by Jim Stackpool | Mar 2, 2026 | Access Price, Activity v Productivity, Advice Clients, advice skills, adviser fees, Business Performance, Business Planning, Certainty Advice, Client Care, Client Meetings, Consequences, Consultative Approach, Delivering Value, Meetings, Mindsets, Quality Advice, strategy, Success Stories, Successful On Purpose, Transformations, Trust Skilling, valuable advice, Valuable Lessons, value, Wealth Management
The principals at one of our comprehensive advice firms based in Redcliffe had a problem. They were charging $15,000 for new clients. Their four associate advisers were signing new clients closer to $6,000-$8,000 for their new clients. Clients would ask: “Will I...
by Jim Stackpool | Feb 23, 2026 | Access Price, Activity v Productivity, Capacity-To-Serve, Career Management, LIfe Choices, Success Stories, Valuable Lessons
Meg runs a boutique advice firm on the NSW South Coast. Late forties. Divorced. Twin teenage daughters, both talented triathletes and keen surf club competitors. She is independent-minded. Self-licensed. Fitness fanatic herself – former junior gymkhana champion,...
by Jim Stackpool | Feb 16, 2026 | Access Price, adviser fees, capacity to serve, Complexity, Delivering Value, value, Value Proposition, worth
Last week, I told you about a recent client – Carlos, the 50-year-old Melbourne-based writer who agreed to a $12,000 engagement for an advice relationship despite having only $135,000 in super. Advisers Matt and Kath could charge that fee because their fees are...
by Jim Stackpool | Feb 9, 2026 | adviser fees, Complexity
For most advice teams, Carlos isn’t an ideal advice client. 20 years ago, the Colombian fell in love with a gorgeous Australian working at his local bar in Barichara, Colombia. They hit it off, he immigrated, and they married. They started life in her hometown,...
by Jim Stackpool | Feb 2, 2026 | Access Price, adviser fees, Pricing Advice, Wealth Management
Last month, Joe and Tom from Canberra engaged three new clients. The minimum annual fees for all three were the same – $12,000+gst. For Joe and Tom, it doesn’t matter if the prospect meets with a junior or senior adviser, nor does it matter if the original...
by Jim Stackpool | Jan 19, 2026 | Uncategorized
Decades ago, when you filled your car with fuel, a bloke would meet you, say G’day, flick a lever on his bowser and start the flow of petrol into your tank. Occasionally, he’d check your oil and radiator levels as your tank filled. When he wasn’t...
by Jim Stackpool | Jan 12, 2026 | Uncategorized
Steve and Nick Mayne run a father-son advice firm outside Melbourne. Eighteen months ago, their average new client fee was $12,200. Today their average new fee is $22,025. They haven’t changed their clients. They repositioned their approach and engagement process....
by Jim Stackpool | Jan 5, 2026 | Activity v Productivity, best practice, Business Performance, Client Care, Delivering Value, dependency, growth, Priorities, Success Stories, Transformative Advice, valuable advice, Valuable Lessons, value, Wealth Management
Reine Clemow runs a comprehensive advice firm in Southport. His average client fee used to be $2,400. Today it’s $12,000. New clients average $20,000. He hasn’t significantly changed his ideal client profile. And he hasn’t attended a new-client meeting in...
by Jim Stackpool | Dec 22, 2025 | Best Interests, Brand Development, Business Performance, Business Planning, Career Management, Certainty Advice, Financial Legacy, Goals, Greater Good, growth, Leadership, Measures of Success, Professionalism, Wealth Management
Oli runs a good advice firm. Possibly too good. Revenues of $1.23m. He’s built a solid young team of six, including an adviser in her mid-thirties, an associate adviser who completed his professional year last year, an award-winning paraplanner/client service...
by Jim Stackpool | Dec 15, 2025 | best practice, Business Performance, Business Planning, Capacity-To-Serve, Certainty Advice, Goals, growth, Growth Stress
Many advisers will plan 2026 the same way they planned 2025. Look at last year’s numbers. Add 15%. Call it growth. That’s not planning. That’s more of the same. Busier growth, not better growth. Better growth for 2026 starts with answering one...
