The Best Financial Planners In Newcastle

Let us help you find the best financial planner for your needs

The Best Financial Planners In Newcastle

Need Financial Advice in Newcastle​?

Let us find the Best Financial Planner for your Needs and Situation.

We have listed the 10 best Newcastle Financial Planners.

Elliot Watson financial planner newcastle

Elliot Watson – Elliot Watson Financial Planning

Elliot Watson is an award winning Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and mortgage broker who has been providing advice to clients since 2007. Elliot enjoys helping his clients to create wealth and minimise financial risk. He is passionate about his work and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

With years of experience behind him and having now achieved the highest academic qualifications possible Elliot has decided to commence his own boutique financial planning business. Elliot’s vision is to provide unique and personalised services to clients in the Newcastle and Hunter communities.

Elliot Watson Financial Planning Pty Ltd prides itself on strong relationships with its clients, with a focus on open and honest communication.

To ensure his clients receive the best financial advice Elliot has devoted the last seventeen years of his life to academic studies and on the job experience. Elliot is a Certified Financial Planner, which is the highest level of certification that can be reached in his profession and is internationally recognised.

Qualifications include:

  • Master of Financial Planning – CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Deakin University
  • Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Brokering
  • Mortgage Broker and member of the MFAA
  • Bachelor of Economics, University of Newcastle
  • Advanced Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning), Kaplan
  • Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning), Kaplan

Justice of the Peace

Elliot has been appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP) in the state of NSW.  As a JP, Elliot is authorised to exercise the functions conferred by or under the Justices of the Peace Act, the Oaths Act or any other NSW Act as required.

Office
Suite 5, 19 Kenrick St The Junction NSW 2291


Contact – Elliot Watson

Murdo Macleod – Fiducian Financial Services

Murdo Macleod adds value to clients by acting as a networking, financial education and lifestyle consultant. He is a touchstone to be consulted on all of your financial/lifestyle issues. The foundations of his client relationships are trust and respect, as his clients always receive an honest answer or opinion.  Murdo grew up in a small, family-run hotel just outside Inverness in Scotland and there he learnt the importance of reputation and relationship.

After completing a Zoology degree at the University of Edinburgh he embarked on a successful career as a broadcast journalist and was for many years a science reporter and radio producer with the ABC in Sydney and Newcastle.

In 1997 he applied his intelligence, skill and enthusiasm to Financial Planning. He has achieved the Diploma in Financial Planning and is one of many elite planners in the Fiducian network to have gained Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) status, the Financial Planning Association’s highest professional qualification.

Murdo continues to undertake regular professional training and development to ensure his knowledge and skills are kept up to date.  When not working with his clients to secure their financial future, Murdo enjoys sailing, cycling, playing guitar and spending time with his wife and young children.

Office
38 James Street Hamilton NSW 2303

Contact: Murdo Macleod

JSA Group – Andrew Shakespeare

Director & Senior Adviser

B Com, GDipAppFin, GDipFinPlanning, CFP, JP

Andrew commenced his financial advice career in 2001 as a Paraplanner and Strategist at JSA Financial Planning Group.

In early 2005 Andrew moved to Sydney to work with MLC where he trained, consulted and guided financial advisers across Australia in the development of financial advice strategies, financial modelling and construction of financial plans (Statements of Advice).  During this time Andrew also become a senior trainer of the ‘Paraplanner Academy’ – an intensive program designed to train and develop the skills of paraplanners and financial planning strategists from across Australia.

In 2008 Andrew returned to JSA Financial Planning Group to join his father, Jeff Shakespeare in the expansion of the JSA Group where he has been operating as a Senior Financial Adviser and in 2011 became a Director of the company.

“Traditionally people have seen the need for Financial Advice as only suitable for someone with monies to invest and/or needing to protect their personal risks through insurance. But the financial advice we provide is much broader than this; and should be.

Portfolio management and managing someone’s risks only makes up part of a client’s overall needs. For instance my clients might also need help managing their day-to-day cash flow, or just want clarity that they have accumulated enough for retirement, or want to know what options they have in funding say a car, or want to know the ins and outs of property investing. In fact to meet a client’s goals we might find that investing entails paying down existing debt, investing in themselves through further education, investing in their own business and then of course it could be through the more traditional avenues of shares, property, cash and term deposits.
My role is to effectively put myself into the client’s shoes, guide them on the possible strategies and scenarios that they should consider and do what I can to achieve their goals over time.”

Given Andrew’s experience in the Financial Planning Industry, he has been asked to speak at AFA National Conferences and was the main platform speaker at the 2009 Matrix Annual Conference, presenting ‘Running Personal Finances like a Successful Business’.

Andrew’s educational qualifications include:

  • Certified Financial Planner CFP®
  • Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance)
  • Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment (FINSIA)
  • Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning (FINSIA)
  • Fellow of Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA)

Andrew has been awarded:

  • 2010 Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) Rising Star of the Year Award
  • 2010 Matrix Good Advice Award
  • 2006 NAB/ThreeSixty Best Individual Performance Award

Andrew’s and industry memberships include:

  • Financial Planning Association (FPA)
  • Association of Financial Advisers (AFA)

Andrew has also been active in local community workshops helping the public understand how shares and markets operate, teaching apprentices about money and managing their personal finances and being involved in charity raising events.
Andrew is married to Melanie and has a daughter Imogen and a son Aksel.

​Andrew’s personal interests include:

  • Snow-skiing
  • Travelling
  • Keeping fit
  • Enjoying the simple things in life with Imogen, Mel and Aksel​

Office
Level 5 250 Pacific Highway Charlestown NSW 2290

Contact: Andrew Shakespeare

Rhys Higgins – Crest Financial Services

Rhys’ position as an adviser allows him the opportunity to assist clients with their goals and improve their financial situation. He has been in the financial industry for over 17 years, and continues to enjoy working with clients through all stages of their lives.

He has achieved CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) status, has an ADFP (Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning) and holds specialist accreditation to provide SMSF, shares and gearing advice.

He also holds professional memberships with the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Authorised Representatives Association (ARA).

As a father of four young boys, he enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying all that is on offer in the Newcastle region.

Qualifications

  • Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial PlanningRhys)
  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)

Areas of Expertise

  • Cash flow and budgeting
  • Defined Benefits Super Schemes (for State and Federal Public Servants)
  • Insurance – protecting families and individuals
  • Investments – direct / managed funds / bonds / margin lending
  • Retirement planning

Memberships

  • Authorised Representative of Charter Financial Planning Limited
  • Member of Financial Planning Association of Australia​

Office
1/116 Darby St, Cooks Hill NSW 2300

Contact: Rhys Higgins

Megan Usher

Megan Usher – Newcastle Permanent

Megan has worked in the financial services industry since 2007, with experience in Australian and overseas. During this time Megan has built upon her practical experience with the attainment of the Advance Diploma of Financial Planning and has a professional designation with the Association of Financial Advisers of the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP).

Megan is a member of both the Financial Planning Association and Association of Financial Advisers.

Office
Level 2, 192-194 Hunter Street
Newcastle, NSW 2300

Contact: Megan Usher

Kate McArthur

Kate McArthur – Rethink Financial Planning

Years in financial services: 15 years

The role in a nutshell:
I advise and support clients from start to finish. I meet with clients to ascertain their needs and goals, then work out how we can best support them, and what coaching or education that we can offer to help them on their journey to achieve their goals.

Why you love working at Rethink Financial Planning:
I love that Rethink Financial Planning is very client-focused, so the client always comes first. We’re helping the clients and even if we can’t see a financial product we can assist them with, we still want to help them achieve their goals, even if that includes working with other professionals. We’re very collaborative.

From my personal point of view, Rethink allows me to be able to focus on my career and family – I have three small kids and the team is understanding and family-focused. This can be a rare find.

I love being able to help people. I also love the people I work with, they’re all knowledgable, professional, and both client and solution-focused. They never give up when helping a client.

Advice you wish everyone knew:
That people shouldn’t be too scared to reach out to a financial planner. Even if you think you have everything under control, it can still be helpful to contact us as there are some areas that a financial planner can help with that do not seem widely known. It’s not a one-size-fits-all industry.

Best career moment:
I enjoy helping people see the options that they have, which they may not have thought of. One particular highlight was assisting a client with some cash flow solutions that eventually led to them being able to purchase their first home.

What you are passionate about:
I get a kick out of being organised, at home and at work. I love spending time with the family. I enjoy playing netball, entertaining friends, cooking, travelling and showing the kids the world.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
  • Diploma of Financial Planning (DFP)
  • Advanced Diploma of Financial planning (ADFP)

Office
2 Dick Street
Newcastle West
NSW 2302

Contact: Kate McArthur

Peter Durbin Newcastle

Peter Durbin – Oracle Advisory Group

B.Com, DipFS(FP)

Peter is the founder and Managing Director of Oracle Advisory Group. Peter has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry, spending the majority of his career with Morgans Financial where he was a branch manager and provided advice to a large and diverse client base. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle.

Office
Level 2,
240-244 Pacific Highway,
Charlestown NSW 2290

Contact: Peter Durbin

Matthew Simpson-Foster - Newcastle

Matthew Simpson-Foster – Newcastle Financial Planning Group

Senior Financial Adviser

A long-standing passion to help others realise their financial goals drives Matthew’s mission as a Financial Adviser. “Seeing clients start to achieve their financial independence inspires me,” he says. “It starts with listening, working to their agenda, not our own.”

Matthew’s easy-going personality is backed by significant experience, starting with corporate superannuation back in 2000. From there, Matt spent five years as a Pricing Manager at one of Europe’s biggest hedge funds, and six years in super and insurance for some of Australia’s largest financial services providers.

The experience made Matthew aware of just how vulnerable a lot of people were when it came to their financial security. “I saw a lot of insurance claims where people hadn’t been given the right advice and had canceled their insurance,” he recalls. “It made me want to do more to help people build and protect their wealth.”

At the urging of long-time friend Daniel Brown, Matthew decided the time was right to leverage his broad experience and move into the financial planning space. Coastal Advice Group was a natural fit. “We look at advice very differently to other outfits, and I think that’s one of our advantages,” says Matthew.

So regardless of whether you’re a young couple looking to review your current arrangements for wealth creation, or someone seeking a pre-retirement boost to your super or savings, Matthew and the team have the know-how to help.

Specialises in:

  • Superannuation
  • Self-Managed Super Funds
  • Insurance
  • Wealth Creation / Investment Advice
  • Savings / Budgeting
  • Borrowing to Invest
  • Retirement Planning

Office
15 Kenrick Street
The Junction,
Newcastle, NSW 2291

Contact: Matthew Simpson-Foster

Chris Davis – PKF Wealth

Financial Adviser / Executive Director

Chris has been an integral part of PKF Wealth for the past 13 years, becoming a shareholder in 2009, a Director in 2018 and most recently Executive Director in 2020.

He is passionate about helping his clients reach their goals and enjoys challenging his clients in their decision-making process. Part of this is assisting clients to truly understand the link between risk and return and how this impacts all investment decisions.

Chris prides himself on honest, transparent advice and working with his clients to ensure they have peace of mind around their financial future.

Recent examples of work include:

  • Implemented a three tired retirement strategy that solved debt issues, retirement income and estate planning.
  • Successfully re-aligned investments across a client’s multiple different entities to achieve the most tax effective long-term portfolios.

Qualifications and memberships:

  • Member of Financial Planning Association of Australia
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Diploma of Financial Planning

Office
755 Hunter Street
Newcastle West
NSW 2302

Contact: Chris Davis

Vanessa Woodley - Newcastle

Vanessa Woodley – Leenane Templeton Wealth Management 

MCom (FP), CFP ®, Adv Dip FS (FP)

Vanessa Woodley is a senior financial advisor at Leenane Templeton Wealth Management Pty Ltd. Vanessa attained her Masters of Commerce through the University of Western Sydney and was awarded the Financial Planning Association Student of the Year Award at graduation.

Vanessa has been a financial advisor for over a decade and is Certified Financial Planner ®, the highest designation in financial planning. Vanessa has also completed specialist training in self-managed superannuation funds, listed products and life planning which integrates the interior aspects of money with the mechanics. She has a love of learning and continues to expand her technical skills with ongoing technical training.

Vanessa is recognised as an accomplished advisor and has contributed to various media publications including Cosmo and Sydney Morning Herald.  She is married to Paul and recently returned “home” to Newcastle after spending a number of years in Sydney. She loves raising their young family in beautiful Lake Macquarie.

Vanessa enjoys working with her clients to help them achieve their objectives and use their financial resources for what really matters to them.

Office
484 Hunter Street
Newcastle NSW 2300,
Australia

Contact: Vanessa Woodley

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