Pro-bono Financial Advice Network (PFAN) was set up 11 years ago to help provide advice to Australians living with a personal health crisis and experiencing severe financial hardship.
It now has 140 advisers on its books and is able to employ staff to help run the operational side of things as a result of the generous support from industry.
Currently focused on those with Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease and other serious illnesses, the not-for-profit network has been working to set up good systems and processes for clients and advisers to follow.
“We are now at the stage where we have received financial support from HUB24, which has allowed an admin person to be employed, and a clear strategic roadmap to be drawn up for the next three to five years to become a charitable organisation which will allow tax deductible donations,” said PFAN Chair Nicola Beswick CFP®.
This has been driven in the main by deputy chair Natalie Kliebert, who was recently recognised for her work with PFAN by taking out the Pro Bono of the Year award at the 2025 Financial Newswire Women in Wealth Awards, Nicola said.
Advisers come from small practices and larger practices, some of whom have pro-bono work as a KPI. “When they know we exist, it’s a no-brainer that they come to us, Nicola said.
“With more staff and more advisers, we can help more charities”.
How your skills can help others
Seaside Wealth senior financial adviser Clare Shewan registered with PFAN last year after hearing Nicola speak to advisers at her licensee.
“It really touched me; I understood how vulnerable people are because there are so many nuances with financial planning and what super funds do and that’s what touched me. I thought I could really help people,” she said.
Clare had also experienced illness in her immediate family and felt attuned to the challenges that people may have.
After joining PFAN last year, Clare was assigned a client in his late 50s, suffering from a degenerative condition. He was unable to work again and didn’t know where to turn.
“I met him a couple of times face to face, but there was a lot I helped him with and was calling every couple of days, Clare said.
“His story broke my heart; I’m doing this because this person needs my help, and I have the skills. He was a very nice person, and I treated him in the same way as any of my clients.”
Clare said pursuing insurance claims from super funds needs someone who knows the nuances and traps, making sure you have the form right or the particular letters from your doctor to avoid issues with the process. “These were the things that I could help him prepare, she said.
“It took about four months of advice and action to ensure that the client was able to access his insurance/super and do the strategic thinking about his future” Clare said.
He needed to move to a more expensive house to meet his new needs and was wondering how he would be able to afford it. Clare explained the rules of super and that he could access his money at age 60 and just had to manage his cashflow for a year until that time.
“I broke down into chunks all the information, so it wasn’t so overwhelming, she said.
Having someone on your side
“He felt so lost and helpless and felt he was on his own, but I gave him answers and it changed his whole experience to have someone on his side.”
Kirra Sharrock CFP, wealth adviser at Bravium, reached out to Nicola years ago to learn more about PFAN. She felt inspired by it but was not an adviser at the time.
After becoming an adviser in 2023, Kirra contacted Nicola and soon after was given a case of a woman in her early 50s who had MS.
She had recently had a relationship breakup, and she had been forced to cut costs. She had also cancelled her income protection before realising she would no longer be able to work.
Her main concern was whether she’d be able to keep her home, which was located close to services she would need. She had a mortgage that was close to being paid off.
Kirra and a lawyer were able to help her access money from her super to pay for the mortgage and a budget tool was provided to help her work out where she could cut costs to make things work until she was able to access more super and a disability pension.
Kirra said the client was grateful for the help provided which gave her confidence to know she would be able to stay in her home. “Without that help she probably would have decided she couldn’t keep her home, and I don’t know where she would have ended up,” Kirra said.
Both Kirra and Clare are keen to help others and are looking forward to their next call from PFAN.
Advisers wanting to become involved in PFAN can click here to apply or speak with the PFAN team at the 2025 FAAA Congress in November.
