When it came to acquiring a lifestyle underpinned by financial security, Brenton decided to ignore what he’d grown up in Sydney hearing, “People like us can’t do things like that.” He’s made a career out of proving that such a lifestyle is possible for all kinds of clients who couldn’t see a way to the life they deserved, however hard they worked. Brenton’s own financial education started early, talking through the concepts in the Australian Financial Review with a friendly commerce teacher. Today, listening and talking through concepts is exactly what Brenton does for his clients and in the media — including the Financial Review. A financial planner since 1999, Brenton believes strongly in separating advice from commissions. This is why he has made it a cornerstone of Financial Spectrum that the firm rejects commissions. Brenton holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting and Law, as well as an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning. He is completing his Masters of Business Administration and is enrolled in the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner programme (FChFP). Brenton is a Senior Associate Member of FINSIA, a Practitioner Member of the Association of Financial Advisers and a member of the Association of Independent Financial Professionals. In addition, Brenton is an accredited trainer for financial planners and writes part of the Continuing Professional Development syllabus for Kaplan.