Scott Francis has provided commentary towards an article written by Melanie Christiansen and published on page 10 0f Saturday's Courier Mail - 4th October 2008 - Panic could prove costly.

In the article, the following comments were attributed to Scott:

"Another financial planner, Scott Francis, said the situation might be worrying for those close to or newly retired, but he said for cashed up younger investors, there was "a little stench of opportunity'' in the air".

"I think this is a really exciting time for people far enough away from retirement not to be threatened,'' he said.

THE current financial market turmoil presents an "exciting'' opportunity for well-placed investors.

Instead of worrying about reduced values and selling shares when prices are low, he urges investors to take advantage of the situation.

"The price of shares now reflects all the fear and uncertainty, so you're potentially selling at a really bad time,'' he says.

"I think this is a really exciting time for people far enough away from retirement not to be threatened.''

Mr Francis says it is important to remember that shares should not just be judged on their values, but also the "pretty attractive income stream'' from dividends and also their franking credits.

He also advises people to stick with their superannuation, despite recent falling returns.

"Right now, it's distressing that the value of super is falling. But the nice thing if you are far enough away from retirement, you're still buying more assets at significantly lower prices than you had to pay 12 months ago.''

But he would encourage more people to take control of their super, rather than simply accepting the fund's default holding.