Hi Sunshine, I work with financial planners, and DH & I have been to see one. We primarily went there for insurance, so the first thing he asked us was how much debt we have. He made sure our life insurance, TPD & trauma insurance was enough to cover all debt plus a bit extra should anything happen to either of us. He also got us sorted with income protection (the premium for this is tax deductible too, so that's handy).

Next he asked us about our financial goals - which at the time were to pay off our personal loan, then start working on reducing our home loan so we can build equity in our house and maybe one day have an investment property. He was great, helped with working out small steps to reach our goals.

If you need I can also explain a little better what all the types of insurance are and how they work.

As for choosing one, I just went with the local fella at the bank cos that's where I work. But I'd have a good look at their fee structures, some get paid more for offering particular products, and some get paid more for selling larger insurance packages, even if you don't need it. I agree word of mouth is a good way to go