Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?
www.personal-budget-advisor.com is the creation of Nathan Sherry. who is also the Managing Director.

Where are you? Do You have an office?
We are an internet-based service based in Bunbury, Western Australia.

How long have you been operating?
As a stand-alone business - since 2004, however the services have been available for over 20 years.

I've never heard of this before. What exactly is it?
This is a money management service which grew from a small division of an accountancy practice in Perth. It has grown into a fully-fledged independent advisory program, which overlaps and supports the more traditional areas of financial planning, accounting and tax advice and finance broking. More here

If I contact you, will you then pester me to buy your stuff?
No, that's not how we work.
You know what you want, far better than we do.

In fact, we're only willing spend time with you if you genuinely want the kind of services we sell, and want to work with us to determine whether we can meet your conditions of satisfaction. We give you information, but don't spend any time trying to persuade you.

I'm in financial trouble, can you help me?
If your financial situation is too stressed, our money strategies may not be appropriate, but we're happy to make an assessment, and refer you to the best kind of assistance for your circumstances.

I need a cheap loan - can you help me?
We use finance brokers to source the cheapest finance when it's needed, and to make sure it's compatible with our rapid debt reduction techniques. But at the end of the day, the cheapest loan is the one which is paid off the quickest. A major goal of our system is to focus on using money better to get rid of debt.

What's the best investment?
That's not our business, we're not investment advisors. On the other hand if want to have confidence in your investment decisions, and how they might affect you long-term, that is our business, and is part of the planning work that we do. We also work closely with financial planners and accountants, including yours, if you have one.

I already have a budget, why do I need you?
If you're completely happy with where you are and where you're heading, then maybe you don't. We provide a service which goes much further than just a budget. The reason we exist is because we add value by providing services and strategies that people can't, or won't, provide for themselves.

How do you justify your fees?
All our services are provided on a "flat fee" basis, with no hidden charges or commissions. Following the system will result in you improving your financial position by many thousands of dollars. You can easily decide whether it's worth it, before making any commitments.

I'm doing OK, why do I need this stuff?
Maybe you don't! Our professional services should be judged on:

1. Whether we can save you time by doing stuff that you can't or don't want to do
2. Whether we can introduce money strategies to you that you may not otherwise have thought of, and which provide measurable financial benefits.
3. Whether our resources (e.g. software, experience) can provide results you would find difficult or impossible obtain yourself
4. Whether you value having some objective input (i.e. from outside the family) into your financial decision-making.

My bank has shown me a Line of Credit product which will save many thousands of dollars of interest - so what's new?
Used carefully, a Line of Credit loan can provide substantial benefits. But they can also be very dangerous, and it is our experience that without having a systematic way of managing money, merely having a Line of Credit doesn't achieve anything, other than putting more spending temptation in front of you. It is our experience that the money management strategy is far more important than the product. More here.


If your question is not answered here, please let us know by contacting us here.