Meet Jackie Cook: Always looking forward

At the beginning of her career, Jackie worked in Ballarat and on the Gold Coast, two ends of the weather spectrum, before establishing herself in Melbourne. She spent almost 16 years at bespoke firms before joining First Financial in 2025.

She was drawn to the forward-looking nature of financial advice. Rather than concentrating primarily on what had happened financially in the past, she enjoyed the opportunity to help people plan for what might be possible in the future.

“Unlike accounting, where you seem to always be looking backwards, financial advice is about looking forward. This is important to me,” Says Jackie

When I asked Jackie what she enjoys most about being a financial adviser, the conversation quickly moved away from investments, superannuation and financial markets. Instead, she talks about people.

Many clients first seek financial advice because they’re uncertain about their future. They may be approaching retirement, wondering whether they’ve saved enough or feeling overwhelmed by the decisions ahead.

For Jackie, one of the greatest rewards is helping people move from that uncertainty to a position of knowledge. It’s about giving clients a clearer understanding of their financial circumstances and helping them recognise the opportunities available to them.

For someone who has spent decades working, saving and making sacrifices, discovering that retirement is financially achievable is a liberating experience. Watching and contributing to that transformation is something Jackie never takes for granted.

“Many clients I meet for the first time have amazing skill sets in thier chosen fields. To be able to pass on my knowledge and know they understand the advice and see that it can work for them is very motivating” 

In a world full of KPI’s, a personal key performance indicator for Jackie is the genuine friendships she’s developed with clients over the years. Many of these relationships have lasted well over a decade. What begins as a professional conversation about financial planning gradually becomes something much more personal.

Client meetings aren’t always dominated by financial discussions. There are stories about overseas holidays, updates about family milestones and plenty of photographs of grandchildren.

Financial planning isn’t only about accumulating wealth. It’s about helping people use their financial resources to live meaningful lives.

And when clients who were once anxious about retirement are now travelling, spending time with family and enjoying their freedom, Jackie knows her work has made a difference.

Jackie believes good financial advice doesn’t need to be unnecessarily complicated. For younger clients, particularly those managing sizeable home loans, the most appropriate strategy may be to concentrate on reducing debt rather than pursuing additional investments.

“It’s not always the exciting answer people expect when visiting a financial adviser.” Says Jackie, “I believe being straightforward and providing advice that genuinely suits someone’s circumstances is fundamental to their success. It may not result in securing a client straightaway, but I’ve experienced clients coming back years later. They remembered the honesty, and the trust was always there.”

Her approach is refreshingly practical. Understand the individual, listen to their concerns and develop a strategy that makes sense for their circumstances and stage of life. There’s no need to complicate something simply to make it appear more sophisticated.

Outside the office, Jackie enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling and relaxing with her much-loved cat, Ellie. She’s also a firm believer in having something enjoyable on the horizon, preferably another holiday booked before the previous one has finished.

It’s a philosophy that fits beautifully with her professional outlook.

Financial planning is important, but ultimately, it’s about creating the freedom and opportunity to enjoy life in retirement.
For Jackie, helping clients reach that point, and sharing a little of their journey along the way, is what makes her career so rewarding.

The team at First Financial comprises financial experts who help hundreds of Australians retire well and make informed, intelligent financial decisions. We cover everything from retirement and financial advice, investment and wealth management, superannuation and SMSF, insurance, tax, aged care, legal and lending services.

Contact us for holistic, well-rounded financial management strategies.