Financial Planning Week kicks off today

Now in its 15th year, the key message of the week is to show that Australians who consult a financial planner feel happier, positive about their financial wellbeing, and more optimistic about the future than those who do not seek advice, regardless of how much money they have.

FPA chief executive Mark Rantall said Financial Planning Week aims to increase all Australians' understanding of financial advice and the benefits it can bring – and that greater happiness is a compelling benefit advisers can discuss with clients.

"Too many Australians still believe that financial planners are only for the wealthy, yet nothing could be further from the truth. We know from the Investment Trends research that regardless of how much money people have, they feel happier and more in control of their financial future if they take the simple step of consulting a financial planner," he said.

"8.5 million Australian adults have unmet advice needs and 34 percent of Australians are concerned they won't have enough money to retire on. The role of financial planners is to find out their clients' pain points and to help alleviate that stress."

Financial Planning Week will also look at Australians' different life stages, from young to mid-life, and from pre-retirement to retirement, and show how tailored, professional advice can improve financial outcomes at each and every stage.

This year's program will include the 'Ask an FPA Expert' free online forum, which gives consumers the opportunity to ask their financial questions and have them answered by an FPA specialist.

FPA members have volunteered their time to answer questions via the forum.

Mr Rantall said that by talking about the benefits of financial planning and offering free consumer tools, such as Ask an FPA Expert, as well as consumer blogs about relevant finance topics, he hoped that this year's Financial Planning Week would help encourage more Australians to embrace the benefits of financial advice.

"We encourage all financial planners to use Financial Planning Week as an opportunity to spread the good word about the positive impact of their work on their local community and more broadly. Our Chapter Chairs will be engaging with their local media to spread the word as local ambassadors," he said.

"We invite FPA members to promote Financial Planning Week within their own channels. One of the ways they can do this is by liking the FPA Facebook page and sharing the daily blog content with their own networks. As more Australians understand that financial advice can benefit them, at every stage of their life and regardless of their financial situation, we expect to see the number of people using a financial planner rise."