Steve and Gayna White are taking control of their wealth building and securing their future.
Three years ago, Steve and Gayna White decided it was time to take a good look at their financial position. Like many people in their phase of life, they held multiple superannuation accounts, various types of insurance and other financial products. While they had used financial adviser services in the past, they never felt completely in control or confident that they were fully covered. Steve says,
“It was Gayna’s idea to look at our financials. Work out what we were doing with our super and insurances.
We had worked with people before and they knew what they were doing, they were capable, but the relationship wasn’t there.
Gayna spoke to her dad and he recommended First Financial.
Working with someone you can trust
Gayna’s father, a First Financial client himself, recommended Ben Rossi and the team to Steve and Gayna.
His own experiences had always been positive, and he was happy to make the referral.
“Dad recommended First Financial to us for a long time before we actually approached them. We thought we weren’t in the right financial position; we thought they offered more high-end financial services, and we were only starting out.
But we got to the point where we had four children, we were building a house, we had swapped jobs, so our super was everywhere… we realised we were probably haemorrhaging money.
With our other financial planners, it always felt like it was a ‘visit, sign this, see you later’ type of relationship.
When we had our first interaction with Ben, we had a great conversation over the phone. He asked us, ‘What do you need?’ and explained, ‘This is how we can help you.’ Next, we met Stefanie Costa and we went from there.
Being remote isn’t an issue at all. Ben and Stef come to Sydney, we see them twice a year, plus we have regular phone calls and emails. They are so easy to work with, so personable. Ben is very honest and it’s good to have that trust.”
Minimising stress and reducing paperwork
For Steve and Gayna it was important to remove the stress from their finances. Their priorities were consolidation of superannuation, reviewing and adjusting insurance policies and making sure their family was protected.
“It wasn’t until we met Ben and Stef that we found out that our life insurance was nowhere near adequate. It was not going to cover all the things we needed it to, especially with children. It was an eyeopener. I’m so glad that we met them when we did!
Now we can sit back and let the team do what they need to do… there’s much less stress and worry on us.”
The support provided by First Financial allows Steve and Gayna to feel confident that everything is looked after. They don’t need to worry about logins or paperwork. If any documents need updating or are due to be actioned, Stef contacts them and guides them through the process. Gayna likes knowing she always has someone to help.
“I can just email Stef and she will tell me what to do, she keeps me in control and helps me focus on what is needed. They have taken all the pressure off for me.”
Retirement plan
Retirement is still many years away for Steve and Gayna, but they have a clear plan ahead of them.
Partnering with First Financial has enabled them to put goals in place and build strategies around their wealth building.
Developing a plan based on their current employment status has provided them with the confidence they were lacking at the start. Gayna tells us,
“Early on, we had conversations about how much we need for retirement. We quickly realised we weren’t on course to achieve that… but now that conversation has changed, in just three years, we are on a clearer path.
We review our plan with the First Financial team every six months and the results are highlighted. We look at what worked, and what didn’t perform as well as we expected. We trust them and we know they have a big team behind them. I’ve asked questions about why they are staying with a product that isn’t performing and Stef is always able to provide me with honest information to validate the decisions, but if we aren’t happy with something, they will easily readjust our portfolio.”
Wealth building
For Steve and Gayna, wealth building is about independence. They want to be comfortable and have an enjoyable lifestyle as they get older.
“We don’t want to be controlled by a pension… the government telling us what we can or can’t have. We aren’t naïve, we know there is uncertainty, we know there is an ageing population, so we need to be independent.
With four children, it’s highly likely that we will have grandchildren, so we want to get to Christmas time and not be stressed about the presents. We want to be able to have holidays and drive a nice car… we work hard so we want perks in our lifestyle that will continue.
First Financial has allowed us to take control and build security for our world.”
To find out how First Financial can help you during your wealth building years, contact our team today.
