How to Find a Trustworthy Financial Adviser

Last Updated: August 20, 2026

Finding a trustworthy financial adviser is an important decision.

Financial advice can influence some of the biggest financial decisions you make during your lifetime — from buying a home and managing debt to investing, building superannuation and preparing for retirement.

The right adviser should do more than recommend financial products.

They should take the time to understand where you are now, where you want to go and what needs to happen to help you get there.

Trust is therefore about more than qualifications or investment performance. It is built through transparency, professional judgement, communication and an advice process that puts your interests at the centre.

Here are four important steps to consider when choosing a financial adviser.

Step 1: Check the Adviser’s ASIC Registration

The first step is to make sure the adviser is appropriately authorised to provide the type of financial advice you are seeking.

The ASIC Financial Advisers Register provides information about financial advisers who are authorised to provide personal financial advice to retail clients in Australia.

You can search for an adviser by name and review information about their registration, qualifications, authorisations and other relevant details.

ASIC Financial Advisers Register

You should also establish who the adviser’s Australian Financial Services Licensee is and what areas of financial advice they are authorised to provide.

For example, if you are seeking advice about superannuation, investments or retirement planning, make sure the adviser is authorised to provide the relevant advice.

Registration is an important starting point — but it is only the starting point.

Being registered does not automatically mean an adviser is the right adviser for you.

You should also consider their experience, approach, fees, communication style and whether they have experience with clients in circumstances similar to yours.

Process diagram showing steps for Professional for trustworthy financial advisor

Step 2: Look Beyond Qualifications

Financial advice is a professional service, so qualifications and ongoing professional development matter.

Ask the adviser about:

However, qualifications alone don’t tell you how an adviser will work with you.

Two advisers can have similar qualifications but very different approaches to financial planning.

One may focus primarily on investment management, while another may take a broader approach incorporating cash flow, debt, superannuation, investments, insurance and retirement planning.

The important question is:

Does the adviser’s expertise match what you actually need?

For example, someone approaching retirement may need a very different type of advice from a young family building wealth.

Similarly, clients with significant superannuation, investment properties, business interests or UK pensions may benefit from an adviser with relevant specialist experience.

Step 3: Find Out How the Adviser Approaches Financial Planning

Perhaps the most important part of choosing an adviser is understanding how they develop their advice.

Pay attention to the questions they ask you.

A good initial conversation should involve understanding your:

The conversation shouldn’t immediately become a discussion about which investment or superannuation product you should use.

Instead, the adviser should first understand the problem they are trying to solve.

Does the adviser start with your goals?

A strong financial planning process begins with questions such as:

What do you want your money to achieve?

What does financial independence look like for you?

When would you like to retire?

What lifestyle do you want in retirement?

What are the most important financial decisions you need to make now?

Only after these questions have been explored should strategies and financial products enter the conversation.

Does the adviser look at your finances as a whole?

Your financial decisions are interconnected.

For example, deciding to make additional superannuation contributions could affect your cash flow and tax position.

Paying extra off your mortgage could reduce interest costs but also reduce the amount of money available for investment.

Changing an investment may have tax consequences.

Increasing insurance may provide valuable protection but also increase your ongoing expenses.

A trustworthy adviser should consider these relationships rather than looking at each decision in isolation.

Veyron’s Approach to Financial Planning

At Veyron Wealth Group, we believe financial planning should be about connecting the different parts of your financial life.

Our approach considers areas such as:

Cash Flow → Debt → Superannuation → Investments → Protection → Retirement → Estate Planning

Not every client needs advice across every area.

The important thing is to identify which areas are relevant to your circumstances and how they fit together.

Our process is designed to move from understanding your circumstances and objectives through to developing, implementing and reviewing your financial strategy.

The strategy comes first.

Financial products should support the strategy — not determine it.

Process diagram showing steps for Close for trustworthy financial advisor

Step 4: Understand How the Adviser Is Paid

You should always understand how your financial adviser is remunerated.

Ask:

There is no single fee structure that is automatically right for every client.

Advice fees may be structured in different ways depending on the scope and complexity of the advice.

The important thing is transparency and value.

The cheapest adviser isn’t necessarily the best adviser, just as the most expensive adviser isn’t necessarily the best.

Instead, consider what you are receiving for the fee.

A comprehensive financial strategy, regular reviews and access to professional advice may provide significantly more value than a cheaper service that provides limited advice.

Understand Conflicts of Interest

It is also important to understand how an adviser manages conflicts of interest.

Australian financial advisers providing personal advice to retail clients have obligations under the Corporations Act relating to acting in the client’s best interests and managing conflicts.

ASIC – Acting in the client’s best interests

Don’t be afraid to ask directly:

“Are there any financial products, platforms or providers that your business has a relationship with?”

“How could that relationship affect the advice I receive?”

“How do you manage conflicts of interest?”

A professional adviser should be comfortable answering these questions.

At Veyron Wealth Group, our role is to consider the strategy that is appropriate for the client’s circumstances rather than recommending a product simply because it is available.

Ask About Ongoing Advice

Financial planning isn’t a one-off event.

Your circumstances can change considerably over time.

You may:

Your financial strategy may need to change with you.

Before engaging an adviser, ask:

How often will you review my financial plan?

What happens if my circumstances change between reviews?

Who will I contact if I have a financial question?

What is included in the ongoing advice service?

A good ongoing relationship should provide more than an annual meeting to review investment performance.

The review should consider whether your overall financial strategy is still working towards your objectives.

Review the Statement of Advice Carefully

Where personal financial advice is provided to a retail client, a Statement of Advice (SoA) will generally be required, subject to the applicable legal requirements and exceptions.

An SoA explains the advice being provided and the basis for the recommendations, together with relevant information about fees, benefits, risks and other required disclosures.

When you receive your SoA, check that it accurately reflects your circumstances.

Ask yourself:

Area What to Consider
Your circumstances Does the advice accurately reflect your financial position?
Your goals Are the recommendations linked to what you want to achieve?
Strategy Is it clear what is being recommended and why?
Risks Are the disadvantages and risks explained?
Alternatives Have relevant alternatives been considered where appropriate?
Fees Do you understand the total cost of the advice?
Implementation Do you understand what happens next?
Ongoing service Do you understand what ongoing advice you will receive?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

A trustworthy adviser should be able to explain their recommendations in language you understand.

Look for an Adviser Who Is Prepared to Challenge You

Trustworthy advice isn’t necessarily advice that tells you what you want to hear.

Sometimes the most valuable thing an adviser can do is challenge an assumption.

You might believe that you should put every spare dollar into your mortgage.

Or that you should maximise superannuation contributions.

Or that you need to change your investment portfolio because markets have fallen.

Or that a particular investment strategy is automatically better because it has performed well recently.

A good adviser should be prepared to explain the advantages, disadvantages and alternatives.

Their role isn’t simply to agree with you.

Their role is to help you make better-informed financial decisions.

Trust Is Built Over Time

Choosing a financial adviser isn’t simply choosing someone to manage your investments.

It is choosing someone who may become an important part of your financial decision-making over many years.

The relationship should be based on:

Understanding → Transparency → Professional judgement → Communication → Accountability

You should feel comfortable asking questions, challenging recommendations and discussing changes in your circumstances.

You should also understand what you are paying for and why particular recommendations have been made.

The Right Adviser Should Understand Your Future, Not Just Your Finances Today

Your financial position today is only one part of the picture.

A good financial adviser should help you think about where you want to be in five, ten or twenty years and what needs to happen to get there.

That could mean helping you:

At Veyron Wealth Group, we believe financial planning should be personal.

We start by understanding you, your circumstances and your objectives before developing a strategy.

The aim isn’t to sell you a financial product.

The aim is to help you understand your financial position, make informed decisions and create a strategy that supports the life you want to live.

How to Find a Trustworthy Financial Adviser: Key Questions

Before choosing an adviser, ask yourself:

Are they appropriately authorised?

Do they have the experience and expertise I need?

Do they take the time to understand my circumstances?

Do they explain their recommendations clearly?

Are their fees transparent?

Do I understand how they manage conflicts of interest?

Will they provide ongoing advice and review my strategy as my circumstances change?

Do I feel comfortable trusting them with important financial decisions?

If the answer to these questions is yes, you may have found an adviser who is a good fit for you.

Choosing the Right Financial Adviser

There is no single financial adviser who is right for everyone.

The right adviser is one who understands your circumstances, communicates clearly, has the expertise relevant to your needs and provides advice that is genuinely focused on helping you achieve your objectives.

At Veyron Wealth Group, we take a long-term approach to financial planning.

We look beyond individual investments and consider how the different parts of your financial life can work together to create a clear financial strategy.

If you would like to find out whether Veyron’s approach to financial planning is right for you, start with a conversation.

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General Disclaimer

The information contained is general in nature and provided for information purposes only. Any references to investment returns, performance, asset classes or market conditions are not intended to constitute personal financial advice. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this material, no liability is accepted by Veyron Wealth Group or Count, its related entities, agents or employees for any loss arising from reliance on this information. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance and investment returns are not guaranteed. Clients need to assess the appropriateness of any information in light of their individual circumstances, consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statements (PDS) and other disclosure documents, and obtain personal financial advice prior to making any investment decision.

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