How Much Does a Financial Adviser Cost in Toowoomba?
_Written by Tim Fanning, Financial Adviser and Director, Fanning Gouldson Financial Planning, Toowoomba. Authorised Representative No. 001306363. Last updated 14 August 2026._
The short answer: It depends on how complex the work is. A single piece of advice — sorting your insurance, or getting your super strategy right — sits at the lower end. Comprehensive advice covering retirement, super, insurance and investments together costs more, because it is considerably more work. Published industry figures put most one-off advice between $2,000 and $6,600. The first meeting is free, and you will always get a fixed fee before any work starts, so you will never receive a bill you did not agree to.
Why is advice not just a set price?
The honest answer is that the work is not the same for everyone.
Advice for someone who wants to sort out their insurance and get their super into the right place is a different job to advice for a couple approaching retirement with a self-managed super fund, an investment property and an aged parent to think about. The second one takes considerably more time — more research, more modelling, more strategy, more paperwork.
So rather than a price list, what I do is work out the scope in the first meeting and then quote you a fixed dollar amount before I do anything. You know the number before you commit.
Do I pay for the first meeting?
No. The first meeting is free and there is no obligation on you at the end of it.
The point of that meeting is for me to understand your situation and for you to work out whether you actually want to work with me. If either of us thinks it is not the right fit, that is a perfectly good outcome and it has not cost you anything.
When do I find out the price?
Before any work begins. I will come back to you with a written quote for a fixed fee, along with what is included in it.
I do not do hourly billing where the number moves around. If the scope of the work changes, I will tell you and requote before continuing rather than adding it to the invoice at the end.
Can the fee come out of my superannuation?
Sometimes, and it depends what the advice is about.
Where the advice relates to your superannuation, the fee can generally be deducted from your super balance with your written consent. Where the advice relates to things outside super — cash flow, budgeting, insurance held personally, or non-super investments — it cannot come from super and must be invoiced directly to you.
If your advice covers a mix of both, part may be able to come from super and part will need to be paid directly. I will set that out clearly in your quote so there are no surprises.
Do you receive commissions?
On personal insurance, commissions are still permitted in Australia and are paid by the insurer, not by you on top of your premium. Where a commission is payable on an insurance policy I recommend, I will disclose the amount to you in writing.
On investments and superannuation, I do not receive commissions. Those were largely banned in Australia in 2013 for good reason.
Is it worth it?
That depends entirely on your situation, and I will tell you if I do not think it is.
There are people who come to me where the honest answer is that they do not need to pay for advice right now — they need to keep doing what they are doing for a few more years. I would rather say that, and have you come back later, than take a fee for work that does not change your position.
Where advice earns its keep is where a decision has consequences that are hard to undo, or where you simply want to see where you are heading before you get there. That might be a large sum of money, like retirement timing or aged care cost planning. It might be a young family with two kids and no insurance in place — small numbers on paper, enormous consequences if something goes wrong. Or it might be that you are doing fine and just want it modelled out, so you can see whether you are on track and what your options actually are.
Retirement timing, aged care funding, insurance structuring, contribution strategy, lifelong cash flow modelling, whether to sell an asset. Explore our full range of financial advice services.
What matters is not the size of your balance, it is whether there is a decision in front of you worth getting right.
What about Toowoomba specifically?
Advice fees in Toowoomba are broadly similar to the rest of Queensland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the first meeting really free?
Yes. No fee, no obligation and no pressure to proceed at the end of it.
Will I get the fee in writing before I commit?
Yes. You will receive a fixed-fee quote setting out what is included before any work starts.
Can I pay the fee from my super?
Where the advice relates to your superannuation, generally yes, with your written consent. Advice on things outside super, such as cash flow or personally held insurance, must be paid directly.
Do you charge ongoing fees?
Only if you want an ongoing service. Some clients get a one-off piece of advice and that is the end of it. Others want their plan reviewed as their circumstances change, which is where an ongoing service makes sense. Published industry figures put ongoing advice at an average of around $4,700 a year. Either way it is your choice and you can cancel it.
Are your fees cheaper than a larger firm?
Possibly, but I would not choose an adviser on price alone. What matters more is whether the scope is clear, they understand your situation and goals, and you understand what you are getting. Book a free first meeting and I will give you a straight answer on what your situation would cost.
General Advice Disclaimer
The information in this article and the links has been prepared for general information purposes only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not intended to provide commercial, financial, investment, accounting, tax or legal advice. You should, before you make any decision regarding any information, strategies, or products mentioned in this article, consult a professional financial adviser to consider whether it is suitable and appropriate for you and your personal needs and circumstances.
Fee figures referred to in this article are published industry averages and are not a quote. Your fee will be quoted to you in writing before any work commences.
Fanning Gouldson Financial Planning Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 001322660) and Timothy James Fanning is an Authorised Representative (No. 001306363) of Spark Advisors Australia Pty Ltd ABN 34 122 486 935 AFSL 380552.
More Articles
How Much Does Aged Care Cost in Toowoomba? (2026 Fees)
Aged care in Toowoomba: $66.80/day basic fee plus means-tested fees and room costs from $325,000.
Read moreWelcome to the Fanning Gouldson Blog
We're launching our blog to share plain-English financial insights, tips, and updates to help you make confident decisions about your financial future.
Read more