Case Studies
Sam and Alice save for retirement
When their youngest child Tim moved out of home to study at University, Sam and Alice started to think about whether they were saving enough money for retirement.
They saw a Gold Leaf Financial Planner and discussed their values and goals. Sam and Alice would like to continue their current lifestyle and want to make the most of their additional savings as now Tim is mostly independent. A recommendation was made to change their super to make sure it was invested in line with their ethical values and would grow for retirement. The adviser also recommended making additional mortgage repayments and salary sacrificing to super.
By following their financial planners’ recommendations, Sam and Alice will be debt free and have an extra $500,000 at retirement. They will also be able to travel, renovate the kitchen, enjoy their hobbies of tennis and photography and volunteer with their favourite community groups.
Mandy and Scott's Vineyard Dream
Mandy and Scott always dreamed of buying a block of land not far from Melbourne with vineyards and starting a boutique winery. They wanted to be close to nature and grow organic fruit and vegetables for their family. A few years ago, Mandy received an early inheritance of $150,000 from her Grandma and she wanted to grow this money as a deposit on the vineyard.
They met with a Gold Leaf Financial adviser who recommended an investment portfolio in a range of assets such as shares, bonds and listed property, that was in line with their values and that would grow over time. She also recommended they add their savings of $900 per fortnight into the investment and when they received bonuses at work, use part of the bonus as a holiday and add part of the bonus into the investment portfolio.
By investing a regular amount each fortnight, they were surprised at how quickly their investment grew. They are now on track to having $400,000 to make their vineyard dream a reality.
Elisabeth discovers what her super is invested in
Elisabeth likes documentaries and in the last few years was concerned with the supermarkets owning and profiting from poker machines. She was also concerned when she watched a documentary about the conditions of workers (and the factory fires which led to injury and death) in Bangladesh where clothes were made for sale by many Australian retailers.
Elisabeth contacted her Gold Leaf Financial Planner and discovered her super fund held shares in supermarkets as well as shares in Australian retailers selling clothes manufactured in countries where poor labour standards continue. Her adviser recommended a new super fund with investments with sound financial performance that align with her values.
Elisabeth is happy to say her super is now invested in companies with good labour safety standards and in activities she considers positive like education, recycling and renewable energy.
Case studies
The case studies on this website are based on client experiences. Names and details have been changed. The information is of a general nature and we recommend you read the General Advice Warning.