Trent Yeo is a financial planning expert and local business man focused on providing the Sunshine Coast community with a clear, affordable service. Working under the AMP umbrella, Trent is soon to launch an innovative new business concept to the financial planning industry on the Sunshine Coast

Passionate about his business Trent takes a hands on approach, from dealing with customers to developing his organisations vision. Keeping motivated by focusing on achieving the best results for his clients, Trent presents excellence in every aspect of his business. Providing customers with up to date advice he explains the planning process simply and clearly ensuring clients are well informed every step of the way.

“I strongly believe clients need to have clarity in what you are doing each step of the way,” Trent said. “They should be informed of costs at each stage of the process, understanding what we are doing and why we are doing it.”

Trent ensures his business constantly adapts to new challenges in an ever changing industry. As legislation changes yearly Trent uses new information available to develop fresh ways to do business.

“In this industry you can’t afford to be stubborn, you need to take on board new information and use it to best serve your clients,” Trent explains.

Trent says the highlight of owning and operating a business on the Sunshine Coast is the community. There are many small to medium businesses on the Coast which creates a good environment to meet and interact with likeminded people through work transactions.

As a business owner Trent finds it difficult to achieve a work/life balance saying he often needs to make time to take time out. To maintain the balance between both aspects of his life, Trent ensures he works efficiently while he is at the office and leaves work at the door when he arrives home in the evenings.

“It has taken me years to be able to achieve a healthy work/life balance, I would have loved to be able to do that from the start,” said Trent. “I used to work 100 hour weeks!”

Ongoing education is essential to financial planners as tax and budget changes occur yearly. As a professional Trent applies these changes to the market, ensuring clients receive the best advice for their individual situation. He says it is imperative to know your market well and apply new knowledge to the correct areas.

Trent is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve his business which includes taking advice from other professionals. The best piece of business advice Trent has been given is to stick to what you are good at. He says that many people are not properly equipped or adequately skilled to complete some of the tasks they are set.

 “Stick to what you are good at and don’t be hesitant to call in someone to help or advise you,” said Trent. “Too many people try to be something they are not and it can cause negative backlash if you’re not delivering a quality service.”

The need for financial planning services has dramatically increased due to the current economic climate. Trent says the global financial crisis has sparked an increased awareness of the importance of his services. People have become more conscious of protecting their wealth and income. Trent explains he used to have a 50/50 demand for insurance and investment, now the balance has tipped in favour of insurance.

“Thankfully we have not seen the huge losses in our client’s investment and superannuation portfolios that some financial planners have during the current climate,” said Trent. “Although there have been reductions for some of our clients in general they seem to have a positive outlook for the future”, said Trent

Trent’s professional goal is to continue to run a successful business for the next 20 to 30 years. He says this means constantly moving forward and keeping up with ever changing industry standards.

“To me running a successful business means having happy clients, turning over profit, and being known and respected in my industry for what I do,” said Trent.  

To achieve this goal Trent is always up front and clear, simplifying the process making it easy for clients to understand, taking the stress off them. In doing this Trent ensures his customers are fully aware of the different costs involved. By informing clients of what he is doing and why he is doing it every step of the way, they can rest assured their assets are being handled by a professional.

If you are in need of some innovative new financial planning advice call Trent on 5443 9720.