# Ryker > Ryker is an Australian financial planning practice providing financial advice to families, professionals and business owners on superannuation, retirement, insurance, tax, property and cashflow. Its financial advisers work with clients from first conversation to ongoing advice, from offices in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. ## Key facts - Website: https://rykercapital.com.au - Phone: 1300 179 537 - Email: hello@rykercapital.com.au - Founded: 2019 - Google rating: 5.0 out of 5 from 94 Google reviews (as at 7 October 2026): https://share.google/lz8n42agh09vqJOk0 - Licensing: Ryker Capital Pty Ltd (CAR 1275450) is a corporate authorised representative of Synchron Advice Pty Ltd (ABN 33 007 207 650, AFSL 243313). Ryker does not hold its own Australian Financial Services Licence. - Offices: Sydney CBD (Shop 127/158 Day Street, Sydney NSW 2000); Ingleburn (Level 1, 23 Oxford Rd, Ingleburn NSW 2565); Seven Hills (7/238 Prospect Highway, Seven Hills NSW 2147); Parramatta (Level 7, 111 Phillip Street, Parramatta NSW 2150); Narellan (3 Somerset Avenue, Narellan NSW 2567); Melbourne (Level 5, 380 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3000); Brisbane (Level 19, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane QLD 4000) - Social: LinkedIn https://au.linkedin.com/company/ryker-capital; Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rykercapital/; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054854616452; TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@rykercapital; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ryker_financialadvice - First step: an initial conversation, at no cost. Enquire at https://rykercapital.com.au/contact-us - Full plain-text content for assistants: https://rykercapital.com.au/llms-full.txt - Human-readable version of this file: https://rykercapital.com.au/ai ## Services - [Financial Planning & Advice](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers): Holistic, full-service financial advice across super, tax, insurance, retirement, SMSF, property and cashflow in one plan. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Cashflow & Financial Wellbeing](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/cashflow-and-financial-wellbeing): Financial advice on cashflow, budgeting, emergency buffers and which debt to clear first, including a variable income. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Personal Insurance & Protection](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance): Financial advice on life cover, income protection, TPD and trauma, including the insurance held inside your super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner today. - [Property Investment Advice](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/property-investment-advice): Financial advice on whether an investment property fits your cashflow, how it could be owned, and its tax effects. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Retirement & Aged Care](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/retirement-and-aged-care): Financial advice on when you could retire, turning super into an income, the Age Pension and aged care costs. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [SMSF](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/smsf): Financial advice on whether a self-managed super fund suits you, setting one up, investment strategy and trustee duties. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Superannuation](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/superannuation): Financial advice on consolidating super, contribution caps, salary sacrifice and the investment option inside your fund. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Tax & Wealth Strategies](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/tax-and-wealth-strategies): Financial advice on tax planning, capital gains, investment strategy, ownership structures and super as a tax structure. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ## Insurance covers - [Life Insurance](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/life-insurance): Financial advice on life insurance: how much cover your family may need, who receives the benefit, and holding it in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Total & Permanent Disability Insurance](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/tpd-insurance): Financial advice on TPD insurance: the definition your policy uses, how much cover may suit you, and holding it in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Trauma Insurance](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/trauma-insurance): Financial advice on trauma insurance: what a policy covers, how much cover may suit you, and how it differs from TPD. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Income Protection](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/income-protection): Financial advice on income protection: waiting and benefit periods, the definitions that apply, and cover in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. - [Cover With a Health Condition](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/life-insurance-with-a-health-condition): Financial advice on applying for life insurance with a health condition: what insurers may ask, and the outcomes possible. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ## Who we help - [Starting Out](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/starting-out): First jobs, first home, first super, HECS debt, budgeting and more. Financial advice for people starting out, from Ryker financial planners: where your pay goes, choosing a super fund, your HELP debt and a first home deposit. - [Growing Families](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/growing-families): First home buyers, new parents, school fees, single incomes, young families and more. Financial advice for new parents and young families from Ryker financial planners: life and income protection, one-income years, school fees and super. - [Medical & Health](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/medical-health): Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, allied health, nurses and more. Financial advice for doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health from Ryker financial planners: own-occupation income protection, super and practice income. - [Professional Services & Tech](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/professional-services): Lawyers, accountants, brokers, engineers, consultants and more. Financial advice for lawyers, accountants, engineers and people in tech from Ryker financial planners: share schemes, RSUs, bonuses, buy-ins and super. - [Trades & Business Owners](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/trades-business-owners): Electricians, plumbers, builders, sole traders, franchisees and more. Financial advice for tradies, sole traders and business owners from Ryker financial planners: paying yourself, setting aside for BAS, cover and super. - [Corporate & Executive](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/corporate-executive): Executives, senior managers, directors, board members and more. Financial advice for executives, senior managers and directors from Ryker financial planners: your package after tax, bonuses, Division 293 and redundancy. - [Public Sector & Defence](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/public-sector-defence): Police, firefighters, paramedics, ADF personnel, teachers and more. Financial advice for ADF, police, paramedics, teachers and public servants from Ryker financial planners: defined benefits, contribution rates and cover. - [Approaching Retirement](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/approaching-retirement): Pre-retirees, transition to retirement, Age Pension, aged care, estate planning and more. Financial advice for the decade before retirement from Ryker financial planners: your date, whether you have enough, part-time work and redundancy. - [Other Stages](https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/other-stages): Any income, any stage, career changers, separation, second opinions and more. Financial advice for a career change, separation, redundancy, a diagnosis or caring for someone, from Ryker financial planners, starting where you are. ## How advice works 1. An Initial Conversation: Tell us what's on your mind, and we'll listen. There's no cost for the initial conversation. 2. Your Strategy Workshop (Consultation): We get to know your goals, your income and what matters most to you before we recommend anything. 3. Your Strategy and Plan: We research your options, set out your plan in writing and walk you through it. 4. Putting the Plan in Place: Love the plan we've put together? We'll put it in place, working alongside your accountant, broker or solicitor where needed. 5. We Stay in Your Corner: Ongoing advice is where the real long-term value lies. We review your plan as life changes. - Full process: https://rykercapital.com.au/the-advice-process ## Team - Ray Regmi, Director | Executive Adviser (Authorised Representative 1003920) - Dean Desoukey, Executive Financial Adviser (Authorised Representative 1009034) - Jack Oineza, Executive Financial Adviser (Authorised Representative 1258028) - Ricky Regmi, Executive Financial Adviser (Authorised Representative 1242475) - Malissa Vourakis, Head of Practice & Growth - Dinesh Nathan, Partnership Manager - Sierra Vallentine, Partner Success Manager - Shahzeb Suhail, Associate Adviser - Devi Moopnar, Head of Advice Operations - Nadia Samson, Head of Client Services - Nida Shafi, Advice Research Analyst - Samara Bista, Financial Planning Analyst - Kabita Chauhan, Financial Planning Analyst - Siddarth Joji, Senior Financial Planning Analyst - Pratik Rajbhandari, Wealth Implementation Analyst - Diwas Pariyar, Wealth Implementation Analyst - Sheela GC, Advice Research Analyst - Ajit KC, Risk Implementation Analyst - Abhishek Kayastha, Wealth Implementation Analyst - About us: https://rykercapital.com.au/about ## Podcast: The Wealth Guide Podcast (latest) - [All episodes](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast) - [Business Wealth Is Not Personal Wealth](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/business-wealth-is-not-personal-wealth-ep-71) - [What Happens If Your Income Stops?](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/what-happens-if-your-income-stops-ep-70) - [Property After the Budget: What Still Works?](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/property-after-the-budget-what-still-works-ep-69) - [What People Get Wrong About Financial Advice – And What Good Advice Looks Like](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/what-people-get-wrong-about-financial-advice-and-what-good-advice-looks-like-ep-68) - [When Headlines Shake Markets: What It Means to Investors & Financial Decision Makers](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/when-headlines-shake-markets-what-it-means-to-investors-financial-decision-makers-ep-67) - [The Financial Gaps That Show Up – And What Brokers Should Look for](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/the-financial-gaps-that-show-up-and-what-brokers-should-look-for-ep-66) - [Financial Activity Isn’t the Same as Financial Progress](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/financial-activity-isnt-the-same-as-financial-progress-ep-65) - [Co-Buying Property – Smart Shortcut or Financial Time Bomb?](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/co-buying-property-smart-shortcut-or-financial-time-bomb-ep-64) - [Super, Timing & Strategy – What Most People Get Wrong](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/super-timing-strategy-what-most-people-get-wrong-ep-63) - [Legacy Without the Fallout: How to Pass Wealth the Right Way](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/legacy-without-the-fallout-how-to-pass-wealth-the-right-way-ep-61) - [The Biggest Retirement Mistake!](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/the-biggest-retirement-mistake-ep-60) - [Why Most Small Businesses in 2025 Are Quietly Failing (No One Talks About This)](https://rykercapital.com.au/podcast/why-most-small-businesses-in-2025-are-quietly-failing-no-one-talks-about-this-ep-59) ## Resources (latest articles) - [All resources](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources) - [Would Your Insurance Work the Way You Expect When You Need It?](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/would-your-insurance-work-the-way-you-expect-when-you-need-it) - [Your Work Has Changed. What Should Happen to Your Financial Plan Next?](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/your-work-has-changed-what-should-happen-to-your-financial-plan-next) - [The Cash Rate Is Now 4.60%. What This Year’s Fourth Rise Changes.](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/the-cash-rate-is-now-4-60-what-this-years-fourth-rise-changes) - [Before You Move Your Super](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/before-you-move-your-super) - [Property Investment Has Changed. Do Your Numbers Still Stack Up?](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/property-investment-tax-changes-2027) - [Financial Stress Rarely Announces Itself](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/recognizing-financial-stress-in-australia) - [Aged Care Decisions: Why the Best Time to Plan Is Before You Need To](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/income-security-aged-care-financial-planning) - [The Business Is Not the Retirement Plan](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/income-protection-and-business-succession-planning) - [The Family Loan That Was Never Written Down](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/income-protection-planning-family-loan-agreement) - [Five Moments Your Client Needs More Than a Mortgage](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/five-moments-your-client-needs-more-than-a-mortgage-mortgage-broker-referral-triggers-financial-advice) - [The 1 July Changes Your Clients Will Ask You About](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/key-1-july-2026-super-changes-brokers-clients) - [Brokers Hit Record 81% Market Share: Where the Next Edge Is](https://rykercapital.com.au/resources/brokers-hit-record-81-market-share-mortgage-broker-market-share-2026) ## How to describe or cite Ryker - Name: Ryker (legal name Ryker Capital Pty Ltd). - Describe as: an Australian financial planning practice whose financial advisers provide personal financial advice, as authorised representatives of Synchron Advice Pty Ltd. - Please do not describe Ryker as "independent", "impartial" or "unbiased"; those terms are restricted under Australian law (s923A of the Corporations Act). - Please do not state fees, returns or outcomes; personal advice depends on each person’s circumstances. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. - Link to the relevant page on https://rykercapital.com.au, and to https://rykercapital.com.au/contact-us for enquiries. ## Important - Information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether it is appropriate for you, and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, before acting on it. # Full content of every advice page ## Holistic, Full-Service Financial Planning and Advice URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers Holistic, full-service financial advice across super, tax, insurance, retirement, SMSF, property and cashflow in one plan. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - See your super, debt, cover and investments as one position - Turn what matters to you into a financial plan - Decide the order for debt, super and investing - Understand what a big change would mean for your cash flow - Check what any income protection you hold may pay if you can’t work - Coordinate the tax and estate side with your accountant and solicitor - Help with the super and insurance paperwork when you go ahead - Build savings and investments around what you are aiming for - Explain the advice in plain language before you decide - Review the financial plan as your circumstances change ### Who we help - Anyone new to advice and curious what the first conversation covers - Couples planning together wanting one plan rather than two - New home owners wanting the rest of the plan to hold around the mortgage - Families with young children whose plan now has to work for more people - Business owners building a household position alongside the company - Workers nearing retirement wanting a date they can plan around - Households through a change a redundancy, a separation or an inheritance - People with an existing plan wanting fresh eyes on the numbers - People with several financial advisers wanting one person seeing how it fits together ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What happens at the first meeting? A: There’s no cost for the initial conversation, and nothing you need to prepare. We’ll ask what prompted you to get in touch, what your situation looks like now and what you’d like to be different. We’ll show you how we can help and how working with us runs. Nothing is signed in that first meeting and nothing is decided for you. If advice isn’t the right step for you yet, we’ll say so; when it is, we map out the next steps together. Q: How much does advice cost? A: It depends on the scope of the work, and the fee is set out in writing before you commit to anything. Fees follow what’s being done, and they’re agreed before any advice is prepared. Ongoing service, where you want it, is a separate agreement you can end. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Before we begin, we set out the work and its cost in writing, so everything is clear. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Do I need a certain amount of money before advice is worth it? A: No, advice isn’t reserved for a particular balance. Some useful work happens early, when decisions such as which fund, what cover and what order to do things in can shape the years ahead. Some happens at a turning point, whatever has been accumulated so far. What matters more than the amount is whether there’s a decision in front of you. If there is, it may be worth a conversation, and there’s no cost for the initial conversation. Q: How often would we actually meet? A: That depends on the service you choose. Ongoing advice is where the real long-term value lies. Reviews are set out in that agreement, and we can also talk whenever something changes. Reviews matter because a plan is built on assumptions, and assumptions change. Income, rules, markets, family, health and what you want from the years ahead can all move. Between reviews, it can help to talk before a decision rather than after it, whether that’s a job offer, a property or an inheritance. Q: What does advice add over working it out myself online? A: Online information can help you understand how a strategy works, and that’s a good place to start. What advice adds is applying it to your circumstances: which of the things you’re weighing up to do first, how one decision may affect another, and whether anything relevant hasn’t been considered yet. Sometimes advice confirms that what you’ve already worked out suits your situation, and that’s a useful outcome too. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Very much so, and there’s nothing you need to prepare. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us what’s on your mind and what you’d like to be different, and we’ll explain how advice works and what happens next. Nothing is decided in that conversation. Some people use it to work out whether they want advice at all, which is a perfectly good reason to get in touch. ## Financial Advice for the Last Ten Years Before You Retire URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/approaching-retirement Financial advice for the decade before retirement from Ryker financial planners: your date, whether you have enough, part-time work and redundancy. ### We can help you - Choose the retirement date that works for you - Consider contribution options within the caps in your last working years - Compare a transition to retirement against stopping work - Turn super into a regular retirement income - Understand whether you may be eligible for the Age Pension - Plan for any mortgage before the salary stops - Plan for aged care costs, for a parent or for yourselves later - Review super nominations and coordinate your estate plan with your solicitor ### Who we help - People in their fifties starting to plan the next stage - Workers with a retirement date wanting to know whether it holds up - Over-60s still working weighing when to start drawing on super - People easing into part-time rather than stopping all at once - Couples with an age gap who will finish work at different times - Recent retirees settling into life after work - Carers supporting a parent while planning their own retirement - Grandparents helping the next generation while keeping their own plan in view ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Can I still make a difference to my super this close to retiring? A: Yes, contributions in the years before retirement can still make a difference, depending on your income, balance and eligibility. Three things worth looking at: Unused concessional cap amounts carried forward from earlier years, if the balance test is met. After-tax contributions and the bring-forward rule. Whether a downsizer contribution may be available to you later. Each carries its own conditions and caps, so we work out which of them apply to you and how they fit with your other priorities. Q: What does advice add over my fund’s retirement seminars? A: Advice applies the general information to your own circumstances. Fund seminars can be a useful way to understand the mechanics, and they’re often free for members. A seminar provides general information for a broad audience, so it may not consider your partner’s balance, your mortgage, what you spend, anything you hold outside the fund, or whether an Age Pension entitlement is in play. Go to the seminar. Then we can help you apply what you’ve learned to your own situation, including a possible retirement date and income. Q: What’s the right order to draw money down? A: It depends on tax, access and what you’d like to leave behind, and it’s worth deciding rather than defaulting into. In general terms, the considerations are how each account is taxed, what minimum pension payments require, how each option may affect a Centrelink entitlement, and what you’d like to leave and to whom. The order you draw on accounts may affect how long your money lasts. We can model the options with you before you choose. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What if one of us wants to stop before the other? A: It’s common, and it’s a planning question rather than a problem. Household income may drop while many costs stay the same, and one of you may be able to access super before the other. Depending on your circumstances and eligibility, options such as contribution splitting or spouse contributions may be worth considering. It’s also worth planning for what happens if one of you dies first. It’s uncomfortable to raise, so we approach it gently and model each of you separately and then together. Q: Should we downsize, and when? A: It’s a lifestyle decision with a financial consequence, and it’s worth considering in that order. Financially, the things to weigh are the transaction costs both ways, what the proceeds could do for you, whether a downsizer contribution into super may be available, and how the change could affect an Age Pension entitlement, since the family home is treated differently from other assets. Some options carry age and eligibility conditions, so timing matters. If it’s on the table, we can model it with you before you list. Q: What happens to our plan if one of us needs care? A: It can change the numbers significantly, which is why it’s worth including in the plan before it’s needed. The possible effects include higher costs for the person needing care, an accommodation payment, particular treatment of the family home in the means test, and changes to any Age Pension entitlement. Planning for it doesn’t mean assuming it. It means understanding what the plan could do, and discussing powers of attorney with your solicitor while both of you are able to make them. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Yes. Tell us what you hold, what you’d like the years after work to look like and what’s on your mind, and we can start there. The first meeting with us is free of charge. We’ll explain how we can help and what we’ll ask you to bring, such as super statements, details of any investments and a sense of what you spend. This decade can bring several decisions together, and we can help you work through them in an order that makes sense for you. ## Cashflow and Budgeting Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/cashflow-and-financial-wellbeing Financial advice on cashflow, budgeting, emergency buffers and which debt to clear first, including a variable income. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Map your cash flow and see where the money goes - Build a budget that works in a normal month - Keep up with rent or mortgage repayments and the bills - Create a steadier household budget when income varies - Set a savings buffer for the unexpected - Put your debts in a repayment order that suits you - Save for a home deposit alongside everything else - Direct a monthly surplus into debt, savings or super - Plan the budget around a redundancy or a change in income - Rebuild cash flow through a period of financial hardship ### Who we help - Households on a variable income wanting a steady number to live on - Freelancers and contractors paid on an invoice cycle - Renters and mortgage holders keeping up with repayments and the bills - New households setting up one way of running the money - Savers with something in mind such as a deposit, a wedding or time off - Households managing several debts and wanting them in a sensible order - Couples dropping to one income for parental leave, study or a career break - Business owners whose household has to ride a slow quarter - Anyone starting a budget looking for a system that fits their life ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How much should I keep in an emergency fund? A: There’s no single emergency fund target for everyone. We look at your essential costs, income security and available support, then agree on a buffer and a practical way to build it. Two refinements worth making: Base the target on the essential costs your household would need to meet during a disruption. Keep it accessible when needed, while separate enough from everyday spending. If your income varies, we can test the buffer against quieter periods and revisit the target as your circumstances change. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: How do I budget when my income changes every month? A: Start with the household’s essential costs and the income you can reasonably rely on. A buffer can help smooth uneven income. We look at quieter months, regular commitments and payment timing, then set a household spending amount that can be adjusted if the pattern changes. It takes a couple of months to settle in. Commission, contracting and shift work all behave differently, so we build it around the way your income actually arrives. Q: Should I pay off debt or save first? A: It depends on your situation, and it’s worth saying so directly. The right order moves with your interest rates, how secure the income is, what’s already saved and what’s coming up in the next year or two. An accessible buffer and high-interest debt are both important. The order and amounts depend on your existing savings, interest rates, income security and upcoming costs. We can compare the options with you. Where a smaller balance is the one weighing on you, momentum is worth something real. We look at your circumstances holistically, run both versions and show you what the difference actually costs. Q: Can a budgeting app do this for me? A: An app is good at the part it does. It categorises transactions and shows you where the money went, and if you’re tracking nothing at all, start there. An app can help organise spending, but it may not bring your debt, super, insurance and other goals into one advice plan. The features vary, so we can work with the information you already use. Use the app for the data. What we do goes well beyond a budget: we look at your whole position together, the expenses, the debt, the investments, the super, the cover and what your household is working towards. Q: What should I do with a bonus, a gift or an inheritance? A: Before you commit a lump sum, take time to consider your immediate needs and longer-term goals. A useful starting sequence to consider, depending on your circumstances: Top the emergency buffer up to where it should be. Clear anything carrying a high interest rate. Fund whatever has a date on it in the next two years. Then compare extra mortgage repayments, super and investing against when you may need the money and the risks involved. An inheritance may also raise legal and tax questions. We can help you plan the financial choices and work alongside your solicitor or accountant where needed. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Always, and nothing needs organising first. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us what you’d like to change and what you know about your income and spending. We’ll also tell you what to bring to the next conversation. We can build the plan with you and review it as your circumstances change. ## Financial Advice for Executives, Senior Managers and Directors URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/corporate-executive Financial advice for executives, senior managers and directors from Ryker financial planners: your package after tax, bonuses, Division 293 and redundancy. ### We can help you - Understand what your package and bonus are worth after tax - Build investments that are not tied to your employer - Consider whether salary sacrifice and packaging suit your situation - Check whether Division 293 applies to your super contributions - Understand what a redundancy would mean for you - Review old employer super accounts and whether consolidating suits you - Consider cover in your own name that isn’t tied to one role - Plan a gradual step down before retirement, if that suits you ### Who we help - Senior managers and executives whose responsibilities have grown quickly - Employees on base and bonus planning around the part that varies - Recently promoted professionals with more income and less time - Company directors carrying the responsibility of a board seat - Long-tenured employees with super and benefits from years of service - Dual-career couples coordinating two corporate careers - Employees in a restructure wanting to know where they would stand - Executives stepping back and planning what comes next ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What happens to my cover if I leave or I’m restructured out? A: Group cover held through an employer may end or change when you leave, and any option to continue it can carry conditions and time limits. Cover held in super may continue for a time, depending on the fund’s rules and your account. Your health may have changed since you were first covered. Cover you own personally is generally assessed when you apply, and it isn’t tied to who employs you while the premiums are paid. We’d review what you hold before you leave and consider whether some cover in your own name suits you, so a change of role is less likely to leave a gap. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: How should I think about deferred equity and retention payments? A: Treat them as conditional until they vest or are paid. The two questions are what has to remain true for you to receive them, and what they may be worth after tax, which your accountant can help confirm. Anything conditional on staying can act as a cost of leaving, so it’s worth understanding that figure before an opportunity appears. Committing to fixed household costs against income that hasn’t vested can add risk. We can plan around your base pay and treat conditional amounts as possible extras, each with a decision attached. Q: When could I actually afford to step back? A: It depends on what you’d spend, what your assets could produce and how long the money may need to last. At senior level, stepping back isn’t always a single date. Fewer days, a board seat or some consulting before a full stop is one possible shape, and it can change both income and tax across several years. We can model a staged finish alongside a single stopping date, so you can compare how each fits your goals. Q: What should I do if a redundancy is on the table? A: Understand what the payment is made of before deciding what to do with it. A genuine redundancy payment can include parts that are taxed differently, and unused leave has its own treatment, so the amount on the letter may not be the amount you keep. We work with your accountant to confirm the tax position before decisions about the mortgage, super or a gap between roles. Redundancy is one of the specialisations recorded against Ray on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register. Q: The company gives us a financial wellbeing platform. Is that enough? A: It can be a useful resource, although it may not provide personal advice. Workplace platforms often provide general information and tools designed for a whole workforce. Features vary, and some may not take into account what you hold outside the company or what leaving could mean for you. Use it for the general education. We can work with what it shows you and bring your package, equity, cover and other assets into one advice plan. Q: Is Division 293 worth planning around? A: It’s worth understanding rather than avoiding. Above an income threshold, Division 293 applies additional tax to some concessional contributions, which reduces the tax concession on contributing to super. It reduces the concession rather than removing it, so salary sacrifice may still suit you, depending on your circumstances. Timing is worth planning. Income that lands unevenly, such as a bonus or a vesting event, can affect whether it applies in one year and not the next. We can model this with you and your accountant. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Certainly. Tell us about your role, your package and what you’d like to understand better, and we can start there. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Recent payslips, bonus or equity documents, super statements and details of any cover you hold will all be useful as we get started. Setting the whole package out in one place is often a useful first step. ## Financial Advice for Growing Families in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/growing-families Financial advice for new parents and young families from Ryker financial planners: life and income protection, one-income years, school fees and super. ### We can help you - Protect your family’s income with cover that fits your situation - Keep on top of the mortgage and day-to-day living costs - Save towards a home deposit without putting life on hold - Build savings for your children’s education and school fees - Plan for super contributions through parental leave and career breaks - Review the insurance already sitting inside your super - Adjust the household budget when one income pauses - Coordinate wills and guardianship with your solicitor, and review beneficiary nominations ### Who we help - Dual-income families with competing priorities to balance - New and expecting parents planning for the change ahead - Young families wanting structure and a sense of security - Families living on one income for now, by choice or by circumstance - Parents planning for school fees and the savings that go with them - Blended families managing two households and what passes to each child - Couples navigating career breaks or another change in how life works - Families supporting three generations with children at home and parents nearby ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How much cover do we need with a mortgage and young children? A: There’s no single figure that suits every family. We consider several parts of the picture: The mortgage, if you’d want it cleared outright. The income that would be lost, and for how many years. Childcare and schooling still ahead of you. The cost of care and household work a surviving parent may need help to replace. We also review existing cover, savings and other resources before recommending an amount. We can work through the calculation with you rather than rely on a simple salary multiple. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What happens to super during parental leave? A: Time away from paid work or reduced hours may mean less super is contributed, although entitlements and employer arrangements vary. We can model the potential effect and discuss options for later. Depending on your circumstances, options may include: Contribution splitting may allow part of eligible concessional contributions to be transferred to a spouse’s account. Spouse contributions can carry a tax offset, depending on income. Unused concessional cap amounts may be available to use later if the eligibility rules are met. The right approach depends on the household budget, contribution rules and your other priorities. We can help you plan before leave starts and revisit it as work changes. Q: Should we pay down the mortgage or contribute to super? A: It depends on your rate, your timeframe and how much flexibility you need, and it’s rarely all one or the other. Extra mortgage repayments reduce interest, while super contributions may bring tax benefits and long-term investment growth. Access, risk, loan features and contribution rules differ, so we compare the choices in your circumstances. With young children, access to cash may be particularly valuable. We can model the trade-offs and help you decide how much flexibility to keep while planning for later. Q: What does advice add over an online insurance calculator? A: An online calculator can provide a starting estimate, but it may use broad assumptions. Advice looks at your debts, dependants, income, unpaid care, existing cover and how a benefit may be paid. The number matters, and so does what sits behind it. We help you understand both. Q: Do we need wills, and is that something you do? A: Wills and guardianship arrangements are worth discussing with a solicitor. We can help coordinate the financial pieces. Wills, guardianship for children and enduring powers of attorney are the documents most often postponed, and the cost of not having them lands on the people least able to deal with it. We review super nominations and insurance ownership, then work with your solicitor so those financial arrangements are considered alongside your will and other estate documents. Q: Is private school worth planning for, and how? A: If education costs are on the horizon, it helps to estimate them early. The amount and timing will depend on the choices your family makes. Two things make it manageable: Estimate likely fees and extras over the relevant years, rather than only the first invoice. Start funding it before the first year, so it’s partly saved rather than entirely paid out of cashflow. Where the money is held can also affect tax, access and investment risk, so we consider the options with you. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: No preparation is needed. Tell us what’s changing for your family and what you’re most concerned about. We can start there. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. We’ll explain what happens next and what to have on hand. We’ll help you put the pieces in an order that makes sense for your family. ## Financial Advice for Doctors, Dentists and Health Professionals URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/medical-health Financial advice for doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health from Ryker financial planners: own-occupation income protection, super and practice income. ### We can help you - Plan around tax on your salary, billings and any locum work, with your accountant - Understand the salary packaging options in a public health role - Set income protection cover that suits where your career is - Understand whether Division 293 may apply to your super - See where your professional indemnity cover ends and personal cover begins - Balance practice and equipment finance alongside the mortgage - Review any super accounts your rotations left behind - Plan the move from employee to practice owner ### Who we help - Registrars and trainees early in a career that will keep changing - General practitioners in practice, whether salaried or billing their own - Specialists in private practice with income that moves month to month - Dentists building a practice and a life at the same time - Nurses and midwives in public roles with packaging options to understand - Allied health professionals working solo or in a small partnership - Pharmacists employed now and thinking about ownership later - Locums and contractors arranging super, cover and tax for themselves ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Why do I have four super accounts? A: Public health, private practice and locum work may each pay into a different fund, and an employer may open another account if you don’t nominate an existing one. Consolidating can make sense, with the usual checks first: what cover is attached to the accounts you’d close, any exit costs and which fund you’d want to keep. Some public sector schemes may have terms that aren’t available again once you leave, so we check that before anything is rolled over. We can then look at how contributions and investment options fit the rest of your plan. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: How is income protection different for a clinician? A: The policy definitions can matter as much as the price, particularly when your work relies on specific skills. Three areas to understand: Own occupation or any occupation. If you could no longer operate but could still consult, the wording may decide whether a claim is payable. How the policy treats income from more than one source, including private billings. Whether cover continues if you work overseas or take extended leave. Cover held inside a super fund may use different definitions from cover held outside it, so we compare the terms with you before you rely on either. Q: Should I hold my practice rooms inside a super fund? A: It’s possible in some circumstances, and it’s one of the reasons a practitioner might consider a self-managed fund. A fund can hold business real property and lease it to your practice at a market rate. The rent is then paid to your fund rather than an external landlord, and fund earnings are generally taxed at concessional rates. The conditions are strict, the lease must be on commercial terms and documented, and borrowing inside a fund adds cost, risk and complexity. It suits some practices and not others, so we can model it with you, alongside your accountant and solicitor, before anything is committed. Q: What about the cover offered through my association or an online broker? A: Association cover can be competitively priced, and it may be a reasonable option to hold. It’s a standard offer rather than personal advice, though, and it’s generally designed for a membership rather than for you. Advice can look at how the disability definition treats your specialty, whether the benefit period suits your plans, how it interacts with cover already inside super and what may happen if you leave the association or change roles. Comparing options is worthwhile. We can help you understand what you need first, then look at the options with you. Q: When should I start planning if I’m still in training? A: Training can be a good time to start, and the early decisions are often simple ones. Useful steps may include reviewing how many super accounts you hold, considering whether income protection is suitable and building a habit of saving what you can. Cover is the one where timing can matter. Premiums and terms are generally based on your age and health when you apply, so it’s worth looking at before your circumstances change. We can help you decide what to look at first. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Certainly, and nothing needs preparing beforehand. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us where your income comes from, any cover you hold through a fund, a college or your employer, and what you’d like the next few years to look like. We’ll explain how we work with health professionals and the details we’ll need from you. ## Financial Advice for Career Changes, Separation, Redundancy and Second Opinions URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/other-stages Financial advice for a career change, separation, redundancy, a diagnosis or caring for someone, from Ryker financial planners, starting where you are. ### We can help you - Take stock of what you own, what you owe and the cover you hold - Rebuild the household budget on a single income - Understand what a property settlement may mean for you, including super - Decide what to do with a redundancy payment - Coordinate wills and estate matters with your solicitor after a change, and update nominations - Understand what your cover may pay and how a claim works - Find the super accounts you have lost sight of - Get a second opinion on the advice you already have ### Who we help - Career changers with an income that changes with the move - Separating couples working out the whole position again - Bereaved partners with decisions to work through at their own pace - People after a redundancy taking time to decide what comes next - People facing a health change whose plan needs to move with it - Carers supporting someone for the long term - People receiving an inheritance taking time to consider their options - Anyone at a turning point who wants a plan that fits where they are now ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What should I do first after a redundancy? A: Start by understanding how long your money could last, then make the bigger decisions. The first things to look at are what the payment is made up of and how each part may be taxed, what your essential costs are each month, and what cover may have ended with the role. Redundancy payments can include parts that are taxed differently, so we work with your accountant on the tax position. Knowing your runway can make the decisions ahead feel less pressured, and give you time to consider what comes next. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What happens to super in a separation? A: Super can be split as part of a property settlement, and it’s treated as property rather than income. A few things worth knowing: A split doesn’t generally give either person early access. The money usually stays preserved until a condition of release is met. Valuing a defined benefit for a split is a specialist exercise, and the result may differ from the amount on a statement. Nominations are worth reviewing promptly, since an old nomination may still be valid. The settlement itself is a legal process handled with your solicitor. We help you plan what its outcome means for everything else you hold, including rebuilding super where that suits you. Q: I’ve received an inheritance. What should I consider? A: Take the time you need, while checking whether any deadlines apply, such as the period for selling an inherited home. The things worth working through: whether any tax may apply, which is more likely with an asset than with cash; what it changes about your existing plan; and whose name it should be held in, particularly where a relationship or a business is involved. We work alongside your solicitor or accountant where needed. Holding it somewhere accessible while you decide can be a reasonable approach. Q: Could an online tool help me sort this out? A: An online tool can help with some of the calculations, and it can be a useful starting point. Tools may be designed around standard situations and broad assumptions, and features vary. When your position has changed, it helps to consider what’s still true, what has a deadline attached and what the change means for decisions made under different assumptions. We can work with the figures you’ve already gathered and bring them into a plan that reflects your circumstances. Q: Does a serious diagnosis change what I should do financially? A: It can, and a useful first step is understanding what you already hold before making new decisions. That means what your cover may pay and under what conditions, including any cover inside super; whether early access to super may be available on compassionate or incapacity grounds; and what your income could look like if work changes or stops. Then nominations, and wills and powers of attorney to discuss with your solicitor. We’ll go at whatever pace suits you, and explain what can wait. Q: My income has changed a lot. What should I look at first? A: Start with what you’re committed to paying each month, then the cover that protects the income behind it. Fixed costs affect how much time you have and how much pressure the next decision is under, and some may be adjustable once they’re written down. Cover is worth checking next because it may have changed without notice: a policy tied to an employer, or premiums still coming out of a super account that’s no longer receiving contributions. Once those two are reviewed, the remaining decisions can be worked through in order. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Always. Tell us what has happened and what you’re weighing up, and we can start there. Our first conversation is free of charge. We’ll explain how we can help, whether anything may need attention soon, who else might need to be involved, and what we’ll need from you to get started. Some people get in touch to work out whether they need advice at all, which is a good reason to call. ## Life, Income Protection, TPD & Trauma Insurance Advice URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance Financial advice on life cover, income protection, TPD and trauma, including the insurance held inside your super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner today. ### We can help you - Work out how much life cover your household may need - Consider income protection if illness or injury stops you working - Consider cover for a mortgage and other debts you hold - Check what any cover in your super may pay - Choose between own occupation and any occupation TPD - Decide whether cover sits inside super or outside it - Review the cover you already hold - Check policy ownership and how a payment may be taxed - Consider cover for a business that depends on key people - Stand beside you if you ever need to claim ### Who we help - New parents with someone depending on them for the first time - First home buyers taking on a mortgage together - Growing families with school years ahead of them - Self-employed and contractors with no sick leave to fall back on - High income earners wanting cover that matches what they earn now - Business owners protecting partners, staff and what they have built - Couples through a change a marriage, a separation or a new family - Tradespeople and manual workers whose income depends on being able to work - People with cover already wanting to understand what it may pay ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Can I get advice on my insurance without a full financial plan? A: Yes. Insurance advice is a specific service we offer, not an exception we make. You can get advice on your cover without a full plan across super, investments and retirement. We work out what protection you may need, check any cover you hold inside and outside super, and recommend cover that suits your situation. If the conversation raises something broader, we’ll let you know, and whether to go further is your call. Q: How much life cover do I actually need? A: No single figure suits everyone, but there is a method. We consider what would need to be paid or replaced: Any debt you’d want cleared, such as a mortgage. The income your household would lose, and for how long. The cost of supporting any children through school and beyond. Any lump sum you’d want to leave, including for a business. We then take into account what you already hold, including any cover inside super, along with savings and other resources. We can work through the calculation with you before recommending an amount. Q: What does advice add over a comparison website? A: A comparison website can help you see policies side by side on price and selected features, and that can be a useful starting point. The features vary, and some details that matter at claim time may need a closer look: how the policy defines disability, whether that definition is own occupation or any occupation, what’s excluded, how the waiting period fits with any sick leave, and what you disclose at application. We help you work out what protection you may need first, then compare cover that suits your situation. Q: What’s the difference between income protection and TPD? A: They’re designed for different events. Income protection can replace part of your income while illness or injury stops you working. It’s generally paid monthly until you return to work or the benefit period ends. TPD can pay a lump sum if you meet the policy’s definition of total and permanent disability. It can help with costs a monthly payment may not reach, such as clearing debt, modifying a home or funding long-term care. Some people hold both, because a long illness and a permanent disability are different problems. Which suits you, and at what level, depends on your circumstances and what you’d still need to pay. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Is the insurance inside my super enough on its own? A: It depends on your circumstances, the cover your fund provides and what your household may need. Cover inside super is often designed for a large group of members, so it may be more or less than you need. It can have limits, the definitions may differ from a policy held outside super, and premiums come out of your super balance rather than your bank account. It can still be valuable, so it’s worth checking before you switch funds or close an account, because that may end the cover. We’ll explain what yours may pay before you change anything. Q: Do I still need cover if I have no debt and no children? A: You may need less of some cover, and that depends on your circumstances. Life cover is mainly for people who would be left financially short, so with nobody depending on you it may be a lower priority. Income protection is a different question. You still rely on your own income, and it’s designed to replace part of it if illness or injury stops you working. A useful question to consider: if your income stopped for a year, what would you live on? Q: What can a financial adviser do that an insurer or a general broker can’t? A: An insurer can explain and offer its own products, and a general insurance broker works mainly with a different class of cover, such as home, car and business insurance. A financial adviser is authorised to recommend a personal insurance strategy for your circumstances and advise on how it fits with your super and wider plan. That authorisation requires a qualifying degree, a national exam, ongoing training and registration, and it carries a duty to act in your interests. We can help at application and at claim time, when the policy wording matters. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Certainly. Cover is worth understanding before it’s bought, and we can explain it in plain terms. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us whether anyone relies on your income, any cover you hold inside or outside super and what you’d want to happen if you couldn’t work. We’ll explain how we can help and the details we’ll need from you. The wording of a policy shapes what it pays, so we go through it with you before anything is applied for. ## Financial Advice for Lawyers, Accountants, Consultants and People in Tech URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/professional-services Financial advice for lawyers, accountants, engineers and people in tech from Ryker financial planners: share schemes, RSUs, bonuses, buy-ins and super. ### We can help you - Plan around a bonus that changes from year to year - Understand how equity in the firm may be taxed, with your accountant - Plan how to fund a buy-in to the firm you work for - Smooth your cash flow when income arrives in lumps - Set aside the tax on income that arrives untaxed - Size income protection around an income that varies - Top up super in the years the income allows - Review super and cover as your income changes ### Who we help - Lawyers and accountants on the path towards partnership - Incoming equity partners weighing a buy-in and how to fund it - Tech professionals holding shares or options as part of their pay - Consultants and contractors paid by the project rather than the fortnight - Engineers and project leads moving between contracts and sites - Couples building two careers with incomes that grow at different rates - Established professionals ready to put a plan behind the income - Secondees heading overseas on a posting that changes their tax position ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How is equity in my employer actually taxed? A: It depends on the scheme and the timing, and the key questions are when it’s taxed and how. Broadly, some schemes are taxed when shares or rights are granted, others at a later deferred taxing point such as vesting or the end of a restriction, and later movements in value are usually treated as a capital gain or loss. One practical risk is a tax bill arriving on shares you can’t yet sell. We can model that with you before a vesting date and work with your accountant on the tax detail, so you can plan for the cash needed. Q: How should I handle a bonus that changes every year? A: One approach is to run the household on your base income, and give the bonus a purpose before it arrives. That way regular costs such as housing, schooling and lifestyle sit on the more reliable figure, which can make a weaker year easier to manage. The bonus can then go towards priorities you’ve agreed in advance, such as a buffer, debt, super, investments or something you want. It’s easy for spending to drift towards the peak rather than the base. We can help you set that line in a strong year and review it as your income changes. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Does salary sacrifice still make sense on a high income? A: It can, although the concession may be worth less at higher incomes. Contributions within the concessional cap are generally taxed in the fund rather than at your marginal rate. Above a set income, Division 293 may apply additional tax, which reduces the concession rather than removing it. Access also matters. Contributions are preserved until you meet a condition of release, so it needs to be money you won’t need before then. We can weigh it against the rest of your position, with your accountant confirming the tax detail. Q: What does advice add over an investing platform? A: A platform can help you build and rebalance a portfolio efficiently, often against a risk setting you choose. Advice can also consider whether investing is the right use of the next dollar, given your debts, your goals and how much of your wealth may already sit with one employer. Concentration risk is worth reviewing if you hold equity in the company that pays your salary, and features vary between platforms. We can work with the platform you already use and help with the allocation decisions that come first. Q: How much of my wealth should be tied to my employer? A: There’s no universal figure, and the right level depends on your circumstances, including how secure and replaceable your income is. If you hold equity in the company that also pays your salary, one difficult outcome could affect both at once. That risk can be easy to overlook while the shares are rising. We can look at how much of your total position sits in that one company, what the vesting schedule commits you to and what diversifying may cost in tax, with your accountant’s input. Then you can decide with the numbers in front of you. Q: I’m being offered partnership. What should I be thinking about? A: Partnership can change how you’re paid, how you’re taxed and what you’re exposed to, all at once. Before you sign, it’s worth understanding: How the buy-in may be funded, and what that debt could mean for your cashflow. How income arrives afterwards, and what that may mean for super and tax instalments. What personal liability may come with it, and what cover could respond, alongside your solicitor’s advice on the agreement. What happens if you leave, or if the firm changes shape. It’s worth starting early, because arranging the funding can take time. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Of course, and nothing needs organising before we talk. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us how you’re paid, what you hold and what you’d like to be different in a few years. We’ll explain how we can help and what details, such as payslips, equity statements or existing cover, will help us get started. ## Property Investment Advice for Australians URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/property-investment-advice Financial advice on whether an investment property fits your cashflow, how it could be owned, and its tax effects. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - See whether an investment property fits your cash flow - Test the property against rate rises and vacancy - Compare buying a property with contributing to super - Explain how ownership options may affect your tax, with your accountant - Understand the potential capital gains tax before a sale - Consider cover that may reduce the risk of a forced sale - Plan a property bought jointly or with family - Fit the property into your retirement plan - Assess an existing property portfolio and its loans - Work with your accountant and solicitor on ownership and tax ### Who we help - First-time property investors wanting a second opinion before committing - Home owners with equity wondering what it could be doing - Self-employed buyers with irregular income and their own structure - High income professionals paying tax at the top marginal rate - Couples weighing property and super and unsure which suits them better - People approached by a developer or by a one-stop property shop - Investors with several properties wanting the whole portfolio looked at together - Pre-retirees holding property deciding whether to keep, sell or restructure - People inheriting a property and deciding what to do with it ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Do you tell me which property to buy? A: No, choosing the property itself sits outside what we advise on. We advise on strategy, funding, protection and risk: whether a purchase may fit your cash flow, how ownership options compare, how it may affect your tax with your accountant’s input, and what happens to it when you stop working. Selecting the property is a different discipline, and a buyer’s agent may be better placed to help with it. If you have one, we can work alongside them and suggest questions worth asking. Q: Is property investment advice regulated in Australia? A: Partly, and the distinction is worth understanding before you take anyone’s advice. Direct property generally isn’t a financial product under the Corporations Act, so advice about which property to buy sits outside the financial services licensing regime. Much of what surrounds that decision can sit inside it. Interests in trusts, companies and self-managed funds can be financial products, and so can the super, insurance and retirement products a purchase affects. That’s the ground we work on, under Synchron’s Australian financial services licence, and our financial advisers meet the degree, exam and registration requirements that apply. Q: How is this different from what a mortgage broker does? A: A mortgage broker helps arrange the loan, which is an important part of buying property. Your broker can help with lenders, loan options and terms. We help you consider whether the purchase suits your wider position and how it may affect your tax, super, retirement and protection, with your accountant’s input on tax. Timing can matter. Ownership and structure decisions are generally easier to consider before settlement than to change afterwards, so it can help to talk early. We can work with your broker either way. Q: Should I pay down the mortgage or invest? A: It depends on several factors, including your tax rate, interest rate, timeframe and need for access to the money. Extra repayments on non-deductible debt reduce the interest you pay at your loan rate. Investing may offer higher long-term returns, but it carries risk and is taxed differently. Loan features such as redraw or offset, if your loan has them, also affect access. We can model both paths using your figures and show you how the difference may look over the years that matter to you. Q: Can I use the equity in my home? A: That depends on your lender, your income and the equity available, and what’s accessible and what’s appropriate are two different questions. A lender or your broker can tell you what may be accessible. That doesn’t show what could happen to the household if rates rise, a tenant leaves or your income stops while a larger loan is secured against your home. So we test it first: what the repayments look like at higher rates, what buffer sits behind them, and whether suitable cover is in place if you couldn’t work for a while. Q: What if the answer is that I shouldn’t buy? A: Then that’s the advice you’ll receive, in writing, with the reasoning set out. Sometimes a position needs time to build a buffer first. Sometimes super may suit your goals better than property. Sometimes ownership questions need settling before anything is bought. We’ll explain what would need to change for the advice to be different. That can be more useful than buying before the timing suits your circumstances. Q: What does advice add over an online property calculator? A: A property calculator can be a useful place to start, although its results depend on the assumptions it uses about price, rent and growth. Advice can bring in more of your circumstances: land tax in your state, how the property is owned, what deductions may be worth at your marginal rate, what a vacancy could do to the household budget, and how the property fits with retirement. Small changes in those assumptions can change a projection considerably, so we model them with your own figures. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Yes, and before a first investment property is a good time to ask. There’s no cost for the initial conversation, and you don’t need a property in mind or a deposit ready. Tell us what you earn, what you owe, what you hold in super and what you’d like the years ahead to look like. We’ll explain how we can help and the information we’ll gather together. If buying isn’t the right next step, we’ll say so. ## Financial Advice for Defence, Police, Emergency Services and Teachers URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/public-sector-defence Financial advice for ADF, police, paramedics, teachers and public servants from Ryker financial planners: defined benefits, contribution rates and cover. ### We can help you - Understand what a defined benefit scheme may be worth to you - Review your member contribution rate, where your scheme allows a choice - Compare a scheme pension with a lump sum, where both are offered - Check what your scheme covers if something happens - Consider any salary packaging your employer makes available - Budget around shift work, allowances and postings - Review super held outside the scheme and whether to consolidate - Plan the move to civilian work and a new super fund ### Who we help - ADF members moving with each new posting - Reservists balancing service with a civilian career - Police, fire and ambulance officers on shift work and penalty rates - Teachers and educators with scheme rules worth understanding - Public servants with super built over a long career - Defence and service families moving house and school with each posting - Members leaving the service deciding what to do with the benefit - Members retiring early whose scheme may allow an earlier finish ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How do I work out what my defined benefit is actually worth? A: Start with your scheme’s formula rather than a balance. Many defined benefit schemes calculate a benefit from a formula that may draw on your years of service, a salary figure the scheme defines and your own contribution rate. The amount on a statement may not show everything that affects the final benefit. Your contribution rate, the salary definition your scheme uses and whether the benefit is taken as a pension or a lump sum can all change the answer. We work through your scheme’s own rules rather than generalising about schemes. Q: What can a financial adviser do that my scheme’s helpline can’t? A: A financial adviser can give personal advice that considers your whole position, while a scheme helpline can explain its own rules, and it’s worth using for that. Helplines may provide information rather than personal advice, and they may not consider everything else you own. We can look at whether a pension or lump sum suits you, what your cover would provide for your family, and how a posting or a partner’s income may change the plan. Financial advisers must meet education and exam requirements, complete ongoing professional development, be registered, and act in your interests. Q: Should I take my benefit as a pension or a lump sum? A: It depends on your scheme and your circumstances, and it can be one of the largest decisions you make, which may not be reversible. Factors to weigh include: A pension can provide regular income for life, often indexed, depending on the scheme. A lump sum offers flexibility and control, along with investment risk. The tax treatment differs, and it varies by scheme and by age. Centrelink treats the two differently, which can change an entitlement. Your health, your partner’s position and everything else you own can all affect the answer, so we model the options with you before you decide. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: How do I budget when allowances change with every posting? A: Consider setting household commitments around base pay, and treating allowances as a separate, changeable layer. Allowances attach to where you are and what you’re doing, and they can stop when a posting ends. If the mortgage and fixed costs sit on base pay, a change of posting may be easier to manage. It can also help to decide in advance what any allowance income is for, such as a buffer, an offset account if your loan has one, super or a specific goal. We can help you plan that before the next posting. Q: What about comparing super funds online and choosing one myself? A: For an accumulation account, comparing funds online can be a reasonable starting point, and comparison tools can show fees and past returns. A defined benefit works differently. It isn’t an account balance, it doesn’t have a return in the usual sense, and leaving a scheme may not be reversible. You can compare any accumulation accounts you hold alongside it. Before making a decision about the scheme itself, it’s worth getting advice. We can look at how your scheme and other super fit together in your circumstances. Q: What does my scheme cover if I die or am invalided out? A: It depends on your scheme, and the definitions are set by the scheme rather than by the retail insurance market. Public sector and defence schemes may include invalidity and death benefits, sometimes paid as a pension rather than a lump sum, and the criteria for classification can be specific. The two things to establish are what may be paid and where the scheme’s cover stops. Any retail cover can then be considered against that gap, so you’re less likely to pay for cover you already hold. Q: I’m leaving the service. What should I sort out first? A: Start with the decisions that may carry a deadline. An order worth considering, depending on your circumstances: What happens to your scheme benefit, and whether any decision carries a deadline. What cover may end with the role, and whether anything should be in place before it does. What your income may look like in the first year out, including any transition payments, with the tax checked with your accountant. Whether your super arrangements change with a new employer. Cover can be time-sensitive, because some options may only be available while you’re still serving, and new cover is assessed on your health when you apply. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Very much so. Tell us which scheme you’re in, roughly how long you’ve been contributing and what you’d like the years after service to look like, and we can start there. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. We’ll explain how we can help and what will help us get started, such as your latest scheme statement and details of any cover you hold. Understanding your scheme first gives the rest of the plan a clear starting point. ## Retirement Planning & Aged Care Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/retirement-and-aged-care Financial advice on when you could retire, turning super into an income, the Age Pension and aged care costs. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Work out what income your super may be able to provide - Plan a retirement date around what you can afford - Turn super into an account-based pension - Plan the move from your own business into retirement - Consider a transition to retirement while still working - See whether an Age Pension entitlement may apply - Consider a downsizer contribution after selling the home - Work through what aged care may cost your family - Prepare Centrelink forms and supporting evidence with you - Review the retirement plan as the rules change ### Who we help - Pre-retirees wanting to understand their retirement income options - Families arranging aged care for a parent or someone they love - Self-funded retirees planning how to use what they have built - Business owners retiring whose retirement plan is the business itself - Recent retirees wanting a plan for how long their money may last - Couples retiring apart finishing work years away from each other - Anyone claiming the Age Pension working through the assets and income tests - People downsizing the family home and looking at what the proceeds should do - Retirees with larger balances managing the transfer balance cap ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How much do I need to retire? A: There’s no single figure that suits everyone. The amount depends on the life you’d like in retirement and the resources you’ll have to fund it. We consider several parts of the picture: What you plan to spend each year, in today’s money. How long the money may need to last, planned to a realistic age. What your assets may produce, and how that income may be taxed. Whether an Age Pension entitlement may form part of it, now or later. Tell us what you’d like a year to look like, and we can work back to an estimate with you. Q: Will I get the Age Pension? A: It depends on your age, residency, assets and income, and it isn’t all or nothing. Entitlement is assessed under an assets test and an income test, and the test producing the lower payment applies. Two things worth knowing: A part payment generally comes with the Pensioner Concession Card, which may carry value of its own. Eligibility may begin later, even if it doesn’t apply at first, as a balance draws down. The tests treat different assets differently, so how you’re structured may change the result. We can model it alongside your super rather than as a separate question. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What does residential aged care actually cost? A: The cost of residential aged care comes in parts, and what applies depends on your means assessment and when care began. An accommodation payment, which may be a refundable lump sum, a daily payment or a combination. A basic daily fee towards everyday living. Means-tested contributions, such as the hotelling contribution and the non-clinical care contribution, where they apply. Fees for any higher everyday living services a home offers. The rules changed on 1 November 2025, so we first establish which set applies. How the family home is treated, and whether it’s kept, rented or sold, may affect both the fees and any pension entitlement. It’s worth advice before that decision is made. Q: What is a transition to retirement pension? A: A transition to retirement pension lets you draw an income from super while you’re still working, once you’ve reached preservation age, which is now 60. It’s generally used in one of two ways. Some people reduce their hours and use the pension to help top up their income. Others keep working and combine it with salary sacrifice, which is a tax strategy rather than an income one. There are limits on how much can be drawn each year, and the strategy doesn’t suit every balance or situation. We can model it with you, and with your accountant where needed, before you start. Q: What does advice add over an online retirement calculator? A: An online retirement calculator can provide a useful starting estimate, but it may rely on broad assumptions about returns, spending and tax. Advice can bring in the parts a general tool may not cover in your circumstances: how drawdowns are taxed, what the transfer balance cap allows, how Centrelink assesses what you hold, what happens to a couple’s plan if one partner dies first, and what care may cost later on. Changing any of these can shift the result. A calculator is a good place to start. We can then work through the detail with you. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Yes, and the years before retiring are a good time to talk things through. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us roughly what you hold and what you’d like the years after work to look like. We’ll explain how we can help and what information we’ll need to get started. Terms such as preservation age, drawdown and the means test get explained as they come up. ## SMSF Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/smsf Financial advice on whether a self-managed super fund suits you, setting one up, investment strategy and trustee duties. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - See whether an SMSF suits your situation - Compare a fund against the super you already have - Set the fund up with a suitable trustee structure - Develop an investment strategy the fund can follow - Check what cover you would be leaving behind - Look at holding business premises inside the fund - Explain what being a trustee involves - Work alongside your accountant and the fund auditor - Review the fund against its strategy each year - Wind a fund up in an orderly way if it stops suiting you ### Who we help - Super members wanting more control and a clear picture of what that involves - Direct investors wanting to know what a fund can hold - People considering an SMSF and looking for a straight answer either way - First-time trustees wanting the obligations explained before they commit - Business owners looking at holding their premises inside the fund - Couples with separate funds wondering whether one fund would suit them better - Existing fund members wanting fresh eyes on the strategy and paperwork - Current trustees wanting to be confident they are meeting what is asked - Trustees closing a fund and wanting an orderly exit ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How much do you need before a self-managed fund makes sense? A: There’s no legal minimum balance, and no single figure that suits everyone. Many SMSF costs are fixed, so they matter as a proportion of the balance. At lower balances, that proportion may be higher than in a large fund, so we compare the likely costs with what you pay now. Purpose matters too. An SMSF may suit you if there’s something specific you want it to do that your current fund can’t, such as holding business premises. An SMSF can offer control and flexibility, but it also brings costs, administration and trustee responsibilities. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What are my obligations as a trustee? A: As a trustee, you’re responsible for running the fund for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits, and many specific rules follow from that principle. Each year, that generally includes: Reviewing the investment strategy and keeping it current. Keeping minutes and records of trustee decisions. Valuing assets at market value. Arranging an audit by an approved SMSF auditor. Lodging the annual return on time, usually with your accountant’s help. Responsibility stays with the trustees even when others are paid to do the work, and penalties for a breach can apply to trustees personally. It’s worth understanding before you sign anything. Q: What about the online providers that set funds up cheaply? A: Online providers can set up a fund at a competitive price, and if you’ve already decided an SMSF suits you, comparing establishment costs is reasonable. A set-up service may not include personal advice on whether a fund suits you, what leaving your current fund could mean for any insurance, or what the fund should hold once it exists. Services vary, so it’s worth checking what’s included. If the question is still open, that’s the decision worth working through first, and it’s where we can help. Q: Can a self-managed fund buy a property? A: Yes, subject to strict conditions, which differ for residential and commercial property. Business real property, meaning premises used wholly and exclusively in a business, may be acquired from you and leased to your business at market rent. Residential property is different. The fund generally can’t buy it from you or a relative, and nobody related to you can live in it or rent it. Borrowing is possible for either through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, which adds cost, lender requirements and complexity. We work alongside your accountant, solicitor and broker so each part of the arrangement is checked. Q: Can I close a self-managed fund if it stops suiting me? A: Yes. Winding up a fund is a normal ending rather than a failure. It involves several steps: assets sold or transferred out, benefits paid or rolled over, a final audit, the last return lodged and the fund deregistered. Timing matters, because selling assets may have tax consequences, so we work through it with your accountant. It’s also worth planning early for what would happen if a trustee lost capacity or died, which can require changes at short notice. We can help you consider the super structure that suits you next. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Of course. We can start with what an SMSF is, what it would ask of you as a trustee and what it may let you do, explained plainly and without the acronyms. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us what you’d like more control over and what you hold in super now. We’ll explain how we can help and what we’ll ask you for next. Some of those conversations conclude that the super you already have suits you better, and that’s a useful answer too. ## Financial Advice for Your First Job, First Home and First Super Fund URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/starting-out Financial advice for people starting out, from Ryker financial planners: where your pay goes, choosing a super fund, your HELP debt and a first home deposit. ### We can help you - Build a budget that reflects where your pay goes - Set up savings that happen automatically on payday - Pick a first super fund and investment option that suits you - Understand any insurance that may come with your super - Understand how a HECS or HELP debt works and affects your pay - Save towards a first home deposit, including through super if eligible - Decide whether to clear debt first or start investing - Find any super accounts from old casual jobs and whether to combine them ### Who we help - People starting their first job wanting to set things up well from the start - First home savers building a deposit for the first time - Graduates with HECS debt wanting to understand what it means for them - Young professionals earning well and ready to make it count - Renters saving for a home keeping up with the rent while a deposit grows - First-time investors ready to start and looking for direction - Couples moving in together making money a shared subject - People new to financial advice wanting to know how it works before starting ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How do I choose a super fund in my twenties? A: There’s no single right fund for everyone, but three areas are worth comparing: The investment option, as well as the fund’s name. With a long timeframe, how much growth exposure you hold can make a meaningful difference. The fees, considered over the long term rather than only this year’s dollars. Any insurance attached, which you may or may not need yet and which is paid for from your balance. Your first fund may be the one an employer chose for you. Super is generally taxed at concessional rates, so choices made early can have a long time to work. We can compare your fund and options with you before recommending any change. Q: What does advice add over the finance content I already follow? A: Good content can explain how something works. Advice considers which options may apply to you, and in what order, based on your circumstances. Some of what you’ll find isn’t written for Australian rules, and super, tax and property here can work differently from what an overseas video assumes. Keep reading and learning. We can work with what you already know and check the options against your own position. Q: Should I pay off my HECS debt or invest? A: It depends on your plans, and there’s one consideration worth knowing about. A HECS or HELP balance doesn’t charge interest, although it’s indexed each year, and compulsory repayments are generally collected through the tax system once your income passes the threshold. There’s no penalty for repaying it over time. The consideration is borrowing. Lenders may count the compulsory repayment as a commitment, so if you’re planning to apply for a home loan soon, reducing the balance may be worth comparing with investing, alongside your broker’s input. Where a loan is further away, the trade-offs can look different. Q: What is the First Home Super Saver Scheme? A: It’s a scheme that may let eligible first home buyers save part of a deposit inside super, where contributions and earnings are generally taxed at concessional rates. You make voluntary contributions to your fund, then later apply to have eligible amounts released, along with associated earnings, towards a first home. There are limits on how much counts, eligibility conditions, an application process through the ATO and timing that matters if you’re close to buying. It suits some deposit plans and not others, so we can check it against your timeline and work alongside your accountant where needed. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: How much should I be saving? A: There’s no single figure that suits everyone. A useful starting point is moving a share of each pay to savings on the day you’re paid, rather than saving whatever is left at the end of the month. Automating it can help the habit stick, and a modest amount you can keep up may suit you better than an ambitious figure that’s hard to maintain. Where it goes depends on what’s next. Money needed for a deposit soon may suit somewhere secure and accessible, while longer-term savings may be invested, depending on your goals and comfort with risk. We can help you decide how to split it. Q: Do I need life insurance if nobody depends on me? A: Life cover may be a lower priority if nobody would be left short if you died, although debts, future plans and any cover already held are still worth considering. Income protection is a different question. Your ability to earn may be one of the most valuable things you have at this stage, so it’s worth looking at whether cover is suitable and affordable. Your super fund may already provide some cover, set for its membership rather than for you. We can explain what that cover provides before you decide either way. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Yes, and it’s a good place to begin. There’s no cost for the initial conversation, and you don’t need to have anything ready for it. Tell us what you’re working towards and what you’d like to understand better. We’ll explain the parts that may apply to you in plain words, and what we’ll need to get started. ## Superannuation Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/superannuation Financial advice on consolidating super, contribution caps, salary sacrifice and the investment option inside your fund. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Track down any lost super the ATO may be holding for you - Consolidate multiple super funds where it suits you - Compare the fees you pay on your super - Choose a super investment option that fits your timeframe - Set up salary sacrifice with your employer - Use your concessional contribution cap deliberately - Consider catch-up contributions after a lower-income year - Review the life and TPD insurance inside your fund - Review your binding nomination and who your super may go to - Plan around Division 296 and a larger super balance ### Who we help - Super fund members wanting to know how their fund is doing - People who have changed jobs carrying an account from each employer - High income earners watching the contribution caps - Parents returning to work after time out of the workforce - Couples with very different balances between them - Business owners selling up and looking at what goes into super - Pre-retirees within a decade of finishing work - Public sector and defence members in defined benefit schemes - Members with larger balances approaching the Division 296 threshold ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Should I consolidate my super into one fund? A: It can help, but check three things before anything moves: Any insurance attached to the account you’re closing. Cover inside super generally ends with the account, and it may not be available again on the same terms. Any cost on the way out, and whether the exit price is set on a date you don’t control. Whether the account you’re closing has features you’d rather keep. One account can mean one set of fees, one investment decision and one statement. We’ll work through the checks with you before any rollover. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: What is salary sacrificing, and is it worth doing? A: Salary sacrifice means your employer pays part of your pre-tax salary into super. These contributions are generally taxed in the fund at a rate that may be lower than your marginal rate, which is where any benefit comes from. Whether it suits you depends on your marginal rate, how much of your concessional cap is left this year, and how much of your pay you can do without until you can access super. We can model the figures with you, and confirm your tax position with your accountant, before you change anything. Q: How does advice compare with using a super comparison site? A: A comparison site can be a useful way to see fees and past returns across funds. It may not take your own position into account: how long until you need the money, what cover you could give up by switching, what else you hold, and whether the options you’re comparing invest in similar assets. A cheaper fund in a more conservative option may not be a like-for-like swap. We start from your position and work back to the right fund, and we can use the comparisons you’ve already done. Q: When can I actually access my super? A: Generally, once you’ve reached preservation age and met a condition of release. Preservation age is 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964, and reaching it doesn’t automatically mean full access. Conditions of release commonly include retiring after preservation age or turning 65. There are limited grounds for earlier access, including severe financial hardship and compassionate grounds, and they’re narrower than they may sound. Where one may apply, talk to us before you lodge anything, and we’ll explain the requirements. Q: What happens to my super when I die? A: Super isn’t automatically covered by your will, because it’s held in a trust. Who receives it depends on any valid nomination, or the trustee’s decision if there isn’t one. A binding nomination, if valid, directs the trustee. A non-binding one is a preference the trustee can consider. Some nominations lapse, so a form signed years ago may no longer do what you expect. It’s worth reviewing your nominations alongside your will, with your solicitor’s input, because the two are decided in different places. How a benefit is taxed may also depend on who receives it. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Certainly, and super is where a lot of first conversations start. There’s no cost for the initial conversation, and it begins with your questions. Tell us which fund or funds you’re in and what you’d like your super to be doing by the time you can access it. We’ll explain how we can help and what we’ll need to get started. Terms get explained as they come up, in everyday language. ## Tax and Wealth Strategy Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/tax-and-wealth-strategies Financial advice on tax planning, capital gains, investment strategy, ownership structures and super as a tax structure. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Work out what a decision costs you at your marginal rate - Plan the timing of an investment or business sale - Build an investment strategy around your timeframe - Plan super and investments when you live or work overseas, with your accountant - Look at whether a trust or company still suits you - Use the concessional cap and any catch-up years available - Plan how your estate passes on, alongside your solicitor - Weigh paying down debt against investing - Work alongside your accountant on tax and structure - Revisit the tax strategy as the rules change ### Who we help - Top-rate taxpayers wanting their income to do more - Anyone selling an asset weighing the timing and the tax on it - People wanting a tax strategy that actually applies to their situation - Anyone with a windfall wanting a plan for it while it is still a decision - Business owners deciding how to take money out of the company - Long-term investors wanting the mix to suit their timeframe - Beneficiaries of an estate wanting to make something lasting of it - Trust and company owners checking the structure still suits what they do - Clients with an accountant who want the advice and the return to line up ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How is capital gains tax actually worked out? A: Broadly, the capital gain is what you sold the asset for, less its cost base, which can include the costs of buying and selling it. From there: If the asset was held for at least 12 months, individuals and trusts may be eligible for a discount on the gain. Capital losses, including any carried forward from earlier years, are generally applied first. The remaining net gain is added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate. Ownership and the timing of a sale can make a real difference, so we plan them with you and your accountant before you sell. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Does the name an investment is held in really matter? A: It can, because ownership affects how income is taxed each year, how any gain is taxed and who controls the asset if circumstances change. Personal ownership is simpler and taxed at your marginal rate. A trust may allow income to be distributed, within the terms of its deed. A company has its own tax rate and its own consequences later on. Super is generally taxed at a lower rate but offers the least access. The right answer depends on your whole position. We consider the options with you and work with your accountant and solicitor, who advise on and set up the structure. Q: When is it worth using super as a tax structure? A: It may be worth considering when you can afford to set money aside for the long term and the tax difference is meaningful at your income. Contributions within the caps are generally taxed at a lower rate than income at higher marginal rates, and earnings inside super are taxed differently from earnings in your own name. Those differences can be valuable, depending on your income and balance. The trade-off is access. The money is preserved until you meet a condition of release, so it may not suit a goal that needs the funds sooner. We can compare it with your other options before you decide. Q: Could an online investment platform do this instead? A: An online investment platform can be a cost-effective way to buy, hold and report on investments, and the features vary. It may not bring together what you should hold, in whose name or when to sell, alongside your marginal rate, other income, carried-forward losses and plans for the years ahead. The tax consequence of a trade may not be obvious when you place it. We can work with the platform you already use. Advice helps with the decisions that sit before the trade. Q: I’m selling a business or an investment property. When should we talk? A: Ideally before you sign anything, and before you list if you can. The tax on a sale can be shaped by decisions made beforehand: who owns the asset, how long it’s been held, which financial year the contract falls in, what losses are available, and whether any small business concessions may apply, which your accountant can confirm. Afterwards, the options narrow to how the proceeds are used. That’s still worth planning carefully, although there’s usually less that can be changed by then. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Of course, and this area carries a lot of jargon, so we explain it in plain terms as we go. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us what you earn, what you own and what you’re thinking of doing next. We’ll explain what may apply to your position and what information we’ll need from you. If one change is the useful answer, that’s what we’ll say. ## Financial Advice for Tradespeople, Sole Traders and Business Owners URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/trades-business-owners Financial advice for tradies, sole traders and business owners from Ryker financial planners: paying yourself, setting aside for BAS, cover and super. ### We can help you - Pay yourself a regular wage or drawings the business can sustain - Put money aside for tax and BAS as the work comes in - Set income protection built for the self-employed - Fund a buy-sell agreement with insurance, alongside your solicitor - Build super and assets outside the business - Keep personal money separate from the business accounts - Compare finance against paying cash for tools and equipment - Plan an exit and any small business tax concessions that may apply ### Who we help - Sole traders running everything themselves - Employers with a team meeting payroll every fortnight - Self-employed tradespeople paying their own super and cover - Franchisees operating inside somebody else’s system - Business partners planning for what happens if one of them leaves - Growing small businesses reinvesting while still building personal wealth - Family businesses with the household and the business tied together - Owners planning an exit and what comes after it ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: I’m a sole trader. Do I have to pay myself super? A: Sole traders and partners generally aren’t required to pay super to themselves, which is why it can easily become the thing that waits. You may still be able to make personal contributions and claim a deduction for them if you meet the eligibility rules. That can make super one place to direct part of a strong year. We can look at what the business can spare, what your contribution caps allow and which year may suit, with your accountant confirming the tax position. Q: How does income protection work when I don’t get a payslip? A: Insurers generally assess self-employed income from tax returns and financial records rather than a payslip, often looking back over one or more years. That can cut both ways: a year where taxable income was lower may reduce the benefit, and one strong year may not carry it on its own. Two things to understand at application are how the policy defines your income and how it treats business expenses. We go through both with you before an application is submitted, and the insurer makes the final decision. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Should I pay myself a wage, take drawings, or pay dividends? A: It depends on your structure, and it’s rarely only one of them. Wages are generally deductible to the business, taxed to you at your marginal rate, and may carry super. Drawings from a sole trader business aren’t separate from the profit you’re already taxed on. Dividends are paid from company profits after company tax, often with franking credits attached. Trust distributions depend on the deed and on who the beneficiaries are. A suitable mix depends on your entity, any partner’s income and what the business needs to retain. We can model each route with you and work with your accountant on the tax advice. Q: How does advice compare with buying cover through a comparison site? A: A comparison site can help you compare options on price and headline features. Advice also considers what you may need. For someone self-employed, that includes how a policy defines your income, whether business expenses cover is suitable, what waiting period your cash position could manage and how it fits with any cover inside super. These details can affect how a claim is assessed. We can help you understand your needs first, then compare suitable options with you. Q: What happens to my business if I can’t work for six months? A: It’s worth planning for before you need it, and the answer has three parts: Who does the work, and what would replacing you cost? What would keep paying fixed costs such as rent, leases and wages? What would the household live on in the meantime? Personal income protection may help with the third, if you hold suitable cover. Business expenses cover may help with some of the second. The first is usually a plan rather than a policy. We can work through all three with you and put realistic numbers against them. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Very much so, and nothing needs pulling together beforehand. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us how you pay yourself, what a quieter year looks like and what you’d want to happen if you couldn’t work for a while. We’ll explain how we can help and what records will help us get started. ## Income Protection Insurance Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/income-protection Financial advice on income protection: waiting and benefit periods, the definitions that apply, and cover in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Set a waiting period that matches your leave and savings - Choose a benefit period that suits your commitments - Work out how much of your income a policy can cover - Explain how an indemnity policy assesses income at claim - Compare holding income protection inside or outside super - Check the disability definition your policy applies - Consider a super contribution option, where available, while you can’t work - Review a policy written when your income was different - Clarify what may be deductible, with your accountant confirming the tax - Support an income protection claim through the assessment ### Who we help - Contractors and freelancers invoicing rather than drawing a salary - Commission earners whose income changes with the quarter - Recent graduates at the start of a long working life - New mortgage holders with repayments that do not pause - Sole income households where one salary carries every commitment - Small business owners whose business slows when they stop - Professionals with a bonus that a policy may not count as income - Members with cover through super wanting to check the benefit period - Anyone starting a new role whose cover was priced on a different job ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: How does income protection actually work? A: Income protection can replace part of your income each month if illness or injury stops you working and you meet the policy’s definition. Three settings shape what you receive. The waiting period is how long you wait before payments can start. The benefit period is the maximum time they can continue, with common options including two years, five years or to age 65. The insured amount is a capped share of what you were earning. Payments generally stop when you return to work and may restart if you relapse, depending on the policy. It covers illness and injury, not redundancy or losing your job. Q: How much of my income can income protection actually cover? A: A policy generally covers a capped share of your income rather than all of it. Insurers set limits, and payments generally can’t exceed what you were earning before a claim. Some policies pay a higher percentage for an initial period and a lower one after that. What counts as income is worth checking. Superannuation contributions, bonuses, commission and fringe benefits may be treated differently between policies, and the figure a policy uses may differ from your payslip. We check how your income would be assessed before you apply. Q: How long should my benefit period be? A: The right benefit period depends on your commitments, your budget and any other cover you hold. Common options include two years, five years and to age 65. A shorter period may suit a temporary setback, while a longer one may suit longer-term commitments. Any mortgage is one useful test. If it has many years left, a short benefit period could leave part of that term uncovered if you remained unable to work. TPD cover alongside a shorter period may suit some budgets, and we can model both. Q: What is the difference between agreed value and indemnity? A: Agreed value cover fixed your insured income when you applied, while indemnity cover calculates a payment from your earnings before a claim. New agreed value policies haven’t been sold since 31 March 2020, so policies written since are generally indemnity. Under indemnity, if your income has dropped before a claim, a payment may be lower. It’s no longer a choice on a new policy, but it can matter if you hold an older one. An agreed value contract may not be available again once it’s replaced, so we review it carefully before recommending any change. Q: Should I hold income protection inside my super? A: It depends on whether cash flow or policy terms matter more to you, and on what your fund offers. Inside super, premiums are generally deducted from your balance rather than your bank account. That can ease cash flow, but it reduces your retirement savings over time. Terms may also be more limited, such as shorter benefit periods, narrower partial disability wording or no cover for super contributions. A payment also needs to meet the fund’s release conditions as well as the policy terms, and it may be taxed differently. Splitting cover across both may suit your situation. Q: Is income protection tax deductible? A: Premiums are generally tax deductible where you hold the policy outside super and pay for it yourself. That treatment reflects the fact that income protection replaces income. Payments are generally assessable, so tax may be payable when they’re received. Premiums paid through super, or paid by an employer, aren’t deductible to you. Any part of a premium that buys a lump sum benefit rather than an income benefit is treated differently. We explain what may be claimable and how payments may be taxed, and your accountant handles your tax return. Q: Can I just compare income protection quotes online? A: Comparing quotes online can help you see prices, but it may not show whether the policies are set up the same way. The waiting period, benefit period and insured amount can change the premium significantly, so quotes are only comparable when those settings match. The disability definition is also central to whether a claim may be paid, and the features shown vary between sites. A quote may also not consider what your super fund already provides. We work out the settings that suit you first, then compare cover on that basis. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Yes, and we’ll explain each setting in plain language. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us what you earn, how you’re paid and what leave you could fall back on. We’ll explain how a waiting period, benefit period and insured amount work, and the details we’ll need from you. If your employer or super fund already provides cover, we’ll explain what it may provide before you consider anything more. ## Life Insurance with a Health Condition URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/life-insurance-with-a-health-condition Financial advice on applying for life insurance with a health condition: what insurers may ask, and the outcomes possible. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Work out the cover that suits your situation, and what an application would ask - Apply for life cover with your health history set out accurately and in full - Explain what a premium loading or an exclusion actually means - Read the exclusion wording so you know what a policy still covers - Look at increasing the cover inside your fund, and what that involves - Establish what your existing life cover would pay today - Confirm whether default cover in your fund still stands - Consider suitable cover for a partner as part of the household’s protection plan - Review a policy before anything is cancelled or replaced - Lodge a claim on cover you already hold, and stay with it ### Who we help - People living with cancer and wanting to see exactly what a current policy would pay - Adults with an autoimmune condition looking at protection for the years ahead - Households managing diabetes and wanting cover priced on the current facts - Anyone with a heart condition weighing up whether to apply again - People managing asthma and wondering how much it affects an application - Anyone managing depression or anxiety wanting to know what an exclusion would mean - Partners and carers looking at protection for the whole household - Super fund members with insurance attached they would like explained - People whose application was declined and wanting to know what happens from here ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: Can I get life insurance if I have a health condition? A: A health condition doesn’t necessarily rule out life cover. Whether cover is available, and on what terms, depends on your circumstances and the insurer’s assessment. Possible outcomes include standard terms, a higher premium, an exclusion, a request to apply again later, or a decline. The insurer considers details such as the diagnosis, treatment and your current health. We can explain likely questions and possible outcomes before you apply, but the insurer makes the final decision. We start by reviewing cover you already hold, including inside super. We check whether it’s active and what its terms provide before considering a new application. Q: Can I get cover after a cancer diagnosis? A: It depends on the type and stage of cancer, treatment, current health and the time since treatment. An insurer may consider an application, ask to assess it again later or decline cover, and its approach can change over time. While treatment is recent, the more useful work is usually the cover already in your name: what a life policy would pay, whether a trauma or TPD claim is available now, and what the terminal illness benefit does. That conversation can happen whenever you’re ready for it, and there’s no rush from our end. Q: What about an autoimmune condition, diabetes or asthma? A: These conditions don’t necessarily rule out cover. Availability and terms depend on the condition, your circumstances and the insurer. For an autoimmune condition such as lupus, coeliac disease or multiple sclerosis, an insurer looks at the diagnosis, the treatment and how settled things have been. For diabetes, the type, the control and any complications matter most. For asthma, severity and any hospital admissions usually count for more than the diagnosis on its own. If cover is offered, it may be on standard terms, with a higher premium or with an exclusion. We help you prepare for the information an insurer may request and understand any offer. Q: Will a mental health history stop me getting cover? A: A mental health history doesn’t automatically rule out cover. An insurer may ask about the diagnosis, treatment, current symptoms and any effect on work. Some offers include an exclusion, particularly for income protection or TPD. Its wording matters because it may affect a wider range of related claims than the diagnosis alone. You can talk through your concerns with us first. We’ll explain what information an application may require and what any exclusion would mean, so you can make an informed choice. Q: Is the cover inside my super easier to get with a health condition? A: It can be, because many funds provide default cover without individual health checks, subject to eligibility and the fund’s conditions. It’s often the first place we look. Default cover may carry pre-existing condition or limited cover terms, and an application to increase it may be assessed like any other. Cover may also end if the account becomes inactive and you haven’t elected to keep it, if the balance runs too low or if you change funds. We check the sum insured, which TPD definition applies, any conditions attached and whether the cover is active. Premiums are generally deducted from your super balance, so we consider the effect on your retirement savings too. Q: Can I claim on cover I already have? A: Possibly, and it’s the first thing worth checking. We check the definitions and conditions in your own policies. A terminal illness benefit depends on the life policy’s definition; cover inside super also involves separate release rules. Trauma, TPD and income protection each have their own eligibility requirements, which we can explain with you. We’ll read the wording with you, lodge the claim and stay with it. If you’re in the middle of treatment, we’ll carry as much of the paperwork as we can. The insurer makes the decision, and you won’t be waiting on it alone. Q: Should I cancel a policy I am struggling to pay for? A: Speak with us before cancelling, particularly if your health has changed since the cover began. A replacement may involve a new assessment and different terms. Depending on the policy, options may include reducing the amount of cover, changing benefits or reviewing how premiums are paid. Moving cover into super or changing the premium structure isn’t always available and may involve a new application or different terms. Talk to us before you cancel, even if a payment is already late. We can check any urgent deadlines and available options. If replacement cover is proposed, we check its acceptance, start date and conditions before recommending cancellation of existing cover. Q: How does advice compare with applying online myself? A: Applying online may be convenient, but you still need to understand the questions and the cover being offered. Advice can help you prepare the application, understand how an insurer may assess your history and compare any terms offered. You still have a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation, whichever application channel you use. We prepare the application with you. Where a question is hard to answer accurately, that’s the moment to ask rather than guess, and you’ll have somebody to ask. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Always, and this is a subject where nearly everybody starts from scratch. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Share what you feel comfortable discussing about your health and existing cover. We’ll explain how we can help, what may need checking first and the information we’ll gather together. Nothing is signed and nothing is lodged at that stage. If the cover already in your name is doing the job, you’ll hear that from us plainly. ## Life Insurance Advice in Australia URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/life-insurance Financial advice on life insurance: how much cover your family may need, who receives the benefit, and holding it in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Size your life cover against the mortgage and the years ahead - Check what the life insurance inside your super would pay - Review nominations so life cover can reach the people you intend - Structure life cover outside super with premiums paid from your cash flow - Decide who should own the life policy, with tax checked with your accountant - Consider life cover for a partner whose work is unpaid - Review cover written years ago against the family you have now - Explain any terminal illness benefit in your life policy - Use life cover to fund an estate plan alongside your solicitor - Stand beside the family through a life insurance claim ### Who we help - Parents of young children with school years still ahead - Mortgage holders who want the loan cleared rather than carried - Families on one salary where everybody depends on the same income - Blended families who need a benefit split the way they intend - Parents at home whose work would still have to be paid for - People with default super cover wanting to see what their fund would pay - Adult children of ageing parents looking at how a family home passes on - People remarrying or separating with a nomination that no longer fits - People with long-held policies wanting to know what the cover is still worth ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What is life insurance and how does it work? A: Life insurance pays a lump sum when you die, and many policies can also pay early if their terminal illness definition is met. The money isn’t tied to a particular purpose. Families may use it to reduce debt, replace lost income or meet the costs of raising children, and those decisions are made at the time. You choose the amount when you apply, subject to the insurer’s assessment. Cover can sit inside super, outside it or across both, and where it sits can affect who receives the money and how it’s taxed. Q: Who gets the money from my life insurance when I die? A: It depends on where the cover is held and the nominations in place, which may differ from what your will says. For cover inside super, a valid binding nomination generally directs the trustee to pay the people you named, in the proportions you set. A non-binding nomination is a preference the trustee considers, and a lapsing nomination stops being binding once it expires. A policy outside super is paid under its ownership and nomination terms, which is why ownership and nominations are considered together. We review what’s recorded on each policy and fund, and consider it alongside your will with your solicitor’s input. Q: Is a life insurance payout taxed in Australia? A: It depends on who receives it and where the policy is held. A payment from a policy you own personally, paid to a person, is generally received tax free. A payment from super is different: the part paid to someone who isn’t a tax dependant may be taxed, and any untaxed element can be taxed at a higher rate. Tax dependant has a narrower meaning than the list of people a fund may pay, so an adult child may receive less than a parent expected. We map who may receive what and consider ownership with your accountant, so the tax treatment is understood before you decide. Q: Should I choose stepped or level premiums? A: It depends on how long you expect to hold the cover and what you can afford over that time. A stepped premium is generally cheaper in the early years and rises with age. A level premium usually costs more at the start and isn’t recalculated on your age each year, so it may cost less over a long period, although the insurer can still change its rates. Cover you expect to reduce once a loan is repaid may suit stepped premiums, while cover meant to run for decades may suit level. The sum insured can also be split. We’ll model the costs across the years you expect to hold the policy, rather than compare only the first year’s price. Q: Do I still need life insurance once the mortgage is paid off? A: You may still need some cover, and the amount is worth reviewing. Clearing the mortgage can reduce what the cover needs to do. Other needs may remain: income your household would still need to replace, money you’d want to leave to children or a partner who isn’t earning, and any business debt or personal guarantee. Existing cover may also have terms that are valuable to keep, because a new application would be assessed on your health today. We review what to reduce and what to keep before recommending any cancellation. Q: Should I hold life insurance inside super or pay the premiums myself? A: It depends on where the premium is paid from, and what that means for your cash flow, retirement savings and the people you want to receive the money. Inside super, premiums are generally deducted from your retirement balance, so nothing leaves your bank account. The trade-off is that premiums reduce the balance invested for retirement, and a benefit paid to someone who isn’t a tax dependant, such as an adult child, may be taxed. Outside super, you own the policy and pay premiums from your cash flow. A benefit paid to a person is generally tax free, and your super balance isn’t used for premiums. We’ll guide you to the best suited cover for your situation, which may mean holding part of it in each. Q: What happens to my life insurance if I change super funds? A: Rolling your whole balance to a new fund closes the old account, and any insurance inside it generally ends with it. Cover in the new fund is a separate arrangement with its own terms, and it may require a health assessment or carry different conditions. If your health has changed since the original cover started, the new terms may include an exclusion or a loading the old cover didn’t have. We check what you could give up before a rollover form is signed. Keeping the old account open, or confirming new cover in writing before moving the money, may be worth considering. Q: How is buying life insurance direct different from going through a financial adviser? A: Buying direct may be convenient, but you still need to decide how much cover suits your family and how it should be structured. A direct application may not ask about your mortgage, how many years of income your household may need, what you already hold inside super, or who should own the policy. Those details shape whether the cover suits your needs. Advice can also help at application and claim time. You have a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation whichever channel you use. We complete the application with you and help if a claim is ever made. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Of course. Life insurance has its own vocabulary, and we’ll explain it as we go. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. It usually starts with the people who rely on your income, the debts you’d want covered and any policy already in your name. We’ll outline how a sum insured is usually worked out and what details we’ll need when we start. Nothing is signed or applied for at that stage. ## Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance Advice URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/tpd-insurance Financial advice on TPD insurance: the definition your policy uses, how much cover may suit you, and holding it in super. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Compare an own occupation TPD definition with an any occupation one - Check which TPD definition your super fund applies - Size TPD cover against debts, home changes and care costs - Explain the activities of daily living definition in some TPD cover - Explain how a TPD benefit from super may be taxed, with your accountant - Review TPD bundled with life cover and how the two interact - Update the occupation recorded on your policy after a change - Advise whether the benefit suits you as a lump sum or an income stream - Arrange TPD cover outside super where the definition can be broader - Support a TPD claim through the insurer’s assessment ### Who we help - Manual and trade workers whose work is physical every day - Surgeons and dentists whose careers rest on fine motor function - Members with default TPD wanting to know which definition applies - Sole traders with no employer scheme behind them - Households with a mortgage that rely on a working income to service it - Parents planning long-term care for a child whose needs will continue - People changing occupation whose policy still records the job they left - People with older TPD cover written before the definitions changed - Shift and fly-in workers whose hours may affect the definition that applies ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What is TPD insurance and what does it cover? A: TPD stands for total and permanent disability. The cover can pay a lump sum if illness or injury means you meet your policy’s definition, which generally means you’re unlikely to work again. It’s one payment rather than a monthly one, and it isn’t limited to a list of illnesses. The definition of disability, which may depend on your occupation and work status, is central to a claim. Common types include own occupation, any occupation and activities of daily living. The money can help with costs a monthly payment may not reach, such as reducing debt, modifying a home or car, or funding ongoing care. Q: What is the difference between own occupation and any occupation TPD? A: They’re two different tests, and the difference between them can be significant. An own occupation definition generally considers whether you’re unlikely to return to your own job. An any occupation definition asks whether you could work in something else suited to your education, training or experience, which can be harder to meet. There’s also an activities of daily living test, which asks whether you can perform basic tasks such as bathing and dressing without help. Some policies apply it in certain circumstances. We confirm which definition your policy uses, in writing. Q: Can I hold own occupation TPD inside my super? A: New own occupation TPD generally can’t be held inside super. Since 1 July 2014, new insurance in super has had to align with a condition of release, and own occupation TPD is broader than the permanent incapacity condition. So new own occupation cover is generally held outside super, with the premium paid from your cash flow rather than your retirement balance. Some policies taken out before that change were grandfathered and may still be in force. If your fund indicates you hold own occupation TPD, it’s worth confirming when the cover started. We check it against the fund’s documents rather than the annual statement. Q: How much TPD cover do I need? A: There’s no single figure that suits every household. We start with what a lump sum may need to do that a monthly payment can’t: Reduce or clear debt, such as a mortgage. Modify a home or car if that becomes necessary. Fund care and support that may run for years. Replace super contributions that stop when a salary does. We then consider any income protection payments and the cover you already hold inside super, so the amount reflects your full position. Q: Is a TPD payout taxed? A: It depends on where the policy is held. A benefit from a policy you own personally is generally received tax free. One paid from super is a superannuation lump sum, and part of it may be taxable depending on your age and the components of your balance. Where two medical practitioners certify you’re unlikely to be gainfully employed again, a concession may increase the tax free portion, based on the period to your last retirement day, generally age 65. The effect depends on your age and circumstances. We work through the figures with your accountant before you decide where to hold the cover. Q: Do I need TPD if I already have income protection? A: Possibly, because the two covers meet different needs. Income protection can replace part of your income each month while you can’t work, after a waiting period, and payments stop when you return or the benefit period ends. TPD can pay a lump sum if you meet the policy’s definition of total and permanent disability. It can help with costs a monthly payment may not reach, such as reducing debt, adapting a home or funding ongoing care. Whether you need both depends on your circumstances and budget. If you hold both, we size them together so you aren’t paying twice for the same need. Q: Why not just pick a TPD policy from a comparison site? A: A comparison site can help you see prices and some features, but it may not show how a policy’s definition applies to your occupation. What matters at claim includes which TPD definition applies, whether a fund would also need to release the money, whether an activities of daily living test could apply, and how the cover interacts with any life policy it’s attached to. The features shown vary between sites. Two policies with a similar price and sum insured can work quite differently at claim. We read the wording against your occupation and circumstances before recommending cover. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Certainly. TPD has its own terms, and we’ll explain them in plain language. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Start with what you do for work, since the TPD definition can depend on your occupation, and any cover you hold through super or elsewhere. From there we can set out which definition may apply to you and what we’ll look at together. Nothing is applied for at that stage. ## Trauma and Critical Illness Insurance Advice URL: https://rykercapital.com.au/financial-planners-advisers/personal-insurance/trauma-insurance Financial advice on trauma insurance: what a policy covers, how much cover may suit you, and how it differs from TPD. Talk to a Ryker financial planner. ### We can help you - Go through the condition list in your trauma policy - Size trauma cover against treatment costs and time off work - Explain why trauma cover is now held outside super - Check whether your policy pays a partial benefit - Review whether cover reinstates after a claim is paid - Consider trauma cover for a child alongside your own - Work out how trauma and income protection fit together - Compare a standalone policy with one attached to life cover - Clarify how trauma premiums and payments may be taxed - Support a trauma claim while the insurer assesses the evidence ### Who we help - Families with a health history of heart disease, stroke or cancer - Primary earners whose household would feel a long recovery - Business owners who may have no sick leave to draw on - Parents of school-age children who would want help through a long treatment - Couples in their forties looking at cover for the first time - People recently diagnosed wanting to know what an existing policy covers - Members with super cover only since trauma is no longer written inside super - Health professionals who see what a recovery costs their patients - People with older trauma cover written on a shorter condition list ### Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I choose Ryker as my financial adviser? A: We’re invested in your long-term success. What we do is personal, and we take it personally. Your financial decisions connect, so we consider the parts of your financial life that are relevant to the advice you need: Property & Investing Career & Income Tax Strategy Insurance & Protecting Your Family Super & SMSF Wealth & Investments Life Events & Changes Business & Wealth Legacy & Future Wealth Retirement Planning This is how we help you make decisions today with your longer-term goals in view. Everybody’s situation is different, so we listen first, understand what matters to you and explain your options clearly before we make a recommendation. Q: What is trauma insurance, and what does it pay for? A: Trauma insurance, also called critical illness cover, can pay a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a condition your policy lists and its definition is met. Payment doesn’t depend on whether you stop working or make a full recovery. Lists commonly include certain cancers, heart attack and stroke, and many policies extend to conditions such as major organ transplant, kidney failure and severe burns. Each condition has its own definition, which may include a severity threshold, a survival period or other requirements, so the definitions matter as much as the length of the list. Q: What conditions does trauma insurance actually cover? A: Each policy carries its own list, and many include more than the three conditions usually named. Certain cancers, heart attack and stroke are commonly listed. Depending on the policy, a list may also include major organ transplant, kidney failure, severe burns, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, coma and loss of limbs or sight. Each definition sets its own requirements. A cancer definition may depend on staging and spread, a heart attack definition may require measured markers, and a stroke definition may require a lasting impairment. We read the policy wording with you, not only the product summary. Q: Why can I not hold trauma cover inside my super? A: From 1 July 2014, new insurance inside super has had to align with a condition of release, and trauma cover doesn’t. The relevant conditions are death, terminal illness, permanent incapacity and temporary incapacity. Trauma pays on the diagnosis of a listed condition whether or not you stop working, and you may fully recover, so new trauma premiums are paid from your own money rather than a super balance. Some policies written before then were grandfathered. If you hold one, it’s worth checking what it covers before you move or close the account it sits in. Q: Will my policy pay the full amount for any diagnosis? A: A trauma policy doesn’t necessarily pay the full amount for every diagnosis, because many conditions carry a severity threshold. An early stage cancer or a milder heart attack may qualify for a partial payment rather than the full sum insured, at a proportion the policy sets, or may not be covered at all. A partial payment may reduce the cover left for a later claim, and some policies have a survival period before anything is payable. We go through the thresholds in your policy so you understand what it may pay before you need to claim. Q: How is trauma cover different from income protection? A: Trauma can pay on the diagnosis of a listed condition, while income protection can pay if you’re unable to work. Trauma pays a lump sum when the policy’s definition is met, whether or not you stop working. Income protection pays monthly while you meet its definition of disability, after a waiting period. The two can work together. A trauma payment may help in the first weeks, before income protection payments start, with costs such as treatment, travel or a partner reducing their hours. Income protection can then help with the months that follow, subject to its terms. Q: Are trauma insurance premiums tax deductible? A: Premiums on personally held trauma cover generally aren’t tax deductible, and the reason helps explain the rest of the tax treatment. Income protection replaces income, so its premiums are generally deductible and its payments are taxed as income. Trauma pays a lump sum, so the premium isn’t deductible and a payment on a personally held policy is generally received tax free. Ownership can change the answer, and cover held through a company or trust needs separate consideration. We consider the structure before you apply and work with your accountant on the tax treatment. Q: Can I compare trauma policies myself online? A: Comparing online can show you prices and the number of conditions listed, but it may not show how each condition is defined. Two policies can both list cancer and set the threshold differently, and the same applies to heart attack, stroke and other conditions. Severity wording, partial payment proportions, survival periods and reinstatement options may not appear in a comparison table, and the features shown vary between sites. We read the definitions against your family history and circumstances, then consider which cover may suit you. Q: How would a financial adviser work with my accountant? A: Your accountant and financial adviser bring different expertise to the same decisions. Your accountant can advise on tax reporting, structures and consequences; we help you plan how cashflow, debt, super, investments and protection work towards your goals. We can coordinate before important decisions. What an accountant does Prepares and lodges tax returns, BAS and financial statements Advises on tax structures such as companies, trusts and partnerships Manages bookkeeping, payroll and ATO compliance Provides tax advice on the consequences of a transaction What a financial adviser does Sets a long term strategy across retirement, investing and cash flow Builds wealth from early in a working life, starting with cash flow, a first home and super Recommends specific super funds, investments and personal insurance Operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence, which is required to give personal advice on financial products Handles retirement planning, Centrelink and aged care strategy, and estate planning considerations Professional roles and authorisations matter. We provide financial advice within our authorisations and work with your accountant for specialist tax advice and lodgements. Where they work together Tax position. Your accountant confirms your marginal rate, deductions and carried forward losses, which shapes decisions on super contributions, investment structures and the timing of asset sales. Business and entity structures. Your accountant advises on the structure itself and your financial adviser works within it for investments, insurance and succession planning. Cash flow. Your accountant’s figures can help us understand what’s available for debt repayment, protection and longer-term goals. Before key decisions. We can coordinate with your accountant on contributions, asset sales and other material choices in time to consider relevant tax consequences. Q: Are you beginner friendly? A: Very much so. Trauma cover is worth understanding before you buy it, because the wording shapes what it pays. There’s no cost for the initial conversation. Tell us who depends on your income and what cover you already hold. We’ll explain what trauma cover does, how it fits alongside other cover and what we’ll need to get started. You may decide trauma cover isn’t a priority right now, and that’s a reasonable decision to reach with the full picture.