Frequently Asked Questions
Do you…? What do you…? Why do you…?
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about Archimedes Financail Planning.
- What did you do before giving financial advice?
- So why are you in the financial advice business?
- Are you successful?
- What are your financial qualifications and memberships?
- What are the main characteristics of your clients?
- So what do you give advice on?
- Do you select the actual investments?
- What are your special financial skills?
- How much does the advice cost?
- Do you get paid by commissions or fee?
- Where are the investments held?
- Where are you based and how do you work with clients located elsewhere?
- Do you provide referrals so prospective clients can discuss your approach and results?
- How should a person decide if they are suited to your advice?
Please contact us if you have
a question that's not listed here.
What did you do before giving financial advice?
Noll Moriarty:
- has university degrees B.Sc(Hons) and M.Sc(Hons) with majors in maths/physics/geology
- worked for 20 years in petroleum exploration industry as geophysicist & exploration manager
So why are you in the financial advice business?
Noll saw interesting parallels between risk management techniques of petroleum and financial industries - both form portfolios and aim to maximise returns. In his view, the petroleum industry has more advanced assessment techniques (eg EMV, monte carlo modelling) so he thought why not apply these proven techniques to personal financial planning. So here we are! (And we really enjoy the technical challenges of helping people build wealth efficiently)
Are you successful?
- Yes. Have many tens of millions of dollars under direct advice, placed by select clients throughout Australia, some based internationally
- Our clients respond to the scientifically rigorous approach and evaluation of alternatives
What are your financial qualifications and memberships?
Noll Moriarty
- has completed Deakin University’s Diploma Financial Planning (all units awarded Distinction grade)
- awarded Certified Financial Planner™, highest membership level of Financial Planning Association of Australia
- Authorised Representative of Professional Investment Services Pty Ltd (one of Australia’s largest financial groups; majority is independently owned)
What are the main characteristics of your clients?
- Our clients are select people who are serious about building, or already have, significant wealth
- All readily accept that their money management efforts are no match for those of a qualified and dedicated wealth specialist
- All clients have other things in life to do than manage finances and continually optimise strategies
- All are willing to initially make significant time for input to a fully integrated plan, then sit back and relax while I manage their strategies
- All are decisive when presented with well researched pros and cons for a range of strategies
So what do you give advice on?
Pretty well everything that matters:
- budgeting and debt management strategies
- strategic advice on wealth creation and investments
- superannuation including Self-Managed Super Funds
- retirement planning
- direct shares and managed funds
- commercial property
- personal insurances (life / total and permanent disablement / trauma / income protection)
- taxation strategies
- estate planning (tax-effectively passing on assets to beneficiaries)
- mortgage broking and commercial finance (through Australian Loan Company Ltd)
Do you select the actual investments?
Yes, if that is what the client wants (most do when they see how we develop integrated investment strategies). We also regularly review performances and propose necessary fine-tuning, such as when to take profits. The client retains full control and must authorise all changes.
What are your special financial skills?
- Absolute passion to make sure advice is personalised and right
- Combine best risk management techniques of petroleum and financial industries - construction of “Efficient Frontier” portfolios that target above average returns and below average risk
- Regularly benchmark investment results against median performances
- click here to see benchamrked performance
How much does the advice cost?
- Simplest answer - our costs are far less than the expected benefits
- Costs range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on complexity/time of the advice
- Smart people will compare cost of our advice against cost of not taking advice (maintaining their status quo)
Do you get paid by commissions or fee?
Investments are placed in the wholesale world that has no trailing commissions (unlike retail products). Being wholesale, there is no product-driven bias to recommend one product over another.
However, since optimising portfolios requires regular review, we charge an ongoing fee to cover both costs of accessing reliable independent research and time to prepare regular profit-taking recommendations. The ongoing fee is charged as a percentage of invested amount, which aligns completely the interests of client and adviser.
Where are the investments held?
We exclusively use the Asgard mastertrust (www.asgard.com.au) as the vehicle to access all wholesale investments. Asgard is chosen because it has a very wide range of investments (direct shares and managed funds), is competitively priced and all instructions are submitted electronically.
We do not have any ties to Asgard. For efficiency reasons, we do not use any other mastertrust. Improving our efficiency reduces costs for clients. (This means a prospective client who already has wholesale investments held elsewhere will have to move to Asgard. This would entail CGT, startegies to address this are discussed as part of the initial planning).
Where are you based and how do you work with clients located elsewhere?
- Brisbane based. If an interstate client requires face-to-face meeting, we fly to them (at our expense)
- Most of initial communication to develop strategies is via phone, email & PowerPoint presentations
- After strategies are agreed, progress is reviewed in face-to-face meetings with clients at least once year (we fly interstate)
- The frequency of meeting with Brisbane-based clients is no more than interstate clients
Do you provide referrals so prospective clients can discuss your approach and results?
Yes, provided names kept confidential.
Client ages range from young single people through to people in retirement.
How should a person decide if they are suited to your advice?
Firstly, check compatibility with above “What are main characteristics of your clients?”
Secondly, decide your primary focus when considering advice:
- cost sensitive? or
- benefits after costs?
If the former, go elsewhere (noting in life you get what you pay for …)
If the latter, talk to us.
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Archimedes Clients are:
- Professionals of any age
- SME Business Owners
- SMSF Trustees
Click the map to find out more about our Clients