Murray Frean FIPA

Murray Frean FIPA is an experienced accountant, Registered Tax Agent and Director of Financial Mentors Wealth Management, with a career spanning accounting, taxation, business advisory, superannuation and retirement planning.

He has worked in accounting and financial services since 1995 and has spent more than 25 years helping individuals, families and businesses make informed financial decisions and work towards their financial and lifestyle goals.

Today, Murray leads Financial Mentors Wealth Management, a West Perth financial planning firm focused on helping clients build, protect and manage their wealth and prepare confidently for retirement.

Experience in Retirement Planning and Wealth Management

Murray has been Director of Financial Mentors Wealth Management since 2013.

His work focuses on helping clients understand their financial position, identify opportunities and develop practical strategies aligned with their circumstances and long-term goals.

His areas of experience include retirement planning and retirement income strategies, superannuation and Transition to Retirement strategies, investment strategy, personal insurance and wealth protection, cash flow and financial management, and helping clients understand the financial implications of major life, career and retirement decisions.

Murray believes effective financial planning should never begin with a cookie-cutter solution.

Every client has a different income, superannuation balance, tax position, family situation, financial priorities and vision for retirement.

His approach is to understand those circumstances, analyse the available options and develop strategies designed around the individual.

Accounting, Taxation and Business Advisory Experience

Murray is also Director of Financial Mentors Tax and Accounting, where he has worked with small and medium-sized businesses since 2009.

His experience includes cash flow forecasting and management, strategies to improve profitability, business advisory, taxation and financial management.

He also assists clients in meeting their taxation obligations, including the preparation and lodgement of Business Activity Statements and tax returns for individuals, companies, partnerships and trusts.

Before establishing his current wealth management and accounting practices, Murray held senior accounting and management positions across the financial services and utilities sectors.

He served as General Manager of a specialist Self-Managed Superannuation Fund firm, where his responsibilities included SMSF taxation and compliance, client liaison, staff selection and training, business development, and liaison with the Australian Taxation Office, ASIC and SMSF auditors.

Earlier in his career, Murray spent five years in the Corporate Accounting division of Western Power. His responsibilities included taxation, management reporting, bank reconciliations and special projects.

Qualifications and Professional Credentials

Murray holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and a Bachelor of Laws from Edith Cowan University.

He is a Registered Tax Agent and a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants.

His professional experience spans accounting, taxation, business advisory, superannuation, retirement planning and financial management.

This combination of practical experience and formal qualifications provides Murray with a broad perspective when helping clients understand their financial position, evaluate their options and make informed financial decisions.

Murray’s Approach to Retirement Planning

Murray’s approach begins with understanding the individual.

Rather than starting with a financial product or assuming that a particular strategy is appropriate, he believes the client’s circumstances and objectives should be understood and the numbers analysed first.

This is particularly important when considering strategies such as Transition to Retirement.

The potential benefits of a Transition to Retirement strategy can vary depending on factors including a person’s age, income, superannuation balance, tax position and retirement objectives.

Murray’s approach is to assess those circumstances, determine whether a strategy is worth pursuing and, where appropriate, structure the strategy around the client’s individual situation and objectives.

More broadly, Murray works with clients to understand what they want their retirement to look like and develop practical strategies to help them work towards it.

This may involve building retirement savings, making better use of superannuation, developing an investment strategy, managing cash flow, protecting wealth or planning for a sustainable income in retirement.

About Financial Mentors Wealth Management

Financial Mentors has been providing professional financial planning services in Perth since 2000.

Based in West Perth, the firm helps individuals, families and business owners make informed financial decisions, manage their wealth and prepare for important stages of life.

Financial Mentors provides services across retirement planning, superannuation, investment strategy, personal insurance, wealth protection, budgeting and financial management.

The firm is focused on developing long-term professional relationships with clients and helping them build, protect and manage their wealth throughout different stages of their lives.

Whether a client is approaching retirement, starting or growing a business, changing careers, managing a change in household income or simply looking for greater clarity about their financial future, Financial Mentors aims to provide practical strategies based on their circumstances and goals.

Areas Murray Writes About

Murray contributes insights and educational content on:

• Retirement planning
• Transition to Retirement strategies
• Superannuation
• Retirement income strategies
• Taxation and retirement
• Investment strategy
• Wealth management
• SMSFs
• Financial planning, and
• Financial decision-making for Australians approaching retirement

General Advice Disclaimer

The information provided in Murray’s articles and other educational content is general in nature and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before making financial decisions, you should consider whether the information is appropriate for your circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate.