A professional glass desk with a dark walnut wood panel on the left, overlooking a sunny Sunshine Coast beach. On the desk, an oak abacus and a document titled "Our Transparent Fee Structure" sit in the foreground, bathed in warm morning light.

Transparent financial planner costs on the Sunshine Coast

At Sunlit Path, we believe in complete transparency. There should be no surprises when it comes to your money and fees.

Discover our transparent, flat-fee plus hybrid pricing model. Learn exactly what a financial planner costs and the value of expert retirement advice.

How we charge​

When you work with a financial adviser, it’s important to know exactly what you are paying for. At Sunlit Path, we believe in complete transparency. There should be no surprises when it comes time for you to decide who to work with for your biggest dreams.

Financial advice costs can vary depending on the complexity of your situation and the level of support you need. Here is a simple breakdown of how these costs usually work within the industry.

We only take on new clients when we can clearly demonstrate how our advice will pay for itself. Advice fees are an investment and our goal is to provide a significant return on that investment, measured by superior strategic vision, higher potential returns, greater financial certainty and less worry for you.

  • The planning stage (one-off)
  • Getting started (implementation)
  • Ongoing support
  • Investment and product fees
  • Insurance commissions
  • Are fees tax deductible?
  • Financial Services Guide (FSG)

The planning stage (one-off)

We need a roadmap that considers your current situation, your goals and the lifestyle you want to live in retirement. This is your Statement of Advice (SoA). It’s a comprehensive document that outlines your strategy and our recommendations.

You pay a one-off fee for the research, strategy and time required to build this custom plan.

At Sunlit Path, the SoA fee starts from $3,300, based on the level of complexity. We will always confirm the fee before we commence any work.

Getting started (implementation)

Once you’re happy with the plan, advisers often charge a one-off fee to get everything moving. This covers the administrative work of opening new accounts, consolidating your super and setting up your automated payments so your income flows like clockwork.

Over the years, we’ve heard many stories where people have made the leap to get financial advice but chosen to implement it themselves to avoid the additional fee. Their SoA then sits in a drawer and is never acted on.

At Sunlit Path, we want to make it easy to get the full benefit of our advice, with no problems in the execution. Therefore, we do not charge implementation fees.

Ongoing support

Retirement isn’t a ‘set and forget’ event. We offer ongoing advice to ensure your plan stays on track as the world, share markets, legislation and your life changes.

This is usually a regular check in with the purpose of:

  • reviewing your strategy

  • adjusting for taxation or government rule changes

  • managing your cashflow and emergency fund

  • keeping up to date with social security

  • providing personal support whenever you have a question.

At Sunlit Path, we charge an ongoing fee starting from $3,300 per annum plus 0.30% of funds managed. This is the only payment we receive – no kickbacks, no commissions.

Investment and product fees

Where your money sits (like your super fund or investment platform) will have its own cost or administration fees for things like tax returns, managing transactions, reporting and general running of the fund. These get paid directly to the product provider, not to your adviser.

These are called product fees. At Sunlit Path, we always aim to keep these as low as possible, so more of your money stays in your pocket. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for your current products.

Insurance commissions

If your plan includes life or personal insurance (life, TPD, income protection or trauma), the insurance company may pay a commission to the adviser recommending the cover. 

At Sunlit Path, where permitted by the insurance provider, we dial these commissions down to zero for the life of your policy. This saves you money and keeps our recommendations based on your needs (not how much we can make out of it).

Are fees tax deductible?

Under current ATO guidelines, portions of our fees may be tax-deductible if the advice relates to managing your tax affairs or producing assessable income. We provide itemised invoices to make this easy for your accountant.

Financial Services Guide (FSG)

The most important thing to remember is that you are in control.

Our Financial Services Guide (FSG) can be found on our website, which details all our fees in plain English. You will always know the cost before you commit to any step of the path.

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Should ask questions (SAQ) - Fees

A fee-for-service financial planner on the Sunshine Coast typically charges between $3,300 and $15,000 for an initial retirement plan. 

Ongoing advice usually costs between $3,300 and $15,000 per year. This cost depends on the complexity of your super, investments, and tax strategy.

Like most things in life, depending on your overall wealth and the firm you chose, the cost can vary greatly, with many advisers charging well over $20,000 per year. 

Under the current ASIC regulations and the SIS Act, financial planners must provide a clear Statement of Advice (SoA). This document must detail all fees upfront. Furthermore, commissions on superannuation and investments are strictly banned in Australia. The Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) Tranche 2 reforms are actively replacing the traditional, bulky Statement of Advice (SOA) with a more streamlined Client Advice Record (CAR). 

Yes. Under current rules, you can often pay the advice fees directly from your superannuation account. This applies if the advice relates specifically to your superannuation investments. The recent Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) Tranche 1 reforms officially amended the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act to provide absolute legal certainty for trustees deducting these advice fees.

The best time to hire a retirement partner is five to ten years before you plan to stop working. This gives you time to boost your super and avoid heavy taxes.

That is the ideal time; however, clients often come to us once they have retired and we can still add significant value.

Financial planners in Australia are heavily regulated by Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). They must hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and act in your best financial interests by law.

Mechanically, yes, you can do your own retirement planning and manage your own superannuation.

However, DIY retirement planning often leads to costly mistakes, such as paying unnecessary taxes, underestimating healthcare costs, or falling victim to market timing errors. With complex new legislation like the Division 296 tax starting in July 2026, the financial risk of doing it yourself has never been higher.

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