Helping South African expats and Australian families navigate financial complexity. I provide practical advice to help you build the life you really want.
About me
I’m Dan, a South African living in Melbourne and working as a financial planner.
This blog is where I share what I’m learning about money, behaviour and building a life in Australia. Some posts explain things I come across in my work. Others come from my own experience of moving countries and finding my feet.
I write for people who want to understand things a little better, whether you have recently arrived in Australia or have lived here all your life. I hope you find something useful here.
From Bloemfontein to Melbourne
I began planning my move from South Africa in 2018. The pandemic complicated those plans, and I started working remotely for a Melbourne financial planning firm while still living in Bloemfontein.
From August 2021 until I moved to Melbourne in early January 2023, my workday in South Africa started at 1 am.
That period is part of why I write about the practical side of moving countries. Visa uncertainty, unfamiliar systems and the decisions involved in starting again are things I have experienced myself.
Moving also meant learning how to work in a different financial planning system. I have shared more of that experience, including what I got wrong, in my article about becoming a financial adviser in Australia.
My work
I have been a financial adviser since 2010, working across South Africa and Australia. Today, I work with South African expats and Australian families on their financial lives here in Australia.
I am a Certified Financial Planner® in Australia and a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA).
My experience in both countries informs my work with expats. I no longer hold a South African financial advice licence, and my current advice work is based in Australia.
I am particularly interested in the human side of money. A financial plan needs to make sense on paper, but it also needs to fit the person who will live with it. Habits, priorities and how we feel about decisions matter too.
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Get in touch
If you would like to talk about working together, you can get in touch. Otherwise, you are welcome to browse the blog and read whatever interests you.