Why I Started Nova Wealth
I arrived in Australia with $500—and had to build my financial life from scratch.
Like many international students, I came to Australia with ambition, hope and a willingness to work hard.
I had just $500 with me. I didn’t understand the Australian financial system, and there was no roadmap showing me how to build a secure financial future in a new country.
But those early years taught me an important lesson: if you are prepared to work hard, Australia can offer incredible opportunities.
After graduating, I secured a corporate role with NAB. My starting salary in 2007 was $35,000—a significant amount of money for a student coming straight out of university. I was earning more than many of my friends and felt as though I was finally succeeding.
So, what did I do with my new income?
Within a month, I took out a personal loan and bought a $17,000 car.
At the time, the car made me happy. It felt like a symbol of how far I had come. But in hindsight, it was not a particularly smart financial decision. I continued paying for that car for the next seven years.
That experience eventually taught me another, more important lesson:
“Earning good money and knowing how to build wealth are not the same thing.”
A higher income did not automatically teach me how tax worked, how to invest, how to use super effectively or how to make financial decisions that would benefit me over the long term.
It took me close to a decade—and then years of study and professional experience as a financial adviser—to properly understand how the different pieces of wealth creation work together.
As I began advising families, I realised my experience was not unusual.
Many migrant families arrive in Australia with limited resources and build their lives from the ground up. They establish successful careers or businesses, buy homes, raise children and earn good incomes.
But they are also expected to understand an unfamiliar financial system while making some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.
They work hard and earn well, yet still wonder:
Are we paying too much tax? Are we investing in the right places? Is our super working hard enough? And are we doing enough for retirement?
That is why I started Nova Wealth.
I wanted to create the kind of financial advice relationship I would have valued while building my own life in Australia—personal, educational and focused on bringing every part of a family’s finances together.
Today, my passion is helping migrant families learn from my experience, avoid costly mistakes and make more informed decisions with the wealth they have worked so hard to build.
Because working hard can create opportunity.
But knowing how to make your money work for you can change what that opportunity becomes.
Why good advice shouldn’t wait until retirement
Good financial advice shouldn’t only arrive when retirement is around the corner.
Some of your most important financial decisions are made while your career is strong, your family is growing and you still have time for those decisions to make a meaningful difference.
That may include how you manage tax, invest outside super, reduce debt, protect your family and prepare for retirement.
Our role is to help you understand which decisions matter now—so you can make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Start a ConversationWhat we stand for
Six principles that shape every piece of advice we give.
Clarity first
We explain the reasoning, priorities and trade-offs behind each recommendation so you always understand what you're doing and why.
Earlier advice
The most valuable financial decisions happen before retirement, when you still have time to build wealth deliberately for your family.
One connected plan
Tax, investments, super, protection and retirement are considered together rather than managed in silos.
Education matters
Through social media and practical resources, we make financial knowledge accessible for families navigating a new country.
Family at the centre
Advice is built around your whole family — children's goals, protection and generational wealth — not just individual products.
Migrant perspective
We understand the unique financial position of established migrant families and speak to it from personal experience.
The people behind your plan
Personal advice, supported by a dedicated team.
Meet the people who help turn your strategy into action and keep your financial plan moving forward.
We could not have asked for better support setting up a comfortable future and supporting our daughter. Difficult information is delivered with kindness and clarity.