For Sydney-based financial planner Mark Morcos, the logic of saving and investing has always been apparent and a diverse client base ensures the job remains exciting.
Morcos, 33, is a principal of Wealth Journey, an independent financial planning practice accredited by SPAA as self-managed super fund specialist advisers.
“Believe it or not, I started as young as 16 when I attended a career day at school. I’ve always seen the logic in saving and investing, and so financial planning was the natural fit,” he told Professional Planner.
“After school I went on to university to complete an undergraduate degree in applied finance and that was my pathway into financial planning. I started my career at the age of 21 and back then I was considered the youngest financial planner NAB had.”
After completing his degree, Morcos went on to complete a diploma in financial planning and has since completed the SPAA SMSF Specialist Adviser qualifications.
“SMSFs have always been of interest to me because I was frustrated with the limitations of corporate and publicly offered superannuation plans,” explains Morcos.
“SMSFs allow me as a financial planner to really add value in my advice and can be a valuable tool for the self-employed or for families that have more than one income.”
No two clients are the same
His clients are predominantly wealth accumulators who range from high net-worth individuals to middle income families and the self-employed.
“I love the diversity of my client base as it really supports the notion that no two clients are the same, which is what keeps my job exciting,” he said.
Morcos attended the recent SPAA Conference in Melbourne, which he feels are a great way to meet other like-minded professionals and to keep on top of industry developments.
“The highlight for me at the recent SPAA conference was the gala dinner, which was a chance to meet everyone on a social level. Also, the fact that Bill Shorten didn’t show up for his presentation was great,” he said.
The Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) reforms hold few fears for Morcos.
“Wealth Journey has always been an independent fee-for-service financial planning organisation, and as such I feel my business has been well positioned to keep on top of all the changes in regulations,” he said.
“Furthermore, my flexible approach to financial planning has meant that I can react to change with ease and with very minimal impact to my clients and business. To be honest I fully support the regulations as it ensures we keep the best in the industry as they are the ones fit to keep up with changes.”