← Back to all talks

NAVIGATE: One couple, two clients: Redesigning advice to ensure client safety

Speakers

Catherine Fitzpatrick
Catherine Fitzpatrick
Catherine Fitzpatrick is a social entrepreneur on a mission to disrupt financial abuse and gender bias through smarter product and service design. Catherine delivers keynotes that challenge audiences to see the unseen, rethink the status quo and take action. A former bank executive, she brings a mix of expertise, experience and pragmatism to unmask and disrupt financial abuse. Her talks are thought-provoking, practical and deeply human, leaving audiences with a clearer understanding of the hidden risks and a roadmap for real change. Nearly 30 years ago, Catherine met a woman whose tragic story shaped her career. Since then, she’s led industry-wide reforms, advised governments on financial abuse policy and pioneered the financial safety by design framework – helping leading brands protect customers, manage risk and strengthen trust. Her ground-breaking Designed to Disrupt™ reports and #respectandprotect campaign have led to world-first action from more than 45 businesses across 10 sectors, ensuring more than 20 million customers are better protected. Catherine is Adjunct Associate Professor, UNSW School of Social Sciences, and holds advisory roles with the Commonwealth and NSW governments and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. She’s co-founder of the One Generation business alliance against domestic and family violence, launched with former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty AO in 2024. Her contributions have been recognised over the years with awards including the AFR | Qantas Woman of Influence, Shared Value Bravery Award and National Consumer Advocacy Award. Expect a keynote that challenges, inspires and drives change – because when financial abuse and gender bias are designed out, opportunity is designed in.

Julie Matheson CFP®
Julie Matheson CFP®

, Speaker, Mentor & FounderFinwise™ Leadership Australia

Julie Matheson is a Certified Financial Planner CFP® and recipient of the prestigious FPA Distinguished Service Award. She has dedicated her career to elevating and promoting the financial planning profession across Australia.
With her expertise and experience as a former AFSL business owner and Director of the FPA/FAAA, Julie offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s financial planning practices.
As Founder of Finwise™ Leadership Australia, she specialises in three critical pillars of modern financial planning: mentoring Professional Year supervisors, pricing advice, and applying the Code of Ethics to real-world practice. Her deep understanding of pricing enables advisers to confidently articulate and capture the true value of their services in a competitive marketplace.
Whether presenting to emerging professionals, seasoned planners, or industry leaders, Julie speaks with authenticity and an unwavering passion for the profession. She is the financial advice profession’s #1 fan.

Amanda Cassar
Amanda Cassar

Aged Care & Estate PlanningWealth Planning Partners

Amanda specialises in Age Care and Estate Planning. She has written the book Financial Secrets Revealed and hosts a podcast of the same name. Amanda has created an online course for financial professionals globally on the topic of financial coercion and financial abuse.

When partners sit together in your office, it’s easy to treat them as one financial unit. But what if one of them is being controlled, coerced, or silenced?
In this practical and eye-opening session, Catherine Fitzpatrick - ex-bank exec turned social entrepreneur and Amanda Cassar, Global Ambassador for financial abuse awareness explores how financial abuse shows up in advice relationships, explain why advisers have a responsibility to act ethically and legally, and how to support each client as an individual. Through taking a deep dive into a client case study, you’ll leave with red flags to watch for, language to use, and how to redefine your advice service and take steps to take if you suspect something isn’t right. Essential for anyone giving advice to couples - and who are committed to safer, more ethical practice.

Learning Outcomes
  Attendees will learn about the following:
- How to recognise behavioural and structural indicators of financial control, coercion, or silencing, using real-world scenarios and the 'four Rs' framework (Recognise, Respond, Refer, Record).
- Explore how to uphold Standard 2 (best interest duty) and Standard 4 (free, prior, and informed consent), ensuring each client is treated as an individual, not just part of a financial unit.
- Gain operational tips such as requiring separate email addresses, dual signatures for service agreements, and using secure platforms like DocuSign to enhance compliance and cybersecurity.
- Through interactive polling and scenario-based discussion, how to develop communication strategies that encourage disclosure and build trust, especially when one partner may be at risk.
- To revise their client onboarding procedures and vulnerability policies to better detect and respond to financial abuse, ensuring compliance with professional standards and duty of care.

CPD: 0.25 hrs Reg. Compliance and Consumer Protection / 0.25 hrs Professionalism and Ethics / 0.5 hrs Client Care & Practice

Date & Time: Thursday, November 20, 2025 • 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location: Riverview 5

Type: Session

Ask Marloo

Loading assistant session...