clear waters financial planning

What clear waters financial planning does

Clear Waters Financial Planning Pty Ltd is a privately held Australian financial advisory firm headquartered in Rockhampton, Queensland, with a second office on the Gold Coast. The firm operates as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 427757) under Paragem Pty Ltd's Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL No. 297276), providing personalised financial planning services across eight core areas: investment and wealth creation, superannuation, retirement planning, insurance and wealth protection, debt management and budgeting, aged care, estate and succession planning, and business owner advisory. The firm serves individuals across life stages (young adults, career and family, pre-retirement, retirement) plus a dedicated business owner segment, with a stated emphasis on building long-term, relationship-based advisory engagements rather than transactional advice.

The business was founded in 2012 by John Mackenzie and Tony Conway, with operating principles dating back to 1993. In 2000, well ahead of subsequent government regulation, the firm removed commissions from investment product providers, adopting a fee-for-service revenue model. Following Tony Conway's retirement in June 2016, Rhian Applewaite became a partner alongside John Mackenzie; Ben Greany was subsequently elevated to Owner/Director. The current team comprises 7 staff: 4 financial planners, 1 office manager, 1 client services representative, and 1 receptionist.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and locally focused, with in-person consultations at its two Queensland offices as the primary engagement channel and a content-based website for top-of-funnel lead capture. There is no disclosed pricing, no software product, no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML capability — the offering is entirely human-delivered. Headcount, geographic footprint, and partner-level economics indicate a sub-scale regional practice with concentrated adviser risk, durable client relationships built over decades, and limited organic expansion signals beyond the Gold Coast office and the Business Owners service line.

Name

clear waters financial planning

Legal name

Clear Waters Financial Planning Pty Ltd

Website

https://clearwatersfp.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Clear Waters Financial Planning is a privately held Australian financial advisory firm operating from Rockhampton and Gold Coast, providing fee-for-service investment, superannuation, retirement, insurance, and estate planning advice to individuals and business owners across life stages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Life Insurance (6311), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

Keywords

• Financial planning advice
• Retirement planning services
• Superannuation advisory
• Wealth protection insurance
• Estate and succession planning

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning Advisory Services: Fee-for-service financial planning services including investment advice, insurance, superannuation, retirement planning, estate planning, aged care planning, debt management, and business owner advisory. The firm removed commission payments from investment product providers in 2000, prior to government bans on such commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Clear Waters Financial Planning provides fee-for-service financial advisory services to individual consumers across Queensland, covering investment and wealth creation, superannuation, retirement planning, insurance and wealth protection, debt management and budgeting, aged care planning, estate and succession planning, and specialised advice for business owners. Services are delivered by licensed financial planners through ongoing advisory relationships at its Rockhampton and Gold Coast offices.

Product overview

Clear Waters Financial Planning offers a unified financial advisory service model, not a software platform. The firm provides integrated financial planning services across eight core areas: Investment & Wealth Creation Strategies, Superannuation, Retirement Planning, Insurance & Wealth Protection, Debt Management & Budgeting, Aged Care Planning, Estate & Succession Planning, and Business Owners Services. These services are delivered through human financial advisors via ongoing client relationships, with no software products or modules offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment & Wealth Creation Strategies Tailored investment advice to help individual clients create, grow, and maintain wealth through appropriate investment structures and strategies aligned with their individual needs and risk profiles.
• Superannuation Advisory Superannuation advice and fund management including consolidation, investment review, and contribution strategy optimisation for retirement funding. Includes accredited SMSF advice capability.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning including goal setting, strategy implementation, super income stream management, cash flow planning, and Centrelink support for individuals approaching or entering retirement.
• Insurance & Wealth Protection Personal insurance coverage advice including Life Insurance, Total & Permanent Disability (TPD), Income Protection, Critical Illness/Trauma, Family Protection, and Business Expense Insurance.
• Debt Management & Budgeting Debt management strategies and budgeting advice enabling clients to effectively manage and repay debt while building savings.
• Aged Care Planning Guidance on aged care options including home care levels, retirement living arrangements, and navigating the Australian aged care system.
• Estate & Succession Planning Business succession and estate planning services including Will preparation, Enduring Power of Attorney, Testamentary Trust, guardianship arrangements, and superannuation beneficiary nominations.
• Business Owners Financial Planning Specialised financial planning services for business owners covering superannuation, retirement, insurance, investment, debt management, aged care, and estate planning with a focus on business succession and wealth transition to the next generation.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Paragem Pty LtdcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerParagem Pty Ltd is the parent company and Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL No. 297276) holder. Clear Waters Financial Planning Pty Ltd operates as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 427757) under Paragem's licence. Paragem provides the regulatory framework and licensing that enables Clear Waters to operate as a financial planning practice.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fortnum Private Wealth: Australian boutique wealth advisory group operating a dealer-group model with multiple aligned financial planning practices. Highly comparable to Clear Waters' fee-for-service, relationship-led model under a parent AFSL.
• Bridges Financial Services: Mid-sized Australian financial planning dealer group supporting aligned advisors delivering personal financial advice. Comparable in scale, fee-based offering, and reliance on individual advisor-client relationships.
• Shadforth Financial Group: Australian financial advisory firm (now part of the Insignia/IOOF group) providing superannuation, investment, and retirement advice to retail clients. Directly comparable in service mix and client profile.
• Count Limited: Australian financial services dealer group providing licensing, technology, and back-office support to aligned accounting and financial planning firms. Notably, Count appears to host Clear Waters' website (T&Cs link to count.au), indicating a likely operational relationship.

Regional players

• Morgans Financial: Queensland-headquartered Australian wealth advisory and stockbroking firm with a strong regional footprint. Comparable geographic concentration in Queensland and similar retail/investor advice orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Insignia Financial: Large ASX-listed Australian wealth manager (formerly IOOF) owning multiple advice brands (Shadforth, Bridges, MLC Wealth). Represents both a competitive threat and a likely acquirer of independent practices like Clear Waters.
• AMP Limited: Major ASX-listed Australian wealth manager with a large financial advice network. Sets industry pricing, product, and regulatory benchmarks that small advisory firms like Clear Waters must compete against.
• Macquarie Group Wealth Management: Wealth management division of one of Australia's largest financial institutions, offering full-service financial advice. Provides the institutional benchmark against which boutique advisory firms differentiate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clear-waters-financial-planning

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about clear waters financial planning