Funding built for
advice practices.
A planning practice runs on trust, recurring revenue, and long client relationships. Your funding should read that strength — not treat you like a startup with uncertain income. We help financial planners across Canberra and regional NSW fund acquisitions, navigate partner transitions, and invest in growth.
Funding that reads recurring revenue.
Advice practices earn through trail income, fee-for-service, and a stable book of long-tenure clients. We work with lenders who recognise that revenue properly — and we present your numbers so credit teams see the strength, not the unfamiliarity.
We're a small team working with a small number of clients. Based in Canberra, connected nationally. We structure first, then go to the right lenders. And if borrowing isn't the right move yet, we'll tell you when not to borrow.
Read the trail book
Recurring trail on funds under management is the backbone of practice value. We map FUM stability and client tenure before any lender does.
Present the client book
FUM multiples, client demographics, and revenue quality drive valuations. We put them to lenders who understand the advice model.
Factor the regulatory load
AFSL requirements, professional standards, and compliance costs are material to practice economics. We build them into the structure.
Navigate the transition
The advice industry is in structural change. We help advisers shift to fee-for-service while keeping practice funding sound.
How we help planning practices.
From your first practice acquisition to managing a multi-adviser firm, every structure is designed around the advice profession — not retrofitted from a generic business loan.
Practice Acquisition Finance
Funding to acquire a planning practice — client book valuations, trail revenue, and AFSL considerations. We know how lenders assess planning firm value, and present yours to match.
Trail Book Loans
Specialist lending secured against recurring trail and fee-for-service revenue. Structures that reflect the stable, predictable nature of advice income.
Growth & Transition Capital
Working capital for technology upgrades, compliance costs, staff recruitment, and the move to fee-for-service models.
Authorised Rep Transitions
Finance for advisers moving from employed or authorised representative status to owning their own practice — including licensing and setup costs.
Commercial Premises
Finance to buy your own office space and build equity in your business location rather than paying rent.
Professional Insurance
PI cover, key person insurance, and income protection tailored to planning professionals and their regulatory obligations.
Generic brokers don't understand advice.
Planning practices have unique valuation dynamics. Here is what specialist knowledge changes about your outcome — at the structure, the valuation, and the rate.
Recurring trail income is the backbone of planning practice valuations. We work with lenders who properly recognise and lend against this revenue stream.
AFSL requirements, professional standards, and ongoing compliance costs are material to practice economics. We factor them into every funding structure.
FUM-based multiples, client demographics, and revenue quality analysis all factor into a planning firm's value. We present them properly to lenders who get it.
The planning industry is in structural transition. We help advisers navigate the shift from commission to fee-for-service while managing practice funding.
Who we work with.
Financial planners acquiring their first practice.
Authorised reps transitioning to self-licensed businesses.
Planning firms pursuing growth through acquisition.
Partners buying in or buying out within advice firms.
Practices restructuring for fee-for-service models.
Retiring planners seeking succession and exit funding.
Planning practice finance, answered.
How do lenders treat trail book income when assessing a financial planning acquisition?
Trail book income — recurring commissions on funds under management (FUM) — is the primary revenue lenders assess for financial planning practice loans. Lenders typically apply a haircut to trail income to account for client attrition: most model on 80–90% of current trail, and stress-test for a 15–20% reduction. FUM stability matters more than headline revenue — a book with low turnover and long-tenure clients is valued more highly than one with recent growth driven by a few large clients.
What LVR can I get to buy a financial planning practice?
Specialist lenders will typically fund 65–75% of the purchase price for an established financial planning practice. With real property security, some lenders will go to 80%. The constraint is usually the lender's comfort with trail income as serviceability — it's recurring but not guaranteed, and regulatory changes affect retention rates. We work with lenders who have specific financial planning lending programs rather than general business lenders who don't understand the model.
Does my AFSL affect my ability to get practice finance?
Yes, indirectly. Lenders want to confirm you hold appropriate licensing (your own AFSL or authorised representative status under an AFSL) and that there are no regulatory actions or conditions on your licence. A clean ASIC record is a standard credit requirement. If you're in the process of transitioning from one licensee to another, or if your practice operates under a dealer group arrangement, that can complicate the security structure and needs to be disclosed upfront.
Can I borrow against my existing trail book to fund a new acquisition?
Yes, though lenders will cap the facility at a conservative multiple of your annual trail income — typically 1.5–2x. This is sometimes structured as a revolving facility (drawdown as needed, repay as trail comes in) or a term loan with trail income as the primary repayment source. It's a useful structure if you're growing through acquisition rather than organic FUM growth.
Ready to discuss your practice?
Start the Conversation
Let's Talk About Your Planning Practice
Whether you're acquiring a practice, transitioning to your own AFSL, or managing a partner transition — we'd welcome the conversation.
Contact Details
Phone
02 6188 9849
info@blackmountainfinancial.com.au
Office
Level 1, 33 Allara Street
Canberra ACT 2601
Hours
Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm
What to Expect
- Honest assessment of your options
- Response within 24 hours
- Strategic insight, not a sales pitch
- No obligation discussion