About Stephen
Hi, I'm Stephen Farrell
I'm an independent financial adviser, and I've spent over 20 years helping people make confident decisions about their money. I'm a planner at heart, not an investment salesperson or a market forecaster.
Most of the people I work with are in their 50s or early 60s. They're good at what they do and busy doing it, and somewhere in the back of their mind is a question they haven't had time to answer properly: are we actually on track? I love helping people find that answer, and then building a plan they understand, feel comfortable with and can act on.
Independent advice
Advice that answers only to you
Guided Wealth is an independent financial advice practice, and that's the single most important thing to understand about how I work.
In Australia, "independent" isn't a marketing word an adviser can choose for themselves. In broad terms, the law only allows it when an adviser receives no commissions, no payments linked to the amount of business placed with a product provider, and no gifts or other benefits from product providers, and has no ownership ties to them. Not many advisers meet that test. I do, and I've built the whole practice around it.
What it means for you
- No products to sell. I'm not owned by, or tied to, any bank, super fund, platform or fund manager. That means I can recommend whatever genuinely suits you, and that includes keeping what you already have when it's working well.
- One fixed fee, agreed up front. I'm paid only the fee you agree to, and it doesn't grow with your balance or change with the products I recommend. Whether the right answer is to invest more, pay down debt, hold cash or simply do nothing, my fee is the same.
- Commission-free insurance. When insurance is part of your plan, I arrange it without commission, so the premium you pay reflects the cover alone.
- No referral payments. If you need an accountant, a lawyer or another specialist, I'll suggest people I trust to do good work for you. I don't accept payments for those referrals.
- Honest advice, even when it's not what you hoped to hear. Because nothing rides on the outcome for me, I can tell you plainly what I think, and explain why.
I also hold my own Australian Financial Services Licence, so there's no larger licensee with products of its own standing behind the advice you receive.
“Steve has no loyalties to anyone so his advice is honest and he gives it clearly.”
How I work
Every plan starts with the same few questions. What matters most to you? What would a good retirement look like, and what will it cost? Everything I recommend is measured against your answers, not against products or markets.
I start with spending, because it's the number that quietly decides almost everything else: when you can stop work, how much you'll need, and how long it has to last. A good income can hide what a household really spends, so we take the time to work it out properly together.
From there, I'll do as much or as little of the heavy lifting as you'd like. Some clients are happy for me to look after the detail; others want an experienced second pair of eyes on decisions they're making themselves. Either way, you'll make every decision with the full picture in front of you, and you'll never be rushed.
Background
I co-founded the practice in 2008 with Daniel Hogben, as Hogben Farrell Financial Planning, right at the height of the Global Financial Crisis. Building a practice from scratch in those markets taught me a great deal about what clients need most when things are uncertain: clear thinking, honest conversations and a plan they can hold on to.
In 2017, I took complete ownership of the practice, and it became Guided Wealth.
- Over 20 years in financial advice
- Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne
- Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment, and Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning (Securities Institute)
- Member of the Financial Advice Association Australia
- Sole director, financial adviser and Responsible Manager of Guided Wealth
Important documents
These explain who I am, how I'm paid, how I look after your information and what to do if you're ever unhappy with my service.
Guided Wealth Pty Ltd ABN 54 010 906 960, AFSL 427218.