The Sustainable Wealth Model


I am not sure about you, but we think it is always about:

  1. Keeping our money safe
  2. Making our money work
  3. Enjoying it too

Like it or not, money is the currency of life.

Money does not define who we are.

Money is merely a means to an end.

It is just that we need enough of it.

How to get enough money

A proven system is the key.

One that is not complicated requiring highly trained specialists to make it work.

One that is fundamental, does not rely on an unusual set of economic circumstances (e.g. the liquidity bubble over the last 30 years) to make it work and that is easy to understand.

The System

The Sustainable Wealth Model is The System

These three assets “made the cut” so to speak because of their inherent characteristics and more importantly, the complementary nature of the three.

By the way three assets are included to capture opportunity – not for the purpose of diversifying to managing risk.

What to do

Once you know what to do and how to …

THE SUSTAINABLE WEALTH MODEL

The three assets create the investment eco-system

These three specific assets, along with Warren Buffett’s highly acclaimed but little-understood value investing methodology come together to create an investment eco-system.

Of course, we cannot claim to have the investment acumen of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, however, their ideas and methodologies are transferrable.

WISEplanning not only invests directly in the same investments as Warren Buffett, inside his Berkshire Hathaway company but outside that vehicle as well.

Importantly, at WISEplanning, we have captured the core of his investment methodology, which is useful because we can apply it across those three asset types. This helps us to effectively manage risk and to drive investment returns long term.

It is important to distinguish The Sustainable Wealth Model from specific investment methodology.

In short, how we might invest in businesses or property investments requires a specific approach for each investment type.

The Sustainable Wealth Model includes those assets and their respective methods. It is an overarching framework and eco-system that can provide you with the structure to, in the end, make enough money (as distinct from nearly enough or nowhere near enough money).

BRUTAL FACT: a mortgage free home and $700,000 in a Kiwi super scheme or one rental property may not be near enough money … may only result in financial dependence, NOT financial independence.

It is simple and you control it

You can, once you understand the model (it is simple), decide with a bit of guidance, how you prefer to design and structure it, to suit your needs. You have control. You can tailor it to meet your long term investment growth requirements, use it as it best suits you and your family. In other words, what we have here is a simple, flexible yet powerful system that can give you real control over how much money you make long term.

Making money’s one thing, managing risk is another

The Sustainable Wealth Model is all about sustainability long term. In other words, it is about building wealth definitely (rather than trying to get rich quick or out-smart the markets).

At WISEplanning, we think the biggest risk that investors face is ignorance, lack of knowledge and for some, a fragile temperament.

For us, thanks to the underlying methodology and the model itself, the usual risks that most people face, we are able to largely side-step.

That is because we understand how to select quality investments (and more importantly, de-select poor quality from the portfolio), which helps to provide a strong degree of resilience for our investments.

We are focused on the opportunity and not wasting time worrying about losing our money. The system keeps our money safe.

We understand that price and value are not the same things.

Further, investment decisions are not based around rising or falling asset prices (although they can represent an entry or an exit point) but rather, the underlying fundamentals of the investment.

We do not play the markets, try to second guess or out-wit market direction and economic cycles – we don’t need to.

Whilst we will obviously watch economic conditions both in New Zealand and around the world, our money is made from the methodology and the quality of the investments that we select.

The Sustainable Wealth Model provides us with an eco-system to help maximise returns and build real wealth longer term, whilst helping to keep our money secure along the way.

The risk

The risks revolve around investors lack of action and getting serious about making enough money.

This can be driven by other risks like lack of experience, lack of understanding about price and value, willingness at times to buy into and listen to prevailing economic and financial “noise”, particularly during times of uncertainty and turbulence.

To be clear, risk has little to do with pricing volatility, but rather with investors not understanding money and investing.

The success

With a sound methodology and quality investments, our clients who are the happiest and the most successful, are those who simply invest in the fundamentals and stay the course.

In other words, they make an effort to understand The Sustainable Wealth Model, how as an eco-system, it helps them to maximise their wealth building efforts and to keep their capital safe. It is not complicated.

Then, once the decision is made to get on what for many is sometimes the hardest bit of all, is out of the way – that is knowing: where to start, what to do and how to do it.

1) OK – I want to discuss this … Contact Us

2) Not ready to get on yet? Let’s keep joining the dots …

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Peter Flannery, Financial Adviser and Certified Financial Planner

Peter Flannery

WISEplanning with Peter Flannery

Engineering Financial Independence — Without the Sacrifice

❝Nobody wakes up excited about a financial plan… until they see what it can do.❞

For over 40 years, I’ve helped hundreds of hardworking New Zealanders simplify their money, build sustainable wealth, and gain real financial independence — without giving up the life they enjoy today.

💡 What Makes WISEplanning Different?

We go beyond transactions. This is lifestyle-based financial strategy, built around:

✅ The Lifestyle Framework – your big picture and values.

✅ Step-by-Step Action Plan – clear, actionable goals.

✅ Mindset & Behaviour Alignment – behaviour and habits that match your future vision.

🧰 Our Tools

The Money MATRIX
A 6-grid system designed for financial control, clarity, and support. The financial independence ecosystem for busy parents and business owners who want more.

The CASH Tap
Regular monthly income, designed to draw from your portfolio. Income is not guaranteed and depends on market conditions.

Eco-Investing & Sustainable Wealth
Invest in the real economics of business, property, and shares. Simple, long-term and scalable.

WISE Asset Management (WAM)
Value investing for portfolios of $100,000 and above, with a focus on growth and income. Returns are not guaranteed.

📈 What Clients Often Aim For

✅ Parents setting up legacy wealth for future generations through the WISE Family Office

🌦 Through All Seasons

From the 1987 crash to the 2008 GFC and 2022 pandemic, I’ve worked with clients to stay focused on their long-term plan. Investment values can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a guide to the future.

🚀 Let’s Get You There

Today, I work with clients across New Zealand — many for decades — and now their children and grandchildren.

If you’re ready to simplify your money, align your life and finances, and live by design, I’d love to help.

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Sean Yang

Sean is the Portfolio Coordinator for Clients at WISEplanning and brings his enthusiasm, professionalism and well developed customer service skills to the role. Sean was born in Beijing, China and obtained his Bachelor Degree in Economics (majored in Statistics) in China and Graduated Diploma in Accounting and Finance at University of Canterbury.

 

Sean has worked in the finance sector specialising in Investment Advisory for more than 10 years. He is experienced in dealing with clients’ queries and providing support to Financial Advisers.

 

He is an organised person with a strong customer focus. Sean enjoys spending time with his two daughters, wife, family and friends. He has a passion for sports such as soccer, badminton and swimming and really enjoys dealing with people.

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Regan Hines

Regan Hines is the Compliance Officer and Privacy Officer at WISEplanning, bringing extensive experience in marketing for organisations across New Zealand and Australia. Having managed teams and developed business relationships in roles at the Christchurch City Mission and Cholmondeley Children's Centre, Regan's expertise lies in partnerships and marketing within both the corporate and NGO sectors.


Regan's passion for helping organisations make a positive impact in the community aligns perfectly with WISEplanning's vision of ensuring enough money for everything and enough time for everything that matters. Currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Canterbury, Regan is dedicated to continuous learning and professional growth. Additionally, Regan serves on the board of Horizons Trust and enjoys volunteering for various charities.


Outside of work, Regan enjoys studying history and cherishing moments with friends and family.

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Sharon Becker

Sharon Becker

Sharon is the Investment Administrator at WISEplanning. Her role is primarily to provide support to the Portfolio Coordinator and Operations Manager, with maintenance of compliance requirements and responding to client enquiries being her main focus each day.


Sharon’s background is in the banking industry with a strong customer service focus. She enjoys problem solving and helping support people to meet their financial goals.


Sharon has spent the last seven years living in Christchurch with her husband and their three young children, after moving from Wellington. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, crafting and exploring Christchurch’s many parks and walks with her family.

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Peter Flannery, Financial Adviser and Certified Financial Planner

Peter Flannery

PETER FLANNERY
A closer look …

Do you know anyone who ever woke up one morning and thought … ‘I am so excited; I must get a financial plan!!’

Although there are many ways to achieve financial success – few do … ever.

I have helped hundreds of people to design personalised comprehensive financial plans (me doing the complicated bits, making it simple for them), that help them to meaningfully engage with The Law of Money.

THE WISE LAW OF MONEY: The combination of:

1. The Overarching Lifestyle Framework/Strategy,

2. The Step By Step Action Plan,

3. Mindset and Behaviour Alignment (matching day to day activity with big picture future goals).

That way they step their way toward their goals and financial independence, on purpose, by design.

As part of our journey together over the years, we learned that we needed to plan beyond the usual transactions (saving in KiwiSaver, buying a rental property) that most thought of as financial planning. (Transactions are not financial plans.)

‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. So, we developed ways of doing things that were beneficial and some tools to help us. For example:

• I invented The Money MATRIX program – The financial independence ecosystem. Six grids (that provide training, advice, thinking tools, help and support):
   – Control – over your time, your life, your future;
   – Money – understand it, get enough;
   – Performance – the specific action you take, don’t take, what you implement;
   – You – your mindset, behaviour;
   – The Collective Intelligence – help from others.

• Designed The CASH Tap – clients receive passive income from their investment portfolio each year. This income is not guaranteed and depends on market conditions, and portfolio values and income can rise or fall.

• Created The Eco-Investing methodology – investing in the underlying economics of the asset (direct shares, small closely held business, residential property), beyond standard financial analysis.

• Designed The Sustainable Wealth Model:
   – Three assets with a common advantage: capital assets (growth assets with an income stream)
   – Based on eco-investing (the underlying economics of each asset)
   – Simple to understand and execute

• Created THE WISE ASSET MANAGEMENT Program (WAM) – based on e-Biz investing (investing in the economics of the business)

I first met my clients who were either referred to me or at the many public addresses that I delivered around New Zealand for about 20 years.

At one point I became a bit controversial from 2003 – 2007, warning, well, basically anyone who would listen about what I called ‘The 70 Year Hit’ (approx. every 70 years there has been a major market and economic upset. We were due and the warning signs were there if you knew where to look). Finally, the 2008 Global Financial Crisis arrived!

Over the years I have managed my clients’ investments with a focus on value/quality, heavily influenced by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. For example:

• 1987 – ‘Black Monday’, global share market correction
• 1990 – Persian Gulf war, US savings and loan defaults
• 1994 – Rising interest rates and falling markets
• 1998 – The ‘Asian Contagion’ (collapse of emerging markets)
• 2000 – The ‘tech wreck’ and market correction
• 2008 – The Global Financial Crisis
• 2022 – The coronavirus pandemic

As a practicing financial adviser for over 40 years (self-employed and business owner for 38 years), I have been fortunate to help many hardworking business owners and progressive busy parents to tidy up their financial and related affairs to then help them on their path to ultimate financial independence and the freedom to choose – every day.

I am now working with some of their children (and grandchildren – crikey!!)

Anyway, my clients and I are all different people on the same journey of financial success, independence, and a favourable lifestyle as we go along. We teach right at the start that this is about engineering financial independence, without the sacrifice along the way.

The idea of a good lifestyle as we go and real financial independence later sounded unrealistic to some when they first heard about it (they thought you can only have one or the other). Once they learned that it’s not what they do, but how they do it, they began to see the possibilities in their own situation – not just quaint sounding platitudes.

Over the years, my clients (many have been with me for decades) have achieved all sorts of success. For example:

• Many clients top up their retirement income using The CASH Tap system, drawing anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per month. Portfolio values and income can rise or fall, and past results are not a guide to future outcomes.
• Many clients value the regular income The CASH Tap system is designed to provide. Income is not guaranteed and depends on market conditions.
• Many clients have progressed from The Money MATRIX or other programs to The WISE ASSET MANAGEMENT program (minimum $100,000 to invest in a direct share portfolio).
• A number of clients have helped their children to purchase their first home, get into business, or fund education using portfolio profits.
• Some use the profits from their portfolios to travel, comfortably.
• Many have assisted children and grandchildren get started on their journey.
• An increasing number of clients are setting up legacy foundations for future generations (in addition to the standard default position of giving their accumulated wealth away to next-in-line family).

As for me and my family, we enjoy a good lifestyle but it was not always easy. For example, a significant challenge I will never forget was what I call ‘The Perfect Storm’. In short, over 2007–2011 our lives were changed, with each event becoming an ongoing process and compounding on the prior events:

1. As a result of the Global Financial Crisis, poor quality assets became insolvent with thousands of New Zealanders losing significant sums of money. Even though some financial planning firms like WISEplanning had minimal or no exposure to finance company investments in New Zealand or other financial products based on so-called NINJA loans in the US, all financial advisers were tarred with the same brush. It became impossible to grow our financial planning business, which meant cash flow became negative and some private assets had to be sold.

2. Out of the dust of the Global Financial Crisis and well-publicised losses for many everyday Kiwis, new legislation was introduced to tighten regulations in the finance sector (a good thing). This meant long hours of additional study as well as the development and implementation of new business processes, to be able to comply with the new legislation. A significant burden resulting in many in the industry fleeing to large financial institutions or early ‘retirement’.

3. 4.00am September 04, 2011 – the first earthquake of many to come in Canterbury. Apart from massive day-to-day disruption, self-employed, business owners, parents, employees, and people throughout Canterbury were impacted. For us, it was an ongoing challenge to return the business to profitability (growth still not an option for us) and stabilise our investment properties.

4. Serious family health challenge. Cancer struck. Something that happens to other people – right?! It’s never over but we are on the right track here. A powerful reminder that each new day is unique, special.

“Each day is a gift”.
– My wife’s auntie Deborah (passed away after a mighty struggle against cancer)

• Struggle, challenge, barrier, obstacle – not always easy, but worth it.
• Despite ‘The Perfect Storm’, we prevailed. We continue to progress:
• Living life, on purpose, by design:

The obvious:
– Family focus
– Enough personal cash flow every month, regardless
– Enough passive income on tap every month – if we want it
– Offshore travel
– A spacious lifestyle home
– Reliable, safe day-to-day transport options, with style
– Good health

The less obvious (life can be nuanced):
– Real choice about everything where possible (time – how we allocate it, people – who we allocate time with, activities – doing the things we prefer, engagement – hanging out, building relationships with people that are important to us)
– Control over what we can control (day-to-day activity, where and with whom we allocate time, our life direction)
– Supporting, nurturing family with strong authentic values
– Helping others in the broader community (Rotary International, other community/charity activities)
– Maximising opportunity, everywhere possible
– Continuing to pursue personal growth, confronting challenges, maximising resilience, leveraging off barriers and obstacles
– Fulfilment

Looking forward to helping others create their own private $3,000,000 portfolio, the resulting financial independence, and lifestyle choices that emerge from this process.

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