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Community Chapman Welsh

Community Chapman Welsh

5.0(47 reviews)See reviews ↓·Geelong

About the company

Community Chapman Welsh was formed after the 2022 merger of Chapman Welsh Financial Services and Community Financial Services. Chapman Welsh Insurances was first established in 1978 by Frank Welsh and Ray Chapman. Ross Hultgren joined the business about 10 years after 1978 and purchased the financial planning arm from Frank in 2002. Frank Welsh founded Community Financial Services in April 2012. The business provides financial services in Geelong and has over 100 years of collective experience in financial planning.

Frank Welsh is Executive Director and has over 35 years experience. Matthew Stokes is Managing Director. Ross Hultgren is Director & Senior Financial Advisor. Bradley Macdonald has been a Financial Adviser since 2008 and attained his Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning) in 2008. Gav Bhanot has been working in the banking and finance industry for almost 18 years. David Kent specialises in pre-retirement and retirement strategies. Dylan Hultgren has been working in the industry for nearly 10 years. Lachlan Patten joined AMPFP as an Authorised Representative in January 2015 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University.

David Hutton has been providing Financial Planning Advice since 1989. Wade Vautier is a Financial Advisor & Mortgage Broker. Rhys Hultgren is a Mortgage Consultant & Financial Advisor. Kym Paterson is Advisor Support Manager. Core services include pre-retirement and retirement planning, managing debt, investment planning, wealth creation, superannuation including self-managed super funds, and personal insurance planning. The business was a recipient of the 2025 Best Practice Award.

What customers say

Based on genuine customer reviews

In Geelong and the surrounding districts, Community Chapman Welsh has built a reputation through the experiences of clients who describe mortgage and refinancing work, investment property finance, retirement planning, estate and probate matters, taxation management and trust accounts, along with insurance reviews and debt reduction strategies. Customers in several reviews describe the team as calm and personable, particularly in contrast to stressful encounters elsewhere, and reviews regularly refer to that the entire finance process was managed seamlessly.

Named staff such as Rhys Hultgren, Brad MacDonald and Lisa are singled out for their thoroughness, organisation and patience, with clients noting that complex concepts were explained clearly and without jargon. A recurring theme is communication that continues well beyond settlement, including proactive check-ins about competitive rates and loan structures.

First home buyers describe feeling guided and educated through their options, while business owners appreciate having their affairs handled efficiently alongside demanding schedules. Estate and probate clients speak of caring, honest support during difficult periods, and investor clients highlight the speed of approvals. Several reviewers point to the value of having ongoing access to advice, with questions answered promptly and requests never treated as an inconvenience. The practice serves individuals, couples, families and business operators seeking long-term financial direction.

Reviews

Reviews are taken from publicly available sources.

YC
Yvonne Claus9 August 2026

Rhys & Lisa are both the best! Constantly updating us with our Refinancing, saves us money each month & over the long term, would highly recommend this company, they listen to what you want & get it.

GM
Greg Molloy6 August 2026

It has been a month and this has given me time to assess my choice of using CCW. I could not be happier firstly with the advice, then the step-by-step process and friendly assistance to ultimately get the best result for me and my family. They not only saved me substantially money by my refinancing of my home and investment loans and quicker repayment scheme but their retirement planning advice and process has given me a more confident and relaxed outlook for when my retirement comes around in a few years time. I highly recommend CCW for anyone who is looking at refinancing their mortgage loans or who is after some advice as they start planning for their future in retirement. Thank you Brad, Rhys and the rest of your team for your great work.

MV
Michelle Vincent14 May 2026

My brother and myself have recently lost both our parents. I want to take this opportunity to recommend the services provided by Brad MacDonald and the team at Community Chapman and Welsh. Brad has handled my parents financial affairs for a number of years now and both my brother and I have had the complete pleasure of working with Brad navigating through estate planning and probates, financial assistance, taxation management, trust accounts management, aged care services etc. Brad has managed to save the estates of my parents from a financial crisis, saving the estate over $200K in taxes and government means testing charges. I don’t know how we would have faired without his professional and honest advice. Brad’s integrity, honesty and genuine concern for our family over the years is outstanding. Without hesitation I would highly recommend Brad MacDonald and the team at Community Chapman and Welsh. A thousand thank “yous”. Your service has gone above and beyond. Your blood’s worth bottling.

GL
Gerard Lynch21 August 2025

After being recommended to go see Brad McDonald at Community Chapman Walsh I was not sure what to expect not having a great deal of funds after a divorce. Brad was fantastic, extremely friendly and welcoming. We sat down and had an informal chat about my circumstances and what could be the best course of action moving foward. Brad and I met few weeks later and we implemented a plan that he had put a lot of research and knowledge into for my specific needs. 3 Years later I’m now looking towards a retirement in the future that did not seem like an option for me until I put Brads plan into action. I cannot recommend Brad or CCW high enough to anyone feeling a little bit confused about their future and their best options to take. Thanks Brad once again for getting me on track and the stress that I no longer have for me or my children’s future

GF
Gracie Forshaw16 April 2025

My partner and I were recommended to speak with Rhys after a frighteningly intense meeting with a home loan specialist at one of the major banks. Thankfully, our experience with Rhys was the complete opposite, his calm and personable nature made the process far less daunting. He was thorough, ensured we got everything where it needed to be on time and quick to respond to all of our questions. I highly recommend Rhys and the team at CCW, we look forward to working with them for years to come.

DB
Doug Boon30 August 2024

We recently worked with Rhys Hultgren to refinance our home loan, and we couldn't be more pleased with the experience. From the beginning, Rhys was both organized and attentive to our needs. He identified the perfect solution and product for us, managing the entire process seamlessly—something we greatly appreciated while balancing two businesses. We highly recommend Rhys and Chapman Welsh for anyone seeking thorough and expert financial assistance

JW
Julie Whelan2 May 2024

My husband and I sought retirement planning advice and met up with Steve Reynolds. Steve is so knowledgeable, professional, friendly and really knows his stuff! We were thrilled with the advice we received. Steve reviewed our super and made some great recommendations to improve outcomes and has provided a clear pathway to a comfortable retirement. Steve answered all our questions. Seeing Community Chapman and Welsh was one of the best decisions we ever made. It’s given us peace of mind. Highly recommend Steve and this business for retirement planning.

Financial advisers & planners in Geelong compared

Ordered by rating, weighted by the number of reviews — businesses with only a handful of reviews do not jump to the top automatically. 12 businesses in this category in Geelong are compared.

RankProviderRatingReviewsOpen Sat.
1Burke Britton Financial Partners★ 5,0146No
2Index Wealth - Geelong★ 5,071No
3Community Chapman Welsh (this page)★ 5,047No
4Muirfield Financial Services Geelong★ 5,041No
5Super Focus★ 5,017No
Contact
+61383539439www.ccwadvisory.com.au1/80 Pakington St, Geelong West VIC 3218
Working hours
Monday08:30–17:00
Tuesday08:30–17:00
Wednesday08:30–17:00
Thursday08:30–17:00
Friday08:30–17:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed