STEP 01
Choose a topic
Pick the area of your finances you want to understand — super, insurance, estate planning, investments, or SMSF. Start wherever feels most urgent.
Superannuation & Retirement
Insurance Advice
Financial planning, demystified
Your money, explained simply.
AdviceGenie turns complex financial concepts into clear, plain-English guidance. Understand superannuation, insurance, retirement, estate planning, investments and more — at no cost, with no jargon.
You
How does superannuation actually work, and am I putting in enough?
Genie explains
Super is your retirement savings account. Your employer must contribute at least 12% of your salary each year (the Superannuation Guarantee rate from 1 July 2025).
The money is invested and grows tax-effectively until you retire. You generally can't access it until age 60.
Employer contribution
12% of your salary
Tax rate inside super
15% vs up to 47% outside
General advice only — your situation may differ. Talk to an adviser →
Free education
For all Australians
Plain English
No jargon, ever
Five areas of financial planning
Everything you need to know, in one place.
Australian financial planning covers a lot of ground. Genie breaks down each topic so you can build real knowledge — at your own pace, in plain English.
Superannuation & Retirement
How super works, contribution limits, choosing a fund, transition to retirement, and turning your savings into an income stream.
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Insurance Advice
Life insurance, total and permanent disability, income protection, and trauma cover — what each one does and whether you might need it.
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Estate & Succession Planning
Wills, binding death benefit nominations, powers of attorney, and what actually happens to your super when you pass away.
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Investment Advice
Asset classes, risk profiles, diversification, shares, ETFs, property, and how to build a portfolio that matches your goals and timeline.
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SMSF, Regulation & Taxation
Self-managed super funds, trustee obligations, contribution caps, capital gains tax, franking credits, and super tax in retirement.
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The problem we're solving
Financial planning is vital — but it shouldn't need a dictionary.
Most Australians know they should have a plan. Few feel confident enough to start. Jargon, complexity, and the cost of advice create a barrier that leaves millions without guidance they need. Genie removes that barrier.
Without Genie
Confusing, expensive, and hard to access.
- ✕ Financial advice costs $3,000–$5,000+ per year
- ✕ Documents full of ASIC, FASEA, and regulatory jargon
- ✕ Hard to know what questions to even ask
- ✕ Super, insurance, estate and tax siloed in different places
- ✕ No starting point for people who don't know where to begin
64%
of Australians have no
financial plan in place
financial plan in place
★ With AdviceGenie
Clear, free, and built for every Australian.
- ✓ Free general guidance, no subscription required
- ✓ Every concept explained in plain, everyday English
- ✓ Know what to ask before you see an adviser — saving time and money
- ✓ All five planning areas in one place, connected
- ✓ Built on 20+ years of Australian financial planning experience
5 topics
Covered in depth,
in plain English
in plain English
How it works
From confused to confident in four steps.
You don't need to know the right questions — Genie walks you through everything, at your own pace.
STEP 02
Read the plain-English guide
Each topic page explains the core concepts without jargon. Genie uses everyday language and real Australian examples — no dictionary required.
★ Written by Australian planners
STEP 03
Go deep on what matters to you
Each topic has an in-depth Q&A section covering the questions Australians actually ask. Dig into the details that matter most to your situation.
What age can I access my super?
Do I need a binding death nomination?
STEP 04
Talk to an adviser when you're ready
Once you understand the landscape, connect with a licensed financial adviser for advice tailored to your personal goals and circumstances.
★ You'll know the right questions to ask
✓ Make the most of your adviser session
What Genie covers
All the knowledge you need, connected.
Superannuation explained simply.
Super is the cornerstone of Australian retirement planning — but most people don't understand how it works until they're about to retire. Genie helps you understand it now, so you can make better decisions earlier.
- ✓ How employer contributions work and when they're paid
- ✓ Concessional vs non-concessional contributions — what's the difference
- ✓ Choosing a fund and what fees to look out for
- ✓ Transition to retirement — what it is and who it suits
- ✓ Converting your super balance into a retirement income
Super at a glance
General guide
Your super contributions
12% employer + voluntary top-up
★ Superannuation Guarantee at 12% from 1 July 2025
Concessional cap (2025–26)
$30,000 per year — taxed at 15%
Preservation age
Age 60 for most Australians born after 1 July 1964
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This is general information — your personal situation may differ
Insurance — protection you might already have.
Many Australians have life insurance inside their super and don't realise it. The question is whether it's enough — and whether you need additional cover outside super.
- ✓ Life insurance — pays a lump sum if you die
- ✓ Total & permanent disability (TPD) — covers you if you can't work again
- ✓ Income protection — replaces up to 70% of your income if you're unable to work
- ✓ Trauma cover — lump sum on diagnosis of a serious illness
- ✓ Holding inside vs outside super — the key trade-offs
Types of personal insurance
General guide
Life insurance
Lump sum paid to your family if you pass away
Income protection
Replaces up to 70% of income while unable to work
★ Usually tax-deductible when held outside super
TPD cover
Lump sum if you're permanently unable to work
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This is general information — speak with an adviser about your needs
Estate planning — it's not just about writing a will.
Here's something that surprises many Australians: your super does not automatically go through your will. Without a binding death benefit nomination, your fund's trustee decides who gets it.
- ✓ Why a will alone isn't enough — what it does and doesn't cover
- ✓ Binding death benefit nominations — keeping your super wishes legally binding
- ✓ Enduring power of attorney — who makes decisions if you can't
- ✓ Guardianship orders and advance care directives
- ✓ How to plan for succession in a family business
Estate planning checklist
General guide
✓Valid, up-to-date willEssential
!Binding death benefit nomination for superOften missed
✓Enduring power of attorneyImportant
!Review life insurance beneficiariesCheck regularly
Investing — building wealth beyond super.
Investing outside of super can help you build wealth and reach financial goals earlier than retirement age — but it comes with different risks and tax rules. Genie explains how to think about it.
- ✓ The four main asset classes: cash, bonds, property, and shares
- ✓ What risk profile means and how to think about yours
- ✓ ETFs vs managed funds — key differences explained
- ✓ Diversification — why not putting all eggs in one basket matters
- ✓ Capital gains tax basics and how investment structure affects tax
Asset class comparison
General guide
Cash & term deposits
Low risk · Low return · Highly liquid
Bonds / fixed interest
Low–medium risk · Steady income · Less volatile
Australian & global shares
Medium–high risk · Highest long-term growth
★ Higher risk is rewarded over long time horizons
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Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
For financial advisers
Are you a financial adviser or paraplanner?
AdviceGenie has a dedicated platform for licensed advisers — AI-powered Statement of Advice generation and interactive client onboarding, with Digital SoA delivery coming soon. All compliance-first, all Australian data sovereign.
SoA generation in 14 minutes
Digital SoA delivery (coming soon)
ISO 27001 aligned
Adviser Platform Features
SoA Generation
AI-drafted, compliant, in your voice. 14 minutes, not 14 days.
Digital SoA Viewer Coming soon
Turn PDFs into live, interactive, mobile-friendly documents.
Interactive Onboarding
Guided digital client onboarding — no more PDF forms by email.
When general isn't enough
Ready for advice tailored to your situation?
Genie can help you understand the landscape. But for decisions that affect your actual money — contributions, insurance levels, retirement strategies — a licensed adviser will look at your full picture.
Approaching retirement
When your timeline for decisions gets short, getting the numbers right matters more.
Major life changes
Marriage, divorce, kids, inheritance, starting a business — all change your financial needs.
Checking your strategy
Is your super in the right fund? Is your insurance enough? An adviser can confirm or course-correct.
Find a licensed financial adviser
A licensed financial adviser is regulated by ASIC and must act in your best interest under Australian law. They can provide personalised advice about your specific situation.
1Use ASIC's MoneySmart adviser register to find a licensed adviser near you
2Read Genie's topic guides first — you'll make better use of your session
3Ask about their fee structure upfront — good advisers are always transparent
External link — ASIC's free, independent adviser register
or
Common questions
Questions we hear all the time.
Real questions from real Australians trying to understand their finances. If yours isn't here, explore a topic guide — or see an adviser.
No. Everything on AdviceGenie is general information only. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. For advice that is specific to you, please speak with a licensed financial adviser who is regulated by ASIC.
Super balances vary widely depending on your income, career breaks, and contribution history. ASFA suggests roughly $200,000 at age 50 and $500,000+ by retirement age for a comfortable lifestyle — but these are rough guides, not targets. Genie explains how to think about your own trajectory, and an adviser can model your specific numbers.
Many Australians have basic life and TPD cover inside their super fund — but it's often not enough, especially if you have dependants or a mortgage. The right amount depends on your income, debts, and family situation. Genie explains how to assess your needs; an adviser can run the actual numbers for you.
Your super does not automatically go through your will. Instead, your super fund's trustee decides who receives it — unless you have a valid binding death benefit nomination in place. This surprises many Australians. See our Estate Planning guide to understand how nominations work and who can receive your super.
AdviceGenie is for any Australian who wants to understand their financial options in plain English — without jargon, without sales pressure, and without paying for a consultation just to learn the basics. Whether you're 25 and just started working, or 60 and planning retirement, Genie meets you where you are.
Use Genie to build your understanding — then see an adviser when you're ready to act on it. Good times include: approaching retirement, receiving an inheritance, major life changes (marriage, divorce, children), starting a business, or when you're unsure whether your current financial strategy is right for you.
Yes — all the financial education content on this site is free. We also offer a separate professional platform for licensed financial advisers, which has its own subscription pricing. But everything you need to understand your financial options as an everyday Australian is free.
Important disclaimer
Please read before you rely on anything here
The information on this website is general in nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is not financial, legal, or taxation advice, and nothing on this site is intended to be relied upon as advice or to create any legally binding obligation or relationship.
While we try to keep the content accurate and current, it may be out of date, incomplete, or incorrect. Rules, rates, contribution caps, and thresholds change frequently — always verify the current figures with the ATO, ASIC's MoneySmart website, or a licensed professional.
All calculators, projections, and figures shown are for illustration and demonstration purposes only. They rely on simplified assumptions, are not predictions, quotes, or guarantees, and your actual outcome will differ.
Before acting on anything you read here, we strongly recommend you seek professional advice from a licensed financial adviser, accountant, or solicitor who can consider your individual circumstances. AdviceGenie does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and does not provide financial product advice as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
AdviceGenie is built by Cognify Labs Pty Ltd