Last updated: 22 July 2026
Typing “best financial consultant firm in Australia” into a search engine produces plenty of confident answers.
The difficult part is working out what “best” means.
A national wealth firm may suit someone selling a business for $20 million. It could be excessive for a couple who need a retirement plan and advice about super. A boutique adviser may provide closer personal service but lack the investment research, trustee services or family-office support required by a complicated estate.
According to my research, the firm name is only the beginning of the comparison. You need to know which adviser will handle your account, what that person is authorised to advise on, how the firm is paid and what happens after the initial plan is delivered.
This ranking compares eight established Australian advice and private-wealth firms. It is based on publicly described services, specialist focus, geographic reach and suitability for different client types.
It is not a league table of investment returns. Nor is it a guarantee that the first firm will suit you better than the eighth.
Editorial and general information notice: No firm paid for inclusion or placement in this comparison. Fees, service availability, adviser teams and eligibility requirements can change. Check the current Financial Services Guide, adviser registration, written scope and total cost before proceeding.
The best financial consultant firms in Australia: editorial ranking
| Rank | Firm | Best suited to | Main reason for inclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perpetual Private | Families wanting wealth advice, trustee support and estate services under one established group | Broad private-wealth and succession capabilities |
| 2 | Koda Capital | High-net-worth families, founders and for-purpose organisations seeking specialist private advice | Strong focus on complex private wealth |
| 3 | LGT Wealth Management Australia | High-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients requiring international investment access | Global resources combined with Australian advisers |
| 4 | JBWere | Entrepreneurs, executives, established families and charitable organisations | Long private-wealth history and broad investment capability |
| 5 | Pitcher Partners | Business owners and families needing tax, succession and family-office coordination | Close connection between personal wealth and business advice |
| 6 | Shadforth Financial Group | Clients wanting a large national advice network covering wealth, retirement and insurance | Wide adviser presence across Australia |
| 7 | Escala Partners | Affluent families, family offices, foundations and not-for-profit investors | Boutique private-wealth focus |
| 8 | Ord Minnett | Investors wanting advice supported by market research, stockbroking and private-capital access | Investment-led service with in-house research |
Our data shows a simple pattern in this comparison: no firm leads every category.
Perpetual Private ranks first under our method because its service menu covers advice, investments, estates, trusts and philanthropy. Someone who mainly wants direct-share research could place Ord Minnett much higher. A family selling a private company may prefer Pitcher Partners because business tax and succession work are closer to the centre of its offering.
The ranking order reflects broad usefulness for complex Australian clients. It should be treated as a shortlist, not a final instruction.
How the firms were ranked
A ranking without a method is little more than a list of familiar names.
We assessed the firms across the following areas:
- The range of personal financial advice services described publicly.
- Experience with affluent and high-net-worth clients.
- Investment management and research capability.
- Retirement, superannuation and estate-planning support.
- Family-office and business-succession services.
- Access to advisers across Australian cities and regions.
- Ability to coordinate accountants, lawyers and other specialists.
- Clarity about the type of client the firm is designed to serve.
We did not assign points for advertising volume, social-media activity or polished website design.
We also avoided comparing published investment returns. Clients within the same firm can hold very different portfolios, take different levels of risk and begin investing at different times. A single performance number would not provide a fair firm-wide comparison.
From my experience reviewing adviser comparisons, the most misleading lists treat brand recognition as proof of quality. A recognisable firm can still produce a poor client match. A smaller firm can deliver excellent work when its speciality fits the problem.
1. Perpetual Private: best overall for integrated private wealth
Perpetual Private takes first place because it offers one of the broadest private-client service menus in this comparison.
Its work extends beyond portfolio selection. The firm describes services covering financial advice, investment management, estates, trustee work, succession, philanthropy and support for families with complicated financial structures.
This breadth may suit clients who have:
- Several investment entities.
- Family trusts.
- A private business.
- Large charitable commitments.
- A complicated estate.
- A need for professional trustee or executor services.
The attraction is coordination. A family may prefer dealing with one established group rather than asking an investment adviser, trustee company and estate administrator to work separately.
Where Perpetual Private may fit best
It may suit established families who want long-term administration as well as advice.
It may also appeal to someone who expects their financial affairs to continue after death through trusts, charitable structures or ongoing support for beneficiaries.
What to check before proceeding
A broad service menu can be unnecessary when your needs are straightforward.
Ask which services will actually be used and what each one costs. Confirm whether the advice, investment management and trustee work are covered by separate agreements.
Find out who will remain your main contact when several internal teams are involved.
2. Koda Capital: best independent specialist for complex private wealth
Koda Capital focuses heavily on high-net-worth individuals, families, founders and for-purpose organisations.
Its position near the top of our ranking comes from that concentration. It is not trying to provide basic budgeting advice to every household. Its service is built around clients with larger portfolios and more complicated decisions.
Those decisions may involve:
- A business sale or other liquidity event.
- Large executive shareholdings.
- Family governance.
- Private-market investments.
- Philanthropic capital.
- Several generations of family wealth.
Koda may appeal to clients who want an adviser-led private-wealth relationship without using a large bank-branded service.
Where Koda Capital may fit best
The firm may suit founders, senior executives and wealthy families who need investment advice connected to tax, structure, liquidity and succession decisions.
It may also suit charitable foundations and other organisations managing money for a defined purpose.
What to check before proceeding
Ask about the minimum portfolio size or complexity expected by the adviser team.
A high-net-worth service may cost more than a simple one-off retirement plan. Check whether the proposal includes investment management, strategy advice, family meetings and coordination with other professionals.
Ask how the firm defines independence and what product, platform or referral relationships apply to your proposed service.
3. LGT Wealth Management Australia: best for global private wealth
LGT Wealth Management Australia works with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices and for-purpose organisations.
Its main point of difference is global reach.
An Australian family with international investments, foreign family members or an interest in alternative assets may value access to a wider private-wealth network.
The firm describes services involving:
- Private wealth advice.
- Investment advisory work.
- Family advisory services.
- Alternative investments.
- Philanthropy.
- Long-term wealth transfer.
Where LGT may fit best
LGT may suit families whose financial affairs already extend beyond ordinary Australian super and listed investments.
It may also interest clients who want access to global research, private-market opportunities and family-wealth experience developed across several countries.
What to check before proceeding
Eligibility criteria can apply to private-wealth services.
Ask about minimum investment requirements before arranging a lengthy introductory process. Find out which investment opportunities are available to your client category and how illiquid assets would fit into your overall plan.
Global scale can provide access. It can also introduce extra fees, currency exposure and investments that are harder to sell.
4. JBWere: best for entrepreneurs and established family wealth
JBWere works with individuals, families, entrepreneurs, executives, business owners and organisations responsible for long-term capital.
Its history in Australian private wealth gives it a strong position in this comparison.
The firm is likely to be considered by clients who want an established adviser relationship combined with investment research and portfolio management.
Areas that may be discussed include:
- Investment strategy.
- Family wealth planning.
- Portfolio construction.
- Philanthropy.
- Intergenerational transfer.
- Advice for not-for-profit organisations.
Where JBWere may fit best
JBWere may suit an entrepreneur who has sold a business and needs to turn one large payment into a diversified long-term portfolio.
It may also suit a family with several generations involved in wealth decisions.
What to check before proceeding
Ask how the adviser is paid and how investment products enter the approved menu.
Confirm which services are provided by JBWere and which may involve another part of the wider group.
Clients seeking a one-off plan without ongoing portfolio management should ask whether a limited engagement is available.
5. Pitcher Partners: best for business-owning families
Pitcher Partners earns fifth place because its personal-wealth work sits close to accounting, tax, business and succession advice.
That can be useful when most family wealth is tied to a private company.
A traditional investment adviser may see a business as one line on a balance sheet. For the owner, it may be the source of salary, dividends, property use, retirement funding and future inheritance.
Pitcher Partners describes services for:
- Family offices.
- Business-owning families.
- Personal and business tax.
- Wealth transition.
- Succession planning.
- Investment advice.
- Superannuation.
- Family governance.
Where Pitcher Partners may fit best
It may suit a family preparing to sell, transfer or restructure a privately owned business.
It may also work well when accounting records, tax returns, trust structures and personal investment planning need to be reviewed together.
What to check before proceeding
Pitcher Partners is a national association of separate firms.
Confirm which local entity will provide the work, which licences cover the financial advice and how different offices cooperate.
Do not assume every service listed nationally is delivered by the same team in every location.
6. Shadforth Financial Group: best national private-wealth network
Shadforth Financial Group has advisers in Australian capital cities and several regional locations.
That reach may suit clients who want a larger advice business but prefer meeting someone locally.
The firm describes services for creating, managing and protecting wealth. Its advisers work across retirement, investments, family changes and other major financial decisions.
Where Shadforth may fit best
Shadforth may suit professionals, retirees and affluent families wanting ongoing advice from a national group.
Its broad adviser network can also help clients who relocate within Australia and want to remain with the same firm.
What to check before proceeding
Shadforth forms part of a larger financial group.
Clients who prefer a small owner-operated practice should examine the ownership arrangement and ask how it affects investment selection, platforms and administration.
The adviser matters more than the office count. Check who will prepare the advice and who will provide service after the first year.
7. Escala Partners: best boutique for family offices and foundations
Escala Partners is a private-wealth advisory business working with high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, foundations and other sophisticated investors.
It ranks seventh under our broad method, although it could rank much higher for a family seeking a boutique private-wealth firm.
Escala’s narrower focus may appeal to clients who want direct access to senior investment professionals rather than a mass-market advice model.
Where Escala may fit best
The firm may suit a family office, charitable foundation or wealthy household that already has accountants and lawyers but needs investment advice and portfolio management.
It may also suit clients who prefer a partnership-style relationship with a specialist firm.
What to check before proceeding
Ask how many households each adviser manages and which team members handle research, administration and meetings.
Confirm how the investment menu is built, what custody arrangements apply and what happens if the lead adviser leaves.
Smaller firms can provide close personal contact. They still need strong succession and operational systems.
8. Ord Minnett: best for investment research and market access
Ord Minnett has deep roots in stockbroking, investment research and private wealth.
It may suit investors who want advice informed by in-house market and company research.
The firm describes services involving:
- Wealth management.
- Financial advice.
- Stockbroking.
- Superannuation and SMSFs.
- Estate planning support.
- Managed portfolios.
- Wholesale and private-capital opportunities.
Where Ord Minnett may fit best
It may suit experienced investors who want an active role in listed shares, new issues or other market opportunities.
It may also suit high-net-worth clients who value direct access to research and investment specialists.
What to check before proceeding
An investment-led service may not automatically cover every part of your financial life.
Ask whether the proposed engagement includes cash-flow planning, insurance, retirement modelling, estate coordination and family governance.
Access to a private or pre-market opportunity should never replace ordinary due diligence. Check liquidity, valuation, fees and the possibility of losing capital.
Why lower-ranked does not mean lower quality
The firms were ranked against one broad editorial framework.
Your framework may be different.
Someone seeking direct-share research might rank Ord Minnett first. A business-owning family could put Pitcher Partners at the top. A charitable foundation may narrow the search to Koda, JBWere, Perpetual or Escala.
The ranking should therefore be read as:
Which firms deserve closer examination for a particular type of client?
It should not be read as:
Which firm will produce the highest investment return?
No honest comparison can answer the second question in advance.
Financial consultant or financial adviser?
In Australia, “financial consultant” can describe several different jobs.
The person might provide:
- Business cash-flow consulting.
- Debt or lending assistance.
- General financial education.
- Investment management.
- Personal financial-product advice.
The title alone does not prove that the person is authorised to recommend investments, superannuation products or insurance.
When personal financial-product advice is involved, check the individual adviser’s registration and authorisation. Do not rely on the company logo or the word “consultant” printed on a business card.
Our guide to choosing a financial consultant without the guesswork explains the checks in more detail.
Check the individual adviser, not only the firm
A strong firm can employ an adviser who does not suit you.
An excellent adviser can also work inside a firm that offers more services than you need.
Before agreeing to advice, check:
- The adviser’s full name.
- The licence or authorised representative arrangement.
- The areas they can advise on.
- Their qualifications and advice history.
- Any restrictions recorded against their authorisation.
- How long they have worked with clients like you.
- Who supervises or replaces them when unavailable.
Ask for the firm’s Financial Services Guide before committing.
The guide should help explain the services offered, the licence arrangements, payment methods, conflicts and complaint process.
Do not confuse firm size with safety
A large firm may have stronger administration, research and succession systems.
It may also have several departments, standardised processes and product lists that feel impersonal.
A small firm may provide direct access to its owners and faster communication.
It may depend heavily on one or two advisers.
| Large firm | Smaller or boutique firm |
|---|---|
| Broader internal resources | Closer access to senior advisers |
| More offices and support staff | Fewer layers between client and decision-maker |
| Established administration systems | Potentially more flexible service |
| May use standardised processes | May rely heavily on a small number of people |
| Ownership can be complicated | Succession planning needs careful checking |
Neither model wins automatically.
How much will financial advice cost?
Advice fees depend on the work, client complexity, portfolio size and service model.
A firm may charge:
- A fixed amount for a defined project.
- An hourly or daily rate.
- An annual retainer.
- A percentage of assets managed.
- A combination of fixed and percentage fees.
- Permitted insurance commissions.
Ask for the total cost in dollars.
A fee of 1% may sound modest until it is applied to a $3 million portfolio.
$3,000,000 × 1% = $30,000 a year
That fee may pay for valuable work. You still need to know exactly what the work is.
Ask the firm to separate:
- Initial advice fees.
- Ongoing advice fees.
- Investment-management costs.
- Platform fees.
- Fund costs.
- Transaction costs.
- Administration charges.
- Insurance payments or commissions.
Our comparison of fee-only and commission-based financial consulting explains how each payment method can affect the relationship.
What should an ongoing fee buy?
An ongoing fee should purchase an ongoing service.
The agreement may include:
- A yearly strategy review.
- Investment monitoring.
- Portfolio rebalancing.
- Retirement-income updates.
- Super contribution planning.
- Tax coordination.
- Insurance reviews.
- Meetings after major life changes.
Ask how often you will meet and who attends.
Find out what happens between formal reviews. Will the adviser contact you after a large market fall, a law change or a major change to the recommended investment?
A yearly report filled with charts may not justify a yearly fee when no decisions are being made.
Questions to ask every shortlisted firm
- Which clients are you best equipped to serve?
- What is the minimum investment or annual fee?
- Who will be my main adviser?
- Who prepares the investment research?
- Are you authorised to advise on every area I need?
- Which services are excluded?
- How are investments selected?
- Do you receive commissions or referral payments?
- Will my money be held on a platform or by a separate custodian?
- What will the first year cost in dollars?
- What will later years cost?
- Can I receive advice without transferring my investments?
- How do I end the agreement?
- What happens if my adviser leaves?
Keep the answers from each firm in the same table. Comparison becomes difficult when one proposal quotes a fixed fee and another gives six separate percentages.
Our full list of questions to ask a financial consultant before hiring can help you prepare for the meetings.
Warning signs during the first meeting
The adviser recommends a product before understanding you
A recommendation should come after the adviser understands your income, assets, debts, goals, family position and tolerance for loss.
The fee cannot be explained in dollars
You should be able to estimate what you will pay during the first and second year.
The firm promises returns
No adviser can guarantee ordinary investment-market performance.
You are rushed to sign
Urgency often benefits the seller.
The adviser avoids questions about ownership
Firm ownership, licence arrangements and related product providers can affect the service.
The plan depends on one complicated investment
A financial plan should not collapse because one product performs poorly.
The adviser cannot explain the downside
Every investment carries a cost, restriction or risk. A clear adviser should be able to explain it without hiding behind technical language.
A practical shortlisting process
Step one: define the job
Write down the decision you need help making.
Examples include:
- Preparing for retirement.
- Selling a business.
- Investing an inheritance.
- Managing a family trust.
- Reviewing superannuation.
- Creating a family-office structure.
- Planning an estate.
Step two: choose three firms
Select firms that regularly deal with your type of problem.
Do not contact every name on the ranking. Three thoughtful meetings will tell you more than ten rushed phone calls.
Step three: meet the actual adviser
Do not base the choice solely on a business-development manager or introductory team.
Meet the person expected to handle your advice.
Step four: compare written proposals
Place the following items side by side:
- Scope.
- Exclusions.
- Initial cost.
- Ongoing cost.
- Investment approach.
- Meeting schedule.
- Exit process.
Step five: check registration and documents
Confirm the adviser’s authorisation before acting.
Read the Financial Services Guide and any written advice carefully. Ask for corrections when your personal information, goals or financial figures are wrong.
Which firm ranks first for you?
Perpetual Private takes first place in this editorial ranking because its combined advice, investment, trustee and estate capabilities may serve a wide range of complex clients.
That does not make it the automatic choice.
Koda Capital may be a closer fit for an entrepreneur seeking specialist independent private-wealth advice. LGT may suit an internationally connected family. Pitcher Partners may be stronger for a private business owner. Ord Minnett may appeal to an experienced investor who values direct market research.
The firm needs to fit the job.
Then the individual adviser needs to fit you.
Compare the scope, cost and working relationship. Check the registration. Read the written proposal and take enough time to understand where your money will be held.
A ranking can help you build the shortlist.
Trust should come later, after the firm has answered the difficult questions clearly.