Gurney Financial Services

25/06/2026

We all have loads on. We wear many hats...we may be parents, all the while being someone’s partner, sibling or child too and having our own lives outside of home with friends and work.
It is easy for life to become very complicated.

So how do you even start to slow down?

Check out our list of 50 ways you could start un-complicating life today and be inspired!

1. Don’t keep secrets from your partner
2. Don’t try to read other people’s minds
3. You know that elephant in the room – address it, don’t ignore it
4. Get to know your financial situation
5. Know who your real friends are
6. Spend less than you earn
7. Ring your parents regularly to keep in touch
8. Do something nice for someone else every day without asking for anything in return
9. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier
10. Address that funny noise your car is making before it turns into a bigger issue
11. Donate stuff you don’t need – do a clean out every few weeks
12. Don’t waste food
13. Take the time to cook from scratch
14. Try and understand a problem from all angles, not just your point of view
15. Stand up for someone when you hear gossip. Don’t take part in it
16. Address your anxieties and find out what’s causing them and how you can fix it
17. Take the time to know your neighbours – you never know when you may need them
18. Take a few minutes every day just to listen to each and every family member individually, let them get their day off their chest
19. Save money every week, no matter how small
20. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years
21. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others
22. Stay home this weekend, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish
23. Kiss and make up Menu plan and buy only what you need when shopping
24. Pay your bills on time
25. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good
26. Give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years
27. Tell the truth
28. Don’t cheat
29. Don’t steal
30. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go
31. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore
32. Be yourself
33. Say no unapologetically
34. Cook simple meals
35. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses
36. Spend your time with nice people
37. Avoid drama
38. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving
39. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs
40. Do the dishes right after dinner
41. Never go to sleep angry
42. Ask nicely for what you need and want
43. Leave work at work
44. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy
45. Don’t envy others
46. Return emails and phone messages promptly
47. Schedule in free time
48. Slow down
49. Forgive and forget.
50. Breathe

24/06/2026

15 Rules For Finishing Off The Day

1. Clear, clean-up and tidy your desk – by clearing your workspace you will enable you to start the new day with a clean slate in all respects.

2. Try to have only one working or project on your desk at any one time, ensuring you to focus your attention on that one activity.

3. Throw unnecessary paper in the bin – get in the habit of removing rubbish and unwanted paper from your desk each day. This will also assist your ‘clear desk policy’ if that works for you.

4. Put files away each day – keep files off your desk unless you are working on them. It is not good for office security to have valuable company information available to anyone who might wander past your desk. Place them in locked cabinets or drawers.

5. Adjust your priority on tasks for the next day. What may have been B minus today can become A double plus tomorrow

6. Check the time of your first appointment the next day – if you know what your first commitment for the day will be, you can plan the rest of the day around it. It also allows you to book travel time to that appointment and any preparation you may need to do beforehand.

7. Start your “to do” list for the next day – carry over important tasks form your current day’s list, add new tasks for the following day and your planning will save you a few minutes the next morning.

8. Put your reading file in your briefcase – start a reading file and carry it with you to read on your way home on public transport or while you are in a queue – you can get through your reading easily if you carry it with you and make the most of each opportunity,

9. Wash your coffee cup or empty your water bottle – start each day afresh by cleaning up the night before.

10. Switch your phone on voicemail if appropriate – if you are not going to be in the office until later the next morning, this will allow any early morning callers to leave you a message.

11. You may like to change your voicemail message if you are not going to be in the office the next day to advise callers where they could reach you or an alternative number.

12. Get those final email messages and memos out tonight, not tomorrow. Rule number one of business momentum is to have other people busy for you, not the other way around

13. Switch off your computer, screen and printer – be environmentally friendly and save power and money where you can.

14. Remind yourself of your achievements of the day – take a minute to remind yourself of what you achieved in your day. You may like to record it in a journal or diary. Celebrate your success

15. When you switch off, switch off! Let go and go home

23/06/2026

10 Habits of Highly Successful People

By Lorraine Pirihi

1. Highly successful people clean out the clutter regularly

2. Highly successful people use a diary and write a “list of things to do” each day.

3. Highly successful people are great delegators

4. Highly successful people know how and when to say “NO”

5. Highly successful people have a balanced life

6. Highly successful people spend time “working on the business” as well as “working in the business”

7. Highly successful people know their team is their most important asset

8. Highly successful people exercise regularly and eat healthily (most of the time)

9. Highly successful people are happy to share their knowledge

10. Highly successful people ‘just do it!”.

22/06/2026

7 Tips for Handling Stress in Challenging Times by Robin Sharma

1. Reframe the negative as positive. Stress is essentially a matter of perception. While giving a presentation to a group of 100 prospects might strike fear in the heart of one sales professional, it will be viewed as a superb business opportunity to another. When a stressor appears, ask yourself: "is there a better way of interpreting this situation?" or "will this really matter 3 years from now?"
Remember, all setbacks offer growth lessons and all failure is essential to success.

2. Continuously grow. The best way to manage change is to keep on growing. The pace of change in our world will only increase so accept and embrace it. Make the decision to become a change master and begin to see yourself as a lifelong student. Read for 30 minutes a day, go to training seminars and listen to educational and motivational audio in your car.

By expanding your own professional knowledge base you will not only thrive on the change that you will inevitably face, you will be in a position to add greater value to your organization.

3. Focus on the worthy. With all the demands on your time, you simply cannot do everything. Or as Confucius noted so many years ago: "The man who chases two rabbits catches neither."

Peak performers have a clear sense of the activities that are worthy of their time and those that contribute little to their professional and personal missions. Focusing on the worthy is the golden key to time management and life fulfilment.

As management guru Peter Drucker observed: "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."
4. Plan your time. If you don't make the time to schedule your priorities in your daily planner, someone else's priorities will get scheduled into your daily planner. Set aside 30 minutes every Sunday night for your weekly planning session and ask yourself this very powerful question: "What goals do I need to accomplish in the next 7 days for me to feel this week was a success?"

Note these small but essential goals down and schedule a time for their achievement into your daily organizer. If you don't act on life, life will act on you. Get control of your time and make your weeks count.

5. Work smarter, not harder. Tear yourself away from the outdated mindset that says "to be more productive, you must work harder." In these pressure filled times, that's a recipe for disaster. Adopt a new, more enlightened way to manage yourself and understand that the key to increased effectiveness is to work smarter. Stop focusing on the time spent behind your office desk and, instead, begin concentrating on getting results.

6. Manage your environment. We live in an increasingly negative world. To master stress and maintain high levels of enthusiasm, meticulously guard they information you expose yourself to. Ruthlessly assess the nature of your environment to ensure that you are surrounding yourself with the best influences available. Associate with positive people. Make your office an oasis of excellence and inspiration. Make your car a mobile learning center through audio and energizing messages. Avoid anything that detracts from the clear, focused mindset you know will lead you to success.

As Gandhi said: "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet."

7. Make time for yourself. Have the wisdom to understand that success on the outside truly begins within. Carve out time every week to commune with nature or listen to beautiful music or get a relaxing massage.

Discover the renewing power of visualization and meditation and ensure that you find a few minutes during your busy week to enjoy a little silence. Time invested in revitalizing your self is never a waste of time.

Begin to manage yourself better. Get to know yourself and craft a serious action plan for personal development. You will quickly meet with higher levels of success and feel far less stress.

As Churchill said: "The price of greatness is responsibility."

Robin Sharma

21/06/2026

Why do I do, what I do?

You might ask why I am a Financial Planner. Why do I sell Superannuation and sell Insurances? Why do I support the financial industry when in it is in such a turmoil?

Well actually, I provide personal advice. I provide my services and my education to assist others protect themselves and their families, and teach them how to build wealth.

With all the negative and bad publicity, at least I can say I am one of the good guys, like most Financial Planners/Advisers. We provide a service to others in the community for the benefit of our clients. I / We act in a moral and ethical way and we follow a code of conduct. Yes, there were a few advisers who did wrong. And yes they should be dealt with, but the rest of us should not suffer because of their behaviour and misrepresentation of the industry.

The advice I provide on insurance is to protect individuals and families. I, like many Financial Planners want to make sure that no other family suffers financially through injury, illness or the loss of a loved one.

I have seen many families, lose their security, their income, their lifestyles, including losing their homes, marriages or even loved ones through no protection via insurance. We often see other’s in our community fund raising to help others who are suffering. Even the Centrelink sickness/disability benefits are not much, and those on them, if they are eligible are struggling to make ends meet.

So why should you sit down with a Financial Planner?

Well a Financial Planner can ask the questions you don’t know to ask.

A Financial Planner can assist you in working out your goals – whether a financial or a lifestyle goal.

A Financial Planner can assist you in planning for the future – whether determining different strategies for building your wealth through superannuation or investments, or maybe protecting your income, lifestyle and family.

A Financial Planner can work with your Solicitor to ensure your Estate Planning is set up correctly and your wishes are carried out if anything was to happen.

A Financial Planner can assist you with creating and implementing a budget, as well as assisting you in establishing management of debts through planning and payments.

Most Financial Planners will offer you a complimentary appointment to discuss with you the basics – what they do, how much and how they can assist you.

If you need any assistance, give me a call on 02 4396 3007 for a complimentary appointment, whether it be face to face or via phone/email. Or check out your local financial planner

Or check out of website

Dear Tarnia, I just wanted to thank you for everything you did to assist my dying daughter and her family, especially the time you spent obtaining her disablement payment and life insurance for her daughters.We appreciate the time you took to finalise her claim and liaise with the insurance company....

21/06/2026

Debunking Social Security and insurance

The existence of a sound social security system does not mean the government can or will meet the financial needs of people after an accident, illness, or death. Yet it is not surprising to hear that many people out there believe this is the case. Many Australians may be un-insured or under insured.
One of the advantages of living in a first world, developed nation is that we have universal health care and a social security system that provides basic levels of care for all Australians.

Yet, sadly, there is a persistent belief the social security system extends to providing financial support in the event of long-term illness, accident, or death.

Debunking the myth of the social security lifeline can go some way to helping you understand why being uninsured, or under-insured could leave you, and your family, in severe financial difficulty.

The tragedy of this belief is that people may not plan for the unexpected, nor put in place debt redemption strategies, and they do not allow for liquidity in their estate or investment planning if something tragic happens to them.

The following is a list, broken down in categories, of the things the government or social security will not do for people, their families, or businesses:

Medical Expenses
• Pay for special medications or treatment.
• Pay extra money for health emergencies.
• Pay a lump sum for a defined event or illness.
• Cover all a person’s last illness or final death expenses such as funerals, medical expenses, or hospital occupancy.

Family Debt
• Pay off a mortgage to ensure the family has a home.
• Pay off credit card or store debts.
• Pay extra income to a widow.
• Pay extra money for children’s education or health needs.
• Provide and pay for children’s education expenses.
• Pay local government, water, gas or electricity rates and costs.

Business Debt
• Payout business partners
• Redeem business debt.
• Extinguish overdrafts on draw down facilities.
• Extinguish debts on death.
• Extinguish debts in the case of long-term disability.

It is important to remember the social security system will not deal with these issues and even where it does supply financial support it will fall short of a properly constructed protection plan, which can do all the above when purchased, completed, and owned properly.

This list paints a grim picture of what will not happen if you fail to take up adequate insurance cover, but a financial adviser can assist in working out what is required.

Why You should have life insurance because you:
…have debts like a mortgage, credit cards or personal loans secured against assets to third parties.
…have dependants where expenses and debts can be quite large over a number of years. These costs include everyday living expenses and future promises of education or a start in life.
…are healthy and now is the best time to get non-cancellable contracts for full cover at standard rates. Waiting till later could mean exclusions, loadings, or outright refusal because of health issues.
…are the homemaker, especially if you have children. It costs a lot more than the average weekly wage to employ someone to do the all the work and running around you do out of love.
…are in a relationship and both in paid work. If you need two incomes to support your debt and lifestyle you need to cover that capital cost.
…have children from a previous relationship. Blended families and extra responsibilities create a greater need for protection for those whom you love who may no longer reside with you.
…have aged parents or dependant relatives. Caring for those older or not as fortunate is a big responsibility that takes love, time, and money, especially if you are not around.
…have financial responsibilities that need to be taken care of such as burial costs, private loans, income tax, rates, or credit card debts.
…are in a business partnership that has debt, liquidity, or equity positions to fulfil should death, disability or long-term injury occur for any of the partners.
…have a favourite charity, club, or cause you want to continue supporting. Many people can create immortality for themselves and longevity for their passion in life by gifting pre-ordained funds after they pass away.
…want to make bequests and final gifts to loved ones. A cash fund can be created to give loved, respected, loyal, and lifelong friends a simple thank you after you have passed on.
…want to inject liquidity into your estate for succession equality. Some estates are high in non-cashable assets like farms, land, businesses, and trusts. Life cover provides an excellent method of liquidity injection.

Serious accidents and unexpected health problems happen every day. No one is bullet proof but that does not mean the public purse will come to the rescue in a time of need.

Putting the right amount of money in the right hands in the quickest time is an economic responsibility, and no debt should last longer than the person who created it.

If you would like to review your current insurances, or receive a free quote for insurance, please contact our office. We would love to assist you in protecting you, your family, lifestyle, and income.

Need to speak to someone?
Need an accountant, solicitor, or mortgage broker?? Call us for a complimentary introduction.

4396 3007

Send a message to learn more

20/06/2026

What is Financial Planning?

Financial planning is the process of developing strategies to help you manage your financial affairs so you can build and protect wealth, enjoy life and achieve financial security.

Making the right decisions about your finances has never been so important. A financial planner can help you do this by understanding your financial situation and helping you develop a financial plan to meet short and long-term goals.

Whether you have definite personal goals, like saving for retirement or funding your children’s education, or you’re facing a raft of financial challenges, a financial planner can make a positive difference.

Most importantly, the value of good financial advice isn’t exclusive to ‘the wealthy’. We all have the potential to build financial independence. Sometimes all it takes is a partnership with a skilled planner to help us reach that potential.

Some of the services provided by a planner include setting financial goals, saving and investing, protecting your family with insurance, retirement planning and much more.

"...nine out of ten Australians who have used a financial planner have benefited from the experience..."*

Give us a call at GFS if we can assist on 43963007

19/06/2026

What does a financial planner do???

• Annual reporting
• Tax letters
• Know your client
• Best interests
• Fund manager meetings
• Insurance company meetings
• Seminars
• Professional Training Days
• Professional Licensee Days
• Fund Manager Training
• Insurance Company Training
• Business Training
• Ongoing training – monthly
• Claims processing
• FOFA Training
• Kaplan Training
• Legal requirements
• Compliance
• Audits for SGC contributions
• Recommendations
• Super searches
• Management of superannuation
• Implementation of superannuation
• Superannuation consolidation
• Implementation of insurances
• Administration of change of names
• Administration of change of address
• Administration of change of beneficiaries
• Estate planning
• Liaising with solicitors
• leasing with mortgage brokers
• liaising with accountants
• Lending
• Gearing
• Tax planning
• Salary sacrifice
• Strategies for protection of income and lifestyle
• Strategies for building wealth
• Liaising with Centrelink
• Budgeting and counselling
• Debt management and counselling
• Annual reviews
• Marriage counselling
• Financial counselling
• Complimentary panel of experts
• Aged care
• Liaising with aged care facilities
• Birthday and Christmas cards
• Monthly newsletters
• Professional Sounding board
• Risk profiling
• Risk assessment
• Half yearly and quarterly reporting
• Buying and selling of shares
• Reweighting fund and portfolios
• Transition to retirement
• Retirement planning
• Wealth Creation
• Disablement payments and management
• Planning for families
• Future pre-underwriting acceptance
• Referral business
• Business coaching
• Business planning
• Welcome packs
• Researching products
• Researching performance
• Researching funds
• Researching Insurances
• Planning for grandparents
• Set up and management of our clients children’s first superannuation
• Monthly referral prizes

Need a hand reach out and give us a call at GFS on 43963007

18/06/2026

What are the 4 Documents Every Adult Australian Should Have?

1. A Will
Where there is a Will there’s a way to provide for your loved ones and avoid a family dispute!
Every responsible Australian over the age of 18 is advised to think seriously about making a Will because we cannot predict when we will die.

What is a will?
A will is a legal document that describes how your belongings and assets, (including your property, money, investments, jewellery, etc) are to be distributed after your death.

A will can be altered if your situation changes. Some examples would be marriage, divorce, a change of address, one of your beneficiaries goes bankrupt, an inheritance or big win on Lotto!

2. An enduring Power of Attorney
So, you keep control of your assets when you can’t look after them yourself.
If you were unable to manage your own financial affairs because of something like illness, a car accident or travel overseas you would need to appoint a trusted person who could act for you.

What is a Power of Attorney?
This is a document which allows someone else to look after your financial affairs and to act on your behalf. The powers can be general, ongoing, or only for a specific task or time.

For example, if you are abroad during the time your house is on the market, your Power of Attorney would detail your instructions and allow the appointed person to manage the sale/

Another example would be for a couple to give each other a Power of Attorney in case one becomes extremely ill or incapacitated for some reason (e.g., mental illness like dementia).

The person you appoint may be a member of your family, a trusted friend or someone like your solicitor. However, you may also change or cancel your Power of Attorney at any time.

Your Attorney has the same powers as you over your assets and money so it is especially important that your Power of Attorney is carefully prepared so your attorney can do what you intend them to do.

We would be happy to advise you about preparing a Power of Attorney.

3. Enduring Guardianship

Appointing an enduring guardian allow a loved one or another person to protect you when you cannot?

We would like to ensure that our loved ones know what we believe and what we want when we are unable to make the choice ourselves, such as whether we go into a Nursing Home. But sometimes this is not possible if we become extremely sick or have an accident.

What is an Enduring Guardian?

An enduring guardian is someone you choose to make lifestyle and health decisions for you when you are not capable of doing so yourself. This differs from a Power of Attorney which is specifically for financial control.

You may direct the enduring guardian to conduct your wishes which are called functions. You can give your enduring guardian as many or as few functions as you like. One example is to direct your guardian to consult with a close friend regarding each function.

4. A Living Will

This allows you to state your wishes on vial health issues.

We would all like to ensure that our loved ones know what we believe and what we want when we are unable to make the choice ourselves, such as whether we go into a Nursing home, which doctor to go to, what medical treatment we receive.

What is a Living Will?

A Living Will outlines your wishes. It documents whether you want to die peacefully at home and under what circumstances you would wish to be transferred to a Nursing Home or hospital.

A Living Will can determine what medical treatment you want if any should you:
• Have an irreversible illness, disease, or injury.
• Acquire a disability which means that you could be permanently dependent on others for care.
• Have a terminal condition.
• Require artificially invasive medical procedures to prolong life.
• Want to die naturally and as comfortably as possible free of pain.
• Sustain brain damage but remain alive and dependent due to profound neurological impairment.
• Require resuscitation or rehabilitation.
• Choose to donate any organs for research or to benefit another person.

We can discuss your circumstances with you, and we can help you plan.
These 4 important documents should be in your records.


What Now?
Call us on 4397-3866 to make an appointment.

17/06/2026

The importance of insurance


Insurance is used as financial protection for a variety of personal and business purposes – for example, to protect income, repay debts, or provide for dependants. To minimize the loss that may result from your death or serious disability, it’s important to implement suitable protection strategies.

Protect your greatest asset – your income.

What is your greatest asset? Your home and its contents? Your car? Your life? Many people insure these assets, yet all too often they don’t adequately protect what is potentially their greatest asset – their ability to earn an income.

Take a moment to consider what could happen to your lifestyle if you were unable to work for an extended period due to illness or injury. Your expenses could quickly run down your savings. You may even need to sell your investments to make ends meet.

By taking out income protection insurance you can protect your greatest asset and avoid putting your family’s lifestyle at risk.

If you suffer an illness or injury and are unable to work, income protection insurance can pay you a monthly benefit (usually 75% of your pre-tax income) to replace lost earnings. You can generally claim these premiums as a tax deduction.

You can choose a range of benefit payment periods, with maximum cover usually up to age 65. You can also choose a range of waiting periods normally between 14 days and 2 years.

Eliminate Debt

If you’re like most people, you’ve used debt to finance a range of lifestyle purchases, including the family home. However, if you die, the loan repayments will still need to be made, even though the salary your family has relied upon is no longer available.

Your loan documents may even contain a clause that requires immediate repayment if you die or become disabled. However, sometimes this is not feasible, and the only option may be to sell the underlying asset to repay the lender. When this asset is your family home, your dependants could be in the unenviable position of either having to re-finance the loan or sell and downgrade their residence.

Maintain your family’s lifestyle.

You also need to consider whether your family will be able to meet their ongoing expenses.

Death, permanent disability, or a serious medical condition can have a big impact on a family’s finances and standard of living. If something should happen to the main breadwinner, the emotional strain could be significant.

Protect the homemaker.

It’s also potentially dangerous to overlook the insurance needs of the person who predominantly takes care of the home and the children.

If something should happen to the homemaker, the family can suffer financially, as well as emotionally. Despite advances of modern technology, there are still plenty of things that need to be done around the house and hiring someone to provide home help and childcare services can cost a lot of money.

To protect your household (and avoid putting a big dent in the budget) it’s important to include the homemaker when developing suitable insurance strategies for your family.

Keep your business running.

While income protection insurance should still be considered, it’s also important to protect the very thing that generates your income – your business.

By taking out business expenses insurance, you can cover certain ongoing expenses and keep your business running while you recover.

If you are self-employed or in a small partnership, business expenses insurance can help you meet 100% of your share of eligible business overheads, should you be unable to work due to illness or injury.

This can help keep your business afloat and ensure that, in the worst-case scenario, there is still a business to sell should the need arise.

Expenses that can be covered with this type of insurance typically include, amongst other things, office rent and mortgage payments, equipment or vehicle leasing costs and utility bills such as electricity, heating, and water.

Cover the key person in your business.

The most valuable business asset is the one that produces the most profit – your staff. Material assets can be easily replaced, staff can not.

The loss of a key staff member can have a substantial impact on profitability, operational management, and the goodwill of your business. Many businesses also find there are no suitable candidates readily available within the organization and it can take substantial time and money to recruit and train an external replacement.

By covering your key person, you can help fund the loss of a valuable employee by providing an injection of cash for revenue or capital purposes.

Establish a Will for your Business.

Establish a Will for your business by creating what is known as a Buy / Sell Agreement.

A Buy / Sell Agreement is a legal contract which can facilitate the orderly transfer of a person’s share in a business to the remaining owners when certain trigger events occur (such as death or serious disability).

To help fund the transfer, the agreement normally uses life insurance so that sufficient capital becomes available to buy out the departing owner’s share in the business.

Call GFS today for a free quote 43963007

The advice contained herein does not take into account any person’s particular objectives, needs or financial situation. Before making a decision regarding the acquisition or disposal of a Financial Product persons should assess whether the advice is appropriate to their objectives, needs or financial situation. People may wish to make this assessment themselves or seek the help of an adviser. No responsibility is taken for people acting on the information provided. People doing so, do so at their own risk. Before acquiring a financial product, a person should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) relating to that product and consider the contents of the PDS before making a decision about whether to acquire the product.