old son.”
How do you feel our financial advice has (hopefully!) helped you?
“I am very happy with the advice we received, the plan, and the implementation of the plan. It’s all gone very smoothly. My brother is receiving income to supplement his disability pension in a tax effective way. He is not restricted to have the best quality of life because of a lack of funds. My brother is still entitled to his disability pension as the advice is all tailored with an understanding of the means tests for Centrelink purposes. The interviews ran on time, were well structured and followed up by written advice.”
How are you feeling about things now?
“Very positive. I don’t have to worry anymore about how to secure my brother’s finances in the best possible way. I can just focus on supporting him in other ways like keeping him healthy and socially engaged.”
Anything else of relevance.
“I would definitely recommend EFS advice. I have complete confidence in the expertise of the company in an area that is complicated and overwhelming.
The grief involved with supporting a loved one who has been rendered disabled is difficult therefore it’s very comforting to know that a service that you have engaged actually operates with the skill and professionalism that one would like to expect.”