Time to get serious about your retirement goals?
The ‘January effect’ is a well-known phenomenon among economists and psychologists alike. Regardless of market realities, consumer optimism and share prices often see a temporary boost and so does our perception of our ability to achieve our financial goals. People at barbecues will tell you, beer in hand, "This year we’re going to get serious about planning for retirement, be more proactive about our Super, or look into to buying an investment property."
Sound familiar? That's the January effect in action. As we return to work or routine in the new year we bring the optimism that comes from rest, rejuvenation and time to talk or reflect. There's a sense of ‘a clean slate’ and we’re motivated to pursue self-improvement and long-term goals. The window of opportunity for change is small but priceless, if we can harness it.
And there’s the rub. Most of us don’t.
Paradoxically, it’s that same sense of 'anything is possible' during a relaxing summer that can sabotage our long-term financial success. Why? Because the feel-good factor makes us overestimate our capabilities, play-down barriers to success, and less likely to ask for help. We daydream about the future we want but we don’t necessarily make a concrete plan to get there.
In fact, busy professionals often abandon their financial resolutions after a few months because they don’t have support to help them stay on track and they can’t see tangible progress.
In her book The Will Power Instinct: Self-Control, Why It matters and What you can do to get more of it, psychologist Kelly McGonigal talks about ‘lemmings’ who fail because they focus on false optimism and ‘trackers’ who focus on incremental outcomes.
Trackers, it seems, are willing to invest and give up some control to get more self-control in the long run by outsourcing the important things they want to change but can’t do alone – a personal trainer for fitness, home delivered meals for healthy eating and a qualified financial adviser to achieve their lifestyle goals.
If you’ve noticed your good financial intentions falling by the wayside before, you already know going it alone isn’t for you.
Forget transient financial resolutions in 2026. Instead choose long-term success and get good some professional advice to help you get there. If you're over 50 with $500,000 or more in super, a family home and other assets, now is the time to start planning for the future to maxmise your wealth and develop a plan to make it last.
What to expect from a first meeting with an FMD adviser
Your first meeting is about getting to know you and understanding your goals. It’s a structured but relaxed conversation designed to understand your life, your priorities and what really matters to you.
1. We start with you
The focus of the first meeting is discovery.
Your adviser will spend most of the time listening and asking thoughtful questions that form the foundation of our advice:
- Your life and family
- What’s important to you now
- What you’d like your future to look like
- The goals you’re working towards — both financial and personal
2. We explore your goals in detail
- What are your goals?
- When do you want to achieve them?
- What will they cost?
- Why do they matter to you?
- What needs to change for you to achieve them?
This allows your adviser to start shaping advice that is meaningful, practical and tailored to your real life.
3. We gain a high-level understanding of your financial position and talk through the big picture of your finances, including:
- Income and cash flow
- Assets and liabilities
- Superannuation balances and how long they'll last
- Existing investments and structures
- Insurance and estate planning basics
You won’t be expected to have every detail on hand, the focus is on understanding the landscape.
4. We clarify how FMD works and what our advice will look like if you choose to partner with us.
Your adviser will explain:
- How FMD’s advice process and fees work
- How we work together over time
- What the next steps will be
- What information we’ll need to prepare your personalised advice
5. You leave with clarity and direction
By the end of the meeting, you should feel:
- Heard and understood
- Clear on your financial priorities and next steps
- Confident about the path forward
- Clear whether an advice relationship is right for you
Your first meeting is the beginning of a partnership — focused on your life, goals and future, supported by a thoughtful, professional financial advice discussion. There's no charge for a first meeting and even if you decide not to take the advice relationship further, you'll have more clarity about your financial position and a better understanding about how a financial adviser could help you achieve your retirement goals.
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Take charge of your financial future
General advice disclaimer: This article has been prepared by FMD Financial and is intended to be a general overview of the subject matter. The information in this article is not intended to be comprehensive and should not be relied upon as such. In preparing this article we have not taken into account the individual objectives or circumstances of any person. Legal, financial and other professional advice should be sought prior to applying the information contained on this article to particular circumstances. FMD Financial, its officers and employees will not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any person acting in reliance on the information contained on this article. FMD Group Pty Ltd ABN 99 103 115 591 trading as FMD Financial is a Corporate Authorised Representative of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977. The FMD advisers are Authorised Representatives of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977. Rev Invest Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977.