FAQs

This page shares our responses to the most common questions from our clients and prospective clients. If you don’t see the answer to a question you have, please call us any time for an informal chat. Alternatively, please use the contact form to send us your question and we’ll get right back to you.

About Beresfords

Beresfords is an integrated wealth management and financial services business. We offer financial planning advice, advice on personal insurance, investment advice, and estate planning and property services.

Beresfords Group is owned by the Beresford family and senior members of the management team. It is not captive to any provider of investment products, and its advisers are not tied to any financial institution.

Beresfords’ over-arching investment philosophy is built around the objective of tailoring investments to each client’s unique goals and circumstances. We avoid delegating investment management to external managers where the mandate maybe too broad and subject to change. Your investments are expertly managed by Investment Partners, which is part of the Beresfords Group. We created Investment Partners to give our clients the very best investment advice. IP was born of our dissatisfaction with external funds management providers and service delivery. To manage the portfolio of direct investments, we utilise fund manager expertise where there is proven benefit measured against a comprehensive standard and to meet the needs of your personal wealth plan.

The foundations of our recommended strategies are built on a thorough portfolio management framework and process, incorporating investment management and personal financial structuring expertise. We take decisions on prospective risk and return across different types of assets and how they are correlated and build on them. It allows us to match your goals and circumstances – something we call ‘asset allocation framework’. We focus on how returns can vary over time and how that impacts after-tax cash flows. And we can illustrate how risks translate into cash flow variability for a proposed strategy.

We recommend individual direct investments that are consistent with your identified risk profile, and the after-tax return target within your portfolio.

We offer a fully transparent fee structure and do not retain commissions received on investments made by clients. Commissions are the way we are remunerated for insurance and debt broking. We won’t necessarily be cheaper or more expensive than other advisers – what we offer clients is value: very good advice for the fees charged.

For more details on Beresfords’ fees and services, please download our Financial Services Guide on the resources page here

We keep a record of your personal information with details of your investment objectives, financial situation and needs, records of any significant discussions we’ve had and recommendations we have made. If you wish to look at your file please ask your Financial Adviser.

We will not trade, rent or sell your information to any other party. We will only send information overseas if we reasonably believe that country has privacy laws similar to Australia.

We take steps to ensure our privacy principles are adhered to, and will only ever disclose your personal information if you consent or if we are required by law.

For full details, please download our privacy policy on the resources page here.

Ownership: Beresfords is owned by management and senior members of the management team. It is not tied to any major financial institution.

Fee Structure: Beresfords offers a fully transparent fee structure and does not retain commissions received on investments made by clients. Commissions are the way we are remunerated for insurance and debt broking. We won’t necessarily be cheaper or more expensive than other advisers – what we offer clients is value: very good advice for the fees charged.

Tax Effectiveness: Beresfords focuses on after-tax outcomes, not just headline pre-tax performance. We integrate appropriate tax management into your overall strategy.

Skills and Training: Beresfords’ financial advisers are skilled, knowledgeable, and focused on the interests of the client. Our advisers are required to solve financial challenges for clients, focusing on after-tax income. Importantly, our advisers simplify the complexity of investing, ensuring our clients know what’s happening to their money.

Convenience: Beresfords provides a full range of financial planning advice and personal risk services, better enabling clients to coordinate their wealth management and accounting needs. Beresfords offers self-managed superannuation fund advice and administration, investment advice, and portfolio administration services.

Beresfords Investment Partners provides equities services, research, portfolio advice, transaction services, and participation in initial public offerings.

Beresfords provides general and life insurance products to clients through a specialised brokerage business.

Yes. once you agree to use our services, we will provide you with a written Statement of Advice. We always act on your authority and never implement recommendations without your consent. Our ongoing advice also requires your authority for us to act. You will always know and authorise what we are doing with your money. Your adviser will always explain all recommendations step by step so you fully understand.

No, you don’t – we know the definition of a bad idea is a good idea not implemented, thus we spend a lot of time forging relationships to ensure excellent execution, but you always have 3 choices 1) You can do it yourself, 2) You can use any provider in the market place, or 3) You can use one of our Alliance Partners – this will make no difference to us or your pricing.

Our partners have been tried and tested over the years and trusted relationships have developed. At Beresfords, we have forged these alliances to make it convenient for you, in having a one stop shop for additional services with experienced advisers that we believe to excel in their speciality field.

It’s always our aim to make this process as easy and stress-free as possible. In the first instance, please contact our Relationship Manager, Lara Gomez, who will talk you through our process and get an understanding of your objectives.

From there you can book an initial discovery meeting, or one or our advisers will be delighted to meet up with you for a more informal chat over coffee.

From our initial conversation, we will have an idea of which of our Advisers will be the best fit for you and your financial journey, this Adviser will then be assigned for your Discovery Meeting. If you decided to move forward with Beresfords you will remain with the same Adviser and his team as they will work closely with you to achieve your financial goals.

What to expect at your first (Discovery) Meeting

Prior to your first meeting with Beresfords we will ask you to complete our client questionnaire. To assist us in gaining a full picture of your current situation, we just ask that you bring along your latest Superannuation and insurance statements.

Your first meeting will take between 2 and 3 hours. This is very much a discovery meeting, where we will get to know you, understand your goals and objectives, your current position and personal situation. This is also your opportunity to get to know us and see if we are the right fit for you. This investment of time is important, and ensures we understand you and what you are looking for – and we will discuss how we can assist you.

Your initial first meeting has a cost of $550 including gst. This cost comes with our guarantee to you. If you feel, after the first hour, that the meeting isn’t of value or you feel that we may not be the right fit, we can stop the meeting at that point and no fee will be charged. 

If you feel that our meeting has been of value and you feel that Beresfords could be a good fit for you, an invoice will be issued after the meeting. The ongoing costs differ from person to person as each plan is bespoke. Fees depend on the complexity of your situation and the amount of work involved, and will be presented and agreed with you before we proceed.

After your first meeting, we will email you a Client Services Agreement, which outlines the services we will be providing and our fees. You should take the time to read and consider before signing and returning this to us. There is no rush to decide and we are always here for you to answer any questions or queries you may have. We commence work once your signed Client Service Agreement is received.

There are two parking facilities that are close by. 213 Miller Street Wilson parking is the most convenient, which charges the standard parking rate costs. You will also find 2 hour parking on McLaren St and hourly parking meters on Miller St.

Resources & Resolution

You can view and download Beresfords’ various official documents from our RESOURCES page on this website.

If you have any concerns or you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service, you should immediately contact your Adviser in the first instance. If your Adviser is unable to resolve the issue, your complaint should be taken to the Beresfords Management team, our contact number is 02 9993 3900.

If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, or AFCA. AFCA provides fair and independent financial services complaint resolution that is free to consumers.

Website: www.afca.org.au
Email: info@afca.org.au
Telephone: 1800 931 678 (free call)
In writing to: Australian Financial Complaints Authority,
GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001