About Katherine
Many things happened in my life that somehow led me to financial planning profession. One of the biggest would be migrating to Australia alone, with no money and no friends, while being very young and extremely naïve and easily trusting anyone who appeared to be pleasant. Only with time I understood that I was an easy target for being taken advantage of financially at the most crucial and difficult time of my life.
About Katherine
Many things happened in my life that somehow led me to financial planning profession. One of the biggest would be migrating to Australia alone, with no money and no friends, while being very young and extremely naïve and easily trusting anyone who appeared to be pleasant. Only with time I understood that I was an easy target for being taken advantage of financially at the most crucial and difficult time of my life.
At some point, I knew I had to learn about money, and somehow that desire to understand how “money works” changed into this beautiful profession.
At some point, I knew I had to learn about money, and somehow that desire to understand how “money works” changed into this beautiful profession.
Over the years I have fallen in love with financial planning. It gives me a great deal of joy, excitement and appreciation when I see the outcome of my work, when I see my clients feeling secure about their future, when they know their dreams can be fulfilled and when I see a beautiful, trusting smile on their faces when we meet.
Most people think that a financial planner’s work is about money. And it is. My main duty is to improve my clients’ financial position with strategies that are often unknown to most people. But this service is so much more than just to improve income, save efficiently, improve investment returns, increase Age Pension payments, reduce Aged Care fees, improve tax position or any other financial issue.
I become part of my clients’ family, I get introduced to their
problems and their pain and I am in a very fortunate position (sometimes) to be able to remove that pain and make their life, at least in the financial sense, that little bit easier.
It is actually quite amazing to see how appropriate planning can help to create a life of security, fulfilled dreams and joy. I am thrilled that through my work, knowledge and experience I can be part of this creation and a small part of my clients’ lives.
Each time I speak with people, I feel privileged and humbled when introduced to their emotional and financial stress. Sometimes this stress is great, other times very little, but from my perspective there is no difference, every person deserves high-quality care and high-standard advice. If I can make even the slightest improvement in another person’s life, I know I am on my path, and that’s what makes me happy.
If you wish to read professional information about me, feel free to read the attached Adviser Profile.
Outside of work, I love nature and landscape photography
I enjoy trekking in the mountains, and I am very passionate about looking after Victorian Alpine National Park to preserve its natural beauty for future generations.
Being part of nature, especially when hiking in the mountains alone, gives me the time to reflect, rejuvenate, it is my way of contemplation and meditation, which is very helpful when life becomes hectic, fast and more stressful back in Melbourne.
But outside of this personal benefit, there is another great outcome of my ongoing contact with nature. It makes one understand the issues we are being exposed to more and more often, issues that scare me when I think about my son, his family and his little daughter’s future. And I think of all young people that have the right to experience life just like you and me. I am talking about severe changes in our climate, that have been evident in Australia over the Christmas 2019/2020 and after. We have never experienced anything of such ferocity – fires, floods, storms – you name it, and it is not going to change or stop.
Unless we do something about it and awareness is a very first step to change.
From my professional position, I want to make everyone aware that each one of us can have bigger impact that you think. By including some of ethical, socially and environmentally aware investments within your portfolio, by investing a portion of your savings responsibly in well-managed ethical companies you can continue growing your nest-egg, while securing a better world for your children and your grandchildren.
Well, at least this is my plan. Read more about Ethical & Environment Investing
PS. Have you guessed which track I was going? Well….If you said the top one – the longest and the hardest, you already know me by now. So, I am am looking forward to meeting you in person then!