ABOUT CENTRAL WEALTH

The heart of your financial success

We exist to help people live better lives through clear, thoughtful, and truly comprehensive financial planning. In an industry often centred on products, returns, and market commentary, we choose a different path – one that begins by understanding you.

Office desk with financial graphs, a calculator, a keyboard, a laptop with an open notebook on top, reports, and a cup in the background.

Financial planning built on real conversations

We exist to help people live better lives through clear, thoughtful, and truly comprehensive financial planning. In an industry often centred on products, returns, and market commentary, we choose a different path – one that begins by understanding you.

Financial planning isn’t just about money. It’s about the life you want to live, the people you care about, the opportunities you hope to capture, and the challenges you want to protect yourself from. Our role is to bring clarity to those goals and create a financial plan that supports them.

We help bring structure to the key areas of your financial life - from investments and cashflow, to risk protection, retirement income, and longer-term planning. Where specialist advice is needed, we work alongside your accountant, lawyer, or insurer to ensure everything fits together. But these are tools, not the destination. The destination is confidence, security, and a sense of progress toward what matters most to you.

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About Stephen

You'll work with Stephen, from first conversation through to ongoing reviews. I remain responsible for your advice, your strategy, and the outcomes we’re working toward. Supporting that work is a carefully chosen network of administrators, investment partners, and professional specialists. This structure allows us to stay focused on what matters most - thinking clearly, acting deliberately, and being available when you need guidance.


Stephen McFarlane
Financial Adviser | Certified Financial Planner см
Chartered Accountant

Twenty years helping families build wealth with clarity and purpose.

Professional credentials

Stephen holds two of New Zealand's most respected professional designations in financial planning and accounting:

  • Certified Financial Planner (CFPсм) – A leading qualification in financial planning, held by fewer than 400 professionals in New Zealand

  • Chartered Accountant (CA) – Professional accounting qualification through Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Stephen is a member of Financial Advice New Zealand (FANZ) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), requiring ongoing professional development and adherence to strict codes of ethics.

Stephen also holds the FANZ Trusted Adviser mark – recognition for meeting Financial Advice New Zealand's highest standards of professional practice.

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WHY CENTRAL WEALTH

Experience that matters

With more than two decades of experience in financial advice, Stephen has helped individuals and families navigate complex financial decisions with clarity and confidence.

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Expert insights

More than 700 published articles on financial planning, investing, and business topics

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Leadership in the community

Served as director of several community sporting and charitable organisations

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Experienced financial advice

Two decades of experience helping families navigate complex financial decisions

What this means for you

Proven expertise. Years of advanced professional training combined with real-world experience across investment, retirement, and business – providing a practical understanding of the financial decisions people face over time.

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Clear communication

Hundreds of published articles demonstrate my ability to explain complex topics in plain language.

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Holistic perspective

I understand both the technical aspects (investment, structures, compliance) and the human aspects (goals, trade-offs, priorities) of financial planning.

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Community values

My non-profit governance experience reflects a commitment to service beyond commercial interests.

CONTACT

Start building your future today

Let’s build a retirement plan that fits your life and your ambitions.