About.
Mission
To simplify accounting for Financial Advisors—turning complexity into clarity. We deliver insight-led, industry-specific support that helps you grow with confidence, stay compliant, and focus on what matters most: your advice business.
Values
✔️ Clear, practical advice—no jargon
✔️ 100% focused on Financial Advisors and FAPs
✔️ Systems built for real-life cashflow, commissions, and compliance
✔️ Long-term thinking, growth-focused mindset
✔️ Trusted relationships over transactional service
Why Us
We Understand Your World
We’re not generalists. Our partners have worked in and around the advice industry—from auditing financial institutions and leading finance teams to managing start-ups and education providers. We've walked the walk.
Built for Financial Advisors
Whether you’re a sole NR or managing a nationwide FAP, we know the challenges you face—trail income, clawbacks, GST grey zones, licensing obligations. Our solutions are built around your specific model.
Strategy + Compliance = Peace of Mind
We keep you ahead of IRD, FMA, and Companies Office requirements—with proactive tax planning, audit prep, and real-world reporting. No stress at year-end. No surprises.
Your Finance Partner, Not Just Your Accountant
We don’t just file returns. We interpret the numbers, model what’s next, and help you make informed decisions. Think of us as your CFO on call.
Who We Work With
✔️ Financial Advisors (FA)
✔️ Financial Advice Providers (FAPs)
✔️ Nominated Representatives (NRs)
✔️ Insurance & Mortgage Brokers
✔️ Start-ups & Scaling Advice Businesses
Bio-data – Darshi Sharma, CA
Darshi brings a deep understanding of the financial services industry, honed through years of working directly with Financial Advisors, Insurance Brokers, and FAPs across New Zealand. With a strong foundation in auditing, finance, tax planning, business structuring, and compliance, she specialises in untangling the messier parts of accounting—like clawbacks, GST apportionment, and reconciling multiple income streams.
Her background spans from accounting, business advisory, and software implementation. She’s known for her practical approach to turning financial chaos into clarity—designing systems that track commissions, automate GST, and make reporting seamless. Whether you're navigating regulatory change or just want to simplify your back office, Darshi partners with you to make your business more compliant, efficient, and scalable.
At CAFA, Darshi leads the delivery of hands-on accounting support, Xero setup and training, income mapping, and tax planning—all tailored to the unique realities of the financial advice sector.
Strengths:
• Commission & trail income reconciliation
• GST treatment of mixed supplies
• Sole traders & micro-FAP structures
• Xero implementation & process automation
• Audit prep & compliance health checks
When she's not fine-tuning accounting systems, you’ll find her in the kitchen trying out new recipes and cooking feed for her loved ones.
Partner – Practice Lead, Systems & Advisory
Bio-data – Ashwin Rao, CA
Ashwin is a seasoned Chartered Accountant with 20+ years’ experience spanning global think tanks, tech start-ups, and private education groups. He brings a strategic lens to finance—having led capital raises, M&A due diligence, multi-entity reporting, and global compliance across New Zealand, the UK, and the US.
At CAFA, Ashwin is the steady hand guiding clients through more complex challenges—setting up the right structures, managing cashflow across group entities, navigating funder reporting, or preparing for scale. He’s especially skilled at integrating tools to create live dashboards and visibility into performance. If you’re a growing FAP or advice business with expansion plans, Ashwin helps align the numbers with the vision.
Strengths:
• Group-level reporting & forecasting
• Capital raising support & investor readiness
• FAP structuring & risk oversight
• Systems integration & board reporting
When he’s not managing finance functions, Ashwin enjoys baking and nature walks with his family.
Partner – Strategy, Compliance & Global Finance