FAQs
Service Area Questions
Diversified Financial Planners has offices located in Frankston and Korumburra. We service clients in all capital cities. (unsure if it would be better to list them all individually here for keyword purposes?)
We frequently travel interstate to physically meet with many of our clients in all capital cities, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
Yes.
Many financial planning services can be provided remotely through secure video meetings, phone consultations and digital document signing, allowing clients across Australia to access professional advice.
Common Customer Questions
A financial planner helps you understand your current financial position and develops a personalised strategy to achieve your goals.
Advice may include:
- growing wealth
- preparing for retirement
- reducing tax
- protecting your family
- managing investments
- improving superannuation
- reducing debt
- planning your estate
A Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) is a private superannuation fund that allows members greater control and flexibility over how their retirement savings are invested, including the potential purchase of investment properties. While an SMSF can provide enhanced investment choice and strategic opportunities, it also carries significant legal, regulatory, and compliance responsibilities. Professional financial and legal advice should be obtained before establishing an SMSF to ensure it is appropriate for your circumstances.
An SMSF may suit people who:
- have larger super balances
- want greater investment control
- wish to invest in commercial property
- have family wealth planning goals
- own a business
- require sophisticated estate planning strategies
- want more flexibility than retail or industry funds.
An SMSF is not suitable for everyone, which is why personalised advice is essential.
Neither option is automatically better.
The right solution depends on:
- your financial goals
- investment knowledge
- retirement timeframe
- willingness to manage trustee responsibilities
- desired level of investment flexibility.
A qualified SMSF strategist can help determine which option best suits your circumstances.
Retirement planning involves determining how much income you will need once you stop working and developing tailored investment, taxation, and superannuation strategies to help achieve those objectives. Effective planning can assist in optimising and maximising your wealth in the years leading up to retirement, while helping to ensure a sustainable and reliable cash flow throughout your retirement years. Starting early provides greater opportunities to build wealth, manage risks, and achieve long-term financial security.
Financial planners can recommend tax-effective financial strategies within Australian legislation, including:
- superannuation contribution strategies
- transition to retirement strategies
- investment and ownership structures
- assessing the suitability of trusts and other structures
- pension and retirement income strategies
- utilising franking credits
- estate planning considerations
- debt management and structuring strategies
Many people benefit from financial advice when they:
- start a family
- receive an inheritance
- approach retirement
- establish an SMSF
- sell a business
- purchase investment property
- receive redundancy
- want to build long-term wealth
- want to explore tax-effective strategies
- want to start investing or build an investment portfolio
Your initial consultation generally includes:
- understanding your goals
- reviewing your current financial position
- discussing your concerns
- identifying opportunities
- outlining suitable strategies
- explaining the advice process.
The timeframe depends on the complexity of your circumstances. Simple advice may take only a few weeks, while comprehensive wealth, retirement, or SMSF strategies may involve several stages of analysis, strategy development, implementation, and ongoing review.
Financial planning is not a one-time event but an ongoing process, with regular reviews helping to ensure your strategies remain aligned with your goals and changing circumstances. We value building long-term relationships with our clients and have worked alongside many individuals and families for more than 20 years, helping them navigate different life stages and achieve their financial objectives.
Useful documents include:
- superannuation statements
- investment details
- mortgage information
- insurance policies
- tax returns
- income details
- existing financial plans
- estate planning documents.
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SMSF Questions
Many Australians choose an SMSF because they want:
- greater investment control
- flexibility
- broader investment choices
- tax planning opportunities
- estate planning flexibility
- family wealth management
- business property ownership through super
Yes.
Depending on your circumstances and compliance with Australian superannuation legislation, an SMSF may purchase residential or commercial property.
Professional advice is essential before implementing any property strategy.
Some SMSFs may borrow under limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs), subject to legislation and lending requirements.
Professional advice helps determine whether borrowing is appropriate.
Trustees are responsible for:
- investment decisions
- compliance
- record keeping
- reporting
- audits
- acting in members’ best interests
- meeting ATO requirements.
Why Choose Diversified Financial Planners
Clients choose Diversified Financial Planners because the business focuses on long-term relationships rather than one-off financial transactions.
The team provides tailored advice, strategic planning and ongoing reviews designed around each client’s financial goals.
Dean Hutchins is the CEO, Founder and SMSF Strategist at Diversified Financial Planners.
Dean has worked in financial planning since 1998 and has specialised in Self Managed Super Funds and complex financial strategies since 2005. He is recognised for providing technical advice in retirement planning, estate planning and wealth management, particularly for clients with complex financial circumstances.
Dean Hutchins has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s experienced SMSF specialists through more than two decades of advising clients on self-managed superannuation strategies.
His qualifications include:
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Fellow SMSF Specialist Advisor (FSSA®)
- Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP)
- Master of Financial Planning
He is also a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) and the SMSF Association.
Diversified Financial Planners was established in 1999 and has assisted Australians with financial planning, retirement strategies and wealth creation for more than 25 years.
Dean Hutchins holds:
- Master of Financial Planning
- Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning
- Diploma of Financial Planning
- CFP® designation
- FSSA® designation
- FChFP designation
These qualifications reflect advanced expertise in financial advice and SMSF strategy
Comparison Questions
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, comprehensive financial planning generally focuses on creating long-term strategies across retirement, investments, tax, insurance and estate planning rather than simply recommending financial products.
Professional financial advice provides:
- personalised strategy
- tax planning
- legislative expertise
- risk management
- retirement modelling
- ongoing reviews
- estate planning integration.
Managing investments independently may reduce advice costs but requires significant knowledge, time and ongoing monitoring.
Retail super funds are managed by professional investment managers.
SMSFs allow members to become trustees and make their own investment decisions, providing flexibility but also increasing compliance responsibilities.