In short

The Financial Information Service (FIS) is a free Services Australia service, open to anyone regardless of income or assets, that explains how financial decisions affect Centrelink payments, describes government programs, and helps decipher Centrelink letters. FIS officers do not give personal financial advice or recommend products — for that, a licensed financial adviser is still needed.

Before booking a financial adviser, most retirees and pre-retirees could benefit from a service they've probably never heard of. Services Australia — the government agency that administers the Age Pension and other payments — operates a Financial Information Service (FIS) that provides free, independent financial information to anyone who asks. Not just to pensioners, not just to Centrelink customers, not just to people who qualify under some means test: to anyone. The service has been running for decades and remains genuinely underused.

What the FIS does and doesn't do

FIS officers are Services Australia employees with specific training in financial information. They can explain how financial decisions affect Centrelink payments, describe the range of government programs available to retirees and pre-retirees, provide general information about retirement income options including superannuation and investments, help decipher Centrelink assessment letters and notices, and refer people to appropriate specialists when personal advice is needed.

What they do not do is provide personal financial advice. An FIS officer will not recommend a specific product, suggest you should sell or buy a particular investment, or tell you what strategy is right for your individual circumstances. They will not prepare a Statement of Advice or take responsibility for the financial outcome of a decision. The information is general; the personal recommendation is someone else's job. This is a genuine limitation, but it does not diminish the value of what FIS actually provides.

What FIS is particularly good at

The area where FIS stands out is the interaction between financial decisions and Centrelink payments. Questions like "if I sell my investment property, how does the proceeds sitting in my bank account affect my pension while I decide what to do with it?" or "if my husband moves into aged care and I stay in the family home, how is my Age Pension affected?" are exactly the kind of questions FIS officers can address well. They understand the means test mechanics in detail, they know the programs, and they are not trying to sell you anything.

For pre-retirees approaching the age of 67 and starting to think about when and how to access the Age Pension, an FIS appointment can orient them to the framework — how the assets test and income test work, what counts as assessable income, how superannuation drawdowns interact with the pension, what the deeming rules mean in practice — without any commercial agenda. Arriving at a paid financial advice appointment with this foundational understanding allows the adviser to focus on personalised strategy rather than explaining basics.

FIS also runs group seminars on specific topics — retirement planning, aged care funding, managing finances in later retirement — typically free and open to the public. These seminars give participants a structured overview of complex areas and an opportunity to ask questions in a group setting. They are listed on the Services Australia website.

Who should consider using FIS

Retirees or pre-retirees who have received a Centrelink letter they don't fully understand are good candidates. Someone who has sold an asset and is uncertain about how to report it to Centrelink and what the consequences might be. Someone approaching retirement who wants to understand the Age Pension means test before committing to any strategy. Family members or carers who manage finances on behalf of an elderly relative. Executors dealing with the Centrelink implications of a deceased estate. All of these situations suit an FIS appointment or a visit to FIS written resources.

The FIS is not a substitute for a licensed financial adviser for matters that require personal advice — a specific investment recommendation, a complex super strategy, tax planning, or estate structuring all require licensed and qualified practitioners. But as a first step, for orientation, for understanding government programs, and for questions specifically about Centrelink interaction, the FIS fills a useful gap at no cost.

How to access it

The simplest route is to call Services Australia and ask for an FIS appointment. FIS officers are available by phone and at some Service Centres in person. Appointments can generally be made within a reasonable timeframe. The Services Australia website also has fact sheets, calculators, and written materials on common financial topics relevant to retirees and pre-retirees. These are worth reviewing even without making an appointment.

For practitioners working with retirees, referring clients to FIS for Centrelink-specific orientation before a substantive advice conversation can improve outcomes: clients arrive better-informed, able to ask sharper questions, and less likely to confuse what their fund manager told them with how Centrelink actually assesses it.

Sources

Key takeaways

  • FIS is free and available to anyone, not just Centrelink customers or pensioners — there's no means test or eligibility requirement to use it.
  • FIS officers explain how financial decisions affect Centrelink payments, describe government programs, and help decipher Centrelink assessment letters, but they don't give personal financial advice.
  • FIS is particularly strong on the interaction between financial decisions and Centrelink means testing — questions a licensed adviser would otherwise need to research or defer on.
  • FIS also runs free group seminars on topics like retirement planning and aged care funding, listed on the Services Australia website.
  • Using FIS for Centrelink orientation before a paid financial advice appointment lets the adviser focus on personalised strategy rather than explaining the basics.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be receiving the Age Pension to use the Financial Information Service?

No. FIS is available to anyone who asks, regardless of income, assets, or Centrelink customer status. It's a free general information service, not restricted to pensioners.

Will an FIS officer tell me what to do with my investments or super?

No. FIS officers provide general information only — they won't recommend a specific product, tell you to buy or sell an investment, or prepare a Statement of Advice. For that kind of personal recommendation, you need a licensed financial adviser.

What kind of questions is FIS actually good at answering?

Questions about how a financial decision interacts with Centrelink — for example, how proceeds from selling an investment property affect your pension while you decide what to do with the money, or how your Age Pension is affected if your spouse enters aged care. FIS officers understand the means test mechanics in detail.

How do I book an appointment with the Financial Information Service?

Call Services Australia and ask for an FIS appointment — officers are available by phone and at some Service Centres in person, generally within a reasonable timeframe. The Services Australia website also has fact sheets, calculators and written materials you can use without booking an appointment.

A note on advice. This article is general information only and doesn't account for your personal circumstances. Everyone's situation is different — before acting, it's worth talking it through with a licensed adviser who knows your full picture.