Dennis Spiroski, a Senior Financial Planner at Navigate Advisory, specialises in helping clients navigate one of life’s biggest transitions – retirement. And when it comes to living a great life himself, he finds the balance between meaningful work and adventures. In 2026, Dennis celebrates 10 years at Navigate. We asked him about his great life!
What does it mean to you to live a great life? How do you live a great life?
“A great life for me means having purpose and having something to look forward to, whether it’s travelling or going to a new restaurant. Having the time and freedom to do that with my family.”
For Dennis, that sense of anticipation is key. There’s always another experience on the horizon, another memory waiting to be made.
When it comes to travel, Dennis isn’t one for the ordinary. “A great life of travel for me looks like going to places I’ve never been before,” he explains. In 2023, his wife took him on an adventure that is seared into his memory, a trip to Machu Picchu.
The trip took them through Cusco and Buenos Aires, with a standout moment at Don Julio, considered one of the world’s best steakhouses.
“The foodie in me really loved that,” Dennis explains. “The heritage and history of Cusco, those buildings have been around for hundreds of years, it was just awesome to see.”
You mention that one of the best parts of your job is helping clients achieve their goals. Can you share a memorable story where you helped transform a client’s relationship with both their money and their retirement plans?
“When I think about helping over 50s reach their goals, one story comes to mind of a client approaching 60 who still had a mortgage on his home. He didn’t want to retire until he paid off that mortgage,” Dennis recalls.
The client was convinced he’d be working well into his 70s just to clear the debt. “Working with him, he didn’t think he’d be able to pay that mortgage off before he retired. Then, just through some careful, well thought-out strategies – being able to access super and restructuring a few things – we actually paid off the mortgage in four years rather than closer to 70.”
The transformation was profound. “Now his life has changed. He’s able to travel, he doesn’t have that stress, and he can retire at any time rather than working just to keep funding that mortgage. He didn’t have a financial plan in place. We’ve now got that plan in place and we’ve started ticking off those goals sooner, making sure he has that great life he wants to achieve – spending more time with his family without the worry of debt whilst approaching retirement.”
If you want to read more about Dennis’ experience in aged care, you can read his article about the changes to aged care costs here.
When working with clients approaching retirement, what’s often the biggest mental shift they need to make?
“For people approaching retirement, the biggest shift I’ve seen is moving away from being so focused on their career and working so hard, to realising, ‘I can enjoy holidays and enjoy time with my family, while still working to achieve my great life’”.
Dennis encounters many clients who’ve spent decades in accumulation mode, and giving them the peace of mind and confidence to know they can enjoy their wealth and also retire comfortably is crucial.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of clients over the years where their focus is work, work, finance, finance, work, finance, and they forget to do the fun stuff. They forget to do the holidays, they forget to take time off work because they’re just so involved in their career, which is not a bad thing, but I think the mindset shift is crucial, you can still work and still build wealth, but still have to find something to look forward to and set time aside to make that great life for you and your family as well.”
A powerful example Dennis shares: “One of the tools I love using to prepare clients for that transition to enjoying their wealth is showing, ‘If you spend $90,000 a year, this is how much money you’re going to have in retirement. If you spend $140,000 a year, this is the lifestyle you can have.” and with a solid plan in place, there is no reason our clients are not able to have the lifestyle in retirement that they have worked hard for.
From having this conversation, clients can understand the shift they need to make today, to live the lifestyle they want. It gives them the confidence and clarity to make financial decisions.
Then there are those clients who feel they need to save every dollar for their children. “It’s giving that peace of mind that they can make those decisions if that’s what they want. So it’s changing but it’s also challenging retirees’ mindset from ‘I’ve got to leave everything for the kids.’ If they leave the kids the house, that’s a win. And then try to reassure them that the money they’ve accumulated, they can go enjoy it.”
“Sometimes they just need someone to actually show them what their wealth looks like in different scenarios. This helps them make better decisions”.
During your career in financial services, how has your understanding of what makes a “great life” evolved? How does it help your clients?
Dennis recognises that wealth means different things to different people, shaped by life experiences.
“I see such interesting perspectives on wealth. Some clients love the challenge of growing their investments and assets as they approach retirement – or even after finishing working their traditional job. Then there are clients who’ve realised they have enough, and for them, wealth means the freedom to prioritise family time, meaningful travel, and living in the moment. That’s what a great life looks like to them. Wealth truly means different things to different people.”
Dennis works with clients who are looking to retire, are retired or who might be moving into aged care, and his role is to help each individual define their definition of a great life and how their wealth can support them beyond their working life.
“Nothing beats hearing how my guidance lets clients enjoy the retirement lifestyle they’ve envisioned. Their special trips, gifts for the grandkids – it’s energising to see them financially confident to live life to the fullest.
I specialise in pre-retirement planning and aged care. Super, investments, income streams, Centrelink – I connect all the dots into a cohesive plan. I take the time to listen intently to each person, understanding their unique situation. Bottom line, I want every client to feel on top of their money with no stress. That’s a win in my book.”
Dennis Spiroski is a Senior Financial Planner at Navigate Advisory, specialising in helping clients navigate pre-retirement and retirement planning with confidence and clarity.