Frequently Asked Questions

WISEplanning is here to coach and mentor.  We help people to stop and think.  We realign their mindset. We get clients to realise that there are things that are holding them back. We help people focus on the few things that drive their success. We get clients to live the lives that they want.

 

Our investment philosophy has been developed over the last 35 years. More recently (the last 15 years) our approach was upgraded, and is now based on world best practice around what is commonly known as Value Investing. 

 

 

What WISEplanning has learned over many years is that it is not where we invest but rather how we invest.

The methodology that he adopted as a value investor revolved around the basic four step model that he learned from Warren Buffett and his teachings.  This is not the model that he uses but this is what Peter started with back in the day:

1. Compare price and value (these days this is close to the last step in the process, rather than the first);
2. Look for steady earnings growth;
3. Check the dividend payout ratio (looking for businesses that retain 50% or more of earnings); and
4. Check how well the business uses its capital, as measured by return on capital and return on equity.

The above is where Peter started out 15 – 20 years ago when Warren Buffett was not the household name that he is today.

Our methodology now is more advanced and includes the economics of the business.

Find out more about How WISEplanning Selects Businesses here

Absolutely, you will almost certainly have “slippage”. WISEplanning will help you to identify that slippage and get that money better positioned.

No not at all. WISEplanning has wide range of services we are able to offer to our clients.  You will already have a foundation … we will help you take that next step … whatever that means for you, your personal situation and your long term financial goals.

WISEplanning has been in business for over 30 years. That’s 30 years of experience with everyday kiwi’s just like you.  Whatever your long term financial goals are, we can help you to take that next step.

Your future.  Let us help get you financially free.  Or maybe you already are and need to take that next step in your investment portfolio.

That’s okay, we’ll help you work out a long term plan and in conjunction with you, we’ll design your plan and get you some real life, solid, achievable goals.

Absolutely.  WISEplanning’s unique business model means we have various programmes to choose from.  By time we’ve got to the “make a decision” stage, WISEplanning will already have a good understanding of your situation and would have advised you accordingly.  We would have already built up a business relationship with you and will understand what your needs are going forward.

If you are an everyday kiwi, whose got a bit of motivation behind them and ready to make a commitment to your future, we will help you.  Becoming financially free isn’t just about having money in the bank, it’s about mindset alignment and if that’s where your at, that’s where we’ll start you.

Our most popular programme, The Money Matrix is all about education.  The first year especially is about mindset alignment.  We make our clients stop and think, really think about the things in their life, the good and the bad and make adjustments accordingly.  You will already have a foundation, we’ll bounce you from there with things you had never thought to do or maybe you had thought but didn’t know where to start.  We will help you meet your big picture, long term goals.

Perfect, that’s exactly what we’ll do. We’ll guide, encourage and give you all the help you need to move yourself forward to the next level .. whatever that means for you.

“The reason’s you can’t, are the reason’s you must”

 

As with everything in life, the more time you put in, the more you get out. If you’ve gone into our Money Matrix Programme, the first year is all about mindset alignment and can feel quite slow at times. It is important these early steps are not rushed or missed as they are critical further down the track.

 

Or maybe you are a step above this and looking for an investment platform with a financial adviser at your side to do the hard lifting for you. If this is you, then the time commitment will be dependant on what your investments are.  You can be involved or as not involved as you like.

How do you see fees?

Are they an investment in your future or are they a bill that needs to be paid?

If your answer is the first one, it won’t matter what the fees are because you’ll understand what the end result will be.

We are every day people like you. We all have families and kids and mortgages and life!!

We know and understand that trusting a company is a big deal.  Trust comes from building a relationship.

WISEplanning, in 2017 turned 30 years old, we’ve been around a long time and we are completely NZ owned and operated and based in Christchurch.

WISEplanning is committed to building professional relationships with our clients, one that you can trust going forward.

 

That’s a good question that comes up from time to time.

The way we approach this is to look for generally a small firm rather than a larger firm because they tend to be more cost-effective. 
For example, Jamie Cross in Invercargill (WISEplanning is based in Christchurch) is a good example of a low-cost accountant who is knowledgeable, but whose cost structure is a good match for smaller investors.  I’m not suggesting you deal with him necessarily, although you could.  You might also prefer someone in the area that you live in.

The next phase of locating someone to work with is to check that you can have an easy, free-flowing relationship of trust. 
This involves interviewing possibly two or three different accountants at different firms. The questions would obviously revolve around, what services they offer, how they work with their clients. You would also want to know what types of clients they usually work with and
how they would describe their ideal client.

Further, it can be beneficial to ask a couple of tough questions such as, have they ever had situations with clients that didn’t work out as expected? The idea is to drill down, to ask about one or two specific situations.  What we are looking for here is not so much what their answer is but rather how they answer.  We are looking to see whether they are defensive or show other characteristics such as not accepting responsibility where they were at fault.  Remember this is an exercise, where you are looking for someone you can trust.