Building Financial Confidence Through Clarity
We started theraqionv because too many smart people were making decisions in the dark. Budget planning shouldn't feel like guesswork, and it definitely shouldn't require a finance degree to understand where your money's actually going.
From Spreadsheet Chaos to Strategic Planning
Back in 2019, our founder Elara Koskinen was running a small consulting practice in Sydney. She noticed something odd: clients would nod along during budget discussions, then email weeks later admitting they'd lost track of everything.
The problem wasn't discipline. It was that most planning tools treated budgets like static documents instead of living frameworks that needed to adapt. So we built something different—a way to think about money that spans years, not just months, and actually makes sense when life throws curveballs.
Today we work with families planning their first home purchase, small businesses mapping five-year growth, and individuals who just want to stop feeling anxious about their bank balance. The approach is the same: clear frameworks, honest conversations, and plans that work in the real world.
What Guides Our Work
These aren't corporate values printed on a poster. They're the principles we actually use when helping clients figure out complex financial decisions.
Clarity Over Complexity
Financial planning has enough jargon already. We explain things in plain language because understanding your own budget shouldn't require a translator. When a client can explain their plan to their partner without our help, we've done our job right.
Realistic Expectations
We won't promise you'll be debt-free in six months or retiring early through our system. Real financial progress takes time and depends on your specific situation. Our role is creating frameworks that work with your actual income and commitments, not fantasy projections.
Adaptive Planning
Life changes. Salaries shift, families grow, careers pivot. We build multi-year plans that can absorb changes without collapsing. Think of it as creating a financial system that bends instead of breaks when circumstances change—which they always do.
Long-Term Partnership
Budget planning isn't a one-time transaction. We work with clients over years, adjusting strategies as their goals evolve. This means honest feedback when plans aren't working and celebrating genuine progress—not just the stuff that looks good in testimonials.
The People Behind the Planning
We're a small team based in Western Sydney, which means you'll actually get to know us. No rotating cast of advisors or getting shuffled to junior staff. When you work with theraqionv, you work with people who remember your goals and understand your situation.
Elara Koskinen
Founder & Lead Planner
Started in corporate finance before realizing she preferred helping actual people over optimizing quarterly reports. Spent six years at a financial planning firm before launching theraqionv. Has a habit of explaining concepts using oddly specific analogies involving cafes and public transport.
Briony Dunstan
Client Strategy Advisor
Former small business owner who learned budget planning the hard way through seven years running a design studio. Joined theraqionv in 2021 because she got tired of watching friends make the same expensive mistakes she did. Particularly skilled at translating "I'm not sure where my money goes" into actual trackable patterns.
Areas Where We Focus
Individual & Family Planning
- Multi-year savings strategies for major purchases
- Debt management across different income phases
- Budget systems for irregular income patterns
- Family financial coordination and planning
Small Business Guidance
- Cash flow forecasting for seasonal businesses
- Growth funding and expansion planning
- Personal-business finance separation
- Multi-year business sustainability strategies
Our Planning Process
Reality Check Session
We start by mapping where money actually goes—not where you think it goes. This usually involves some surprises. The goal is getting an honest baseline without judgment or lectures about coffee purchases.
Goal Framework Building
What do you actually want to accomplish in the next few years? We organize goals by timeline and priority, then figure out what's realistic given current income and commitments. Some goals might need to shift—that's normal.
Multi-Year Strategy Development
We create a flexible framework spanning two to five years, depending on your goals. This includes contingency planning for common disruptions and adjustment points where we'll review progress. Plans that can't adapt to change aren't really plans.
Ongoing Support & Adjustment
We check in quarterly to see what's working and what isn't. Sometimes strategies need tweaking, sometimes goals need rethinking. The relationship continues as long as it's useful—no long-term contracts or pressure to keep going if you've got what you need.
Ready to Map Your Financial Future?
We're currently scheduling initial consultations for September 2025 onwards. If you're tired of guessing where your money should go and want a clearer framework, let's talk about what makes sense for your situation.
Schedule a Consultation