Finance

6 common financial mistakes people make in their 30s

24 April, 20198 September, 2022 Updated on8 September, 2022 Finance

Climbing the career ladder, perhaps buying a home and starting a family – the 30s are an exciting stage of life. However, decisions made now can make a big difference to future financial wellbeing, and with so much going on it is understandable, even inevitable, that the best decisions won’t always be made. So what are the common financial mistakes that 30-somethings should be alert to?

1. Buying an expensive car

New cars plummet in value when driven off the showroom floor, and the higher the price tag the greater the fall. Buy with borrowed money and you’re paying interest on an asset of diminishing value. Settling for what you need in a car, rather than what you want, can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to your future nest egg.

2. Living on plastic

If you don’t pay off your credit card balance in full each month you’ll be paying a high rate of interest on the carryover balance. Over time, the growing interest bill makes it increasingly difficult to clear the debt. If not used carefully, buy-now-pay-later schemes can also become something of a debt trap.

3. Forgetting to save

A rule of thumb is to save at least 10% of your income, but saving even a small amount is better than doing nothing. And in your 30s you have time on your side. For instance, when you turn 30 if you put away $200 per month at an interest rate of 5% per annum (after tax), by the time you’re in your 60’s the savings will grow to $166,452. If you wait until you’re 40 to start your savings plan you will accumulate just $82,207.

4. Getting caught up in investment fads

Tulips, alpacas, ostriches, the tech boom, crypto-currencies. Investment fads have come and gone, making fortunes for a few, but big losses for many. It pays to heed tried and true rules such as only investing in things you really understand, and diversifying investments to reduce risk.

5. Not insuring your most important asset

For most 30-somethings your biggest asset is the ability to earn an income. Most health-related absences from work are due to illness or non-work related injuries – things that are not covered by workers compensation. Income protection insurance can replace much of the income lost due to accident or illness.

6. Being too hard on yourself

Let’s face it. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. Unfortunately, if we beat ourselves up about a mistake we have made it may compound the problem. The sour taste of a bad investment, for example, might put us off making a good investment. That would be a pity because the 30s is a decade of huge potential. Good advice now can help you unlock that potential. To find out more, contact us today!

This is general information only

A good financial planner is your best asset

17 July, 20198 September, 2022 Updated on8 September, 2022 Finance

Financial planning is about establishing a long-term strategy to secure your financial future with the lifestyle and living standards you desire. ‘Value’ often goes beyond dollars and cents. It can be the peace of mind and security that comes with being better prepared for the future. Once you’ve begun a relationship with a licensed adviser you will quickly see that he or she adds value to your circumstances by helping you in a number of ways. How can a financial planner help? Setting goalsThis process helps you decide where you want to go in life. A skilled financial planner can assist you to identify your financial goals, prioritise them and understand the steps required to turn your vision into reality. By knowing your goals and timeframes, it’s easier to see where to concentrate your efforts. You’ll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise blow you off course. Getting a financial plan startedDeveloping a written plan with a clear emphasis is critical to achieving your financial objectives. Your planner can provide budgeting and debt management advice to help you start creating wealth. Protecting your future dreams with appropriate insurance is another key aspect your planner will manage. Maintaining a diversified portfolioEvery financial planner is required by law to take a client’s risk tolerance into account as part of their personalised financial plan. Diversification is another important tool for managing risk. This means that the advice given and any investments recommended as part of that process are suited to your specific needs and risk level. And these will change to meet your circumstances as they vary throughout life. Being there over the long termGoing your own way is rarely the best option. Most people don’t have the background knowledge to feel confident about making investment decisions that will have a large bearing on their financial future. Keeping up with all of the legislative changes and new investment offers is also an onerous task. Your planner will be there to steer you on your path to financial independence and ensure your plan remains relevant and on track. While investment magazines and online subscription services can provide very useful information, they are often written by journalists with a general grounding in financial concepts but who are not looking at the complete picture. A financial planner is trained to take into account all legislative and strategic implications to ensure you receive the best advice possible… and this training is ongoing. Your financial plan is not a one-off, set-and-forget arrangement. Just as life has its many twists and turns your plan must be flexible and appropriate to your needs at any point in life. Working together with a qualified, experienced and licensed financial planner will help you develop a plan that is tailored to you and your life goals. The opportunity to invest tax-effectively using some of these methods will vary from one person to the next. Make sure you seek advice about how they relate to your own situation. Contact us today to get started! This is general information only

Estate Planning is not just for retirement

16 August, 202314 August, 2023 Updated on14 August, 2023 Finance

Many people think that Estate Planning is only for people who are close to retirement, especially if we fall into the trap of thinking that Estate Planning is just about getting a will. But did you know that Estate Planning addresses key protection strategies whilst you’re still alive? It doesn’t matter who you are, Estate Planning is for everyone. What are the key pillars of Estate Planning? Estate Planning is all about making sure that you get the choice as to what happens to you and your assets – whether that’s if you need someone to make decisions on your behalf, or you pass away and your estate needs to be divided up. 1. Advance Care Directive Should something happen to you, and you are unable to communicate decisions about your medical care and treatment, an advance care directive allows you to: As long as the directive is valid, it must be followed and cannot be overridden by medical professionals or family members. 2. Power of Attorney A Power of Attorney allows a person who you nominate to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity as a result of illness, injury or disability. They can help ensure important financial and legal matters are handled without delay if you can’t manage them yourself – for example, paying your bills, managing your bank accounts, managing your investments and buying and selling property. 3. A Valid Will Whereas the first two pillars ensure that important matters are handled in accordance with your wishes if you’re incapacitated, a will ensures that those same matters are handled in accordance with your wishes after your death. A will gives you the best chance of ensuring that your assets go where you want them to. If you die without a valid will: 4. Superannuation When you pass away, your superannuation is distributed to the person(s) you have nominated in the fund’s death benefit nomination. However, this may not be binding on the super fund, and if you haven’t nominated a beneficiary this could result in a lengthy process as the super fund trustee needs to decide who gets the money. Superannuation is also not automatically included as part of your estate. The best way to ensure your super is distributed in accordance with your wishes is to nominate your legal personal representative. Your Executor will then be required to distribute your super according to your Will. An estate plan gives you choice and control Whilst growing your wealth is one part of a great financial plan, protecting your wealth in the event of your incapacity or death is just as important. Ensuring that your estate plan is in order gives you choice and control in how your affairs and assets will be handled, which in turn benefits both you and your loved ones. If you would like to explore your estate planning options, contact us to get started. The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. 

4 fool-proof ways to keep on top of your credit cards

8 June, 20221 June, 2022 Updated on1 June, 2022 Budgeting, Education

Credit cards certainly make life easier – they are simple to use, accepted almost everywhere, and help you to buy what you want, when you want, particularly online. So much so that living close to the credit limit has become the norm for many people and spending can quickly get out of hand. To make sure your credit card works in your best interests, use these tips to stay on top of your debt. Routine is key We all know how easy it is to let things get away from us. Just like that power bill sitting at the bottom of the stack of mail on the bench or “accidentally” bingeing an entire Netflix season while the laundry piles up, we tend to postpone boring, albeit important, tasks. Create a routine, though, and you’ll complete these jobs simply out of habit. It can be as easy as setting a monthly reminder in your calendar to check that your credit card payments are up to date. Paying your credit card balance off in full each month, will help you avoid pesky interest fees. This handy tip will also help you avoid any late fees! Make use of technology If organisation skills are not your forte, why not take advantage of the many apps and services designed to help? ‘Mint’ is one of the many useful apps available that will organise your spending into categories, helping you ensure there is always cash to go towards your credit card repayments. Making use of automatic payments in your banking app can also be helpful. Payments will be made on time and best of all, once set up, you don’t have to lift a finger! Cash advances cost more When money is tight, people are forced to use their cards for cash advances (withdrawing cash) instead of just purchasing goods and services… and in doing so, are paying a high price for the privilege. Interest is charged immediately on a cash advance and at a higher rate than purchases. Even if you have an interest-free card, you will immediately start paying interest as soon as you withdraw cash using your card. If you must take cash off your card, repay it as quickly as possible. Emergency funds will save the day! You’ve probably heard about the importance of emergency funds, and with good reason! If we’ve learnt anything over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic it’s just how quickly things can change, particularly within our economy. So, whether it’s an increase in the cost of living or a rise in interest rates, it is vital to have a bit of spare cash handy. A good place to start is with an emergency fund calculator. It will consider your income, savings, and living expenses, and provide an estimate of how much spare cash you should be saving for a rainy day. Realistically, many of us couldn’t get by without our credit cards, but it is vital that we use them in a way that only provides a benefit to our lifestyle. The secret to credit card success — keep your spending responsible and pay the full balance off every month; otherwise, the only winners are the banks. The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

When an SMSF may be the wrong idea

20 May, 20204 May, 2022 Updated on4 May, 2022 Finance, Investing, Superannuation

Since the Australian Government introduced compulsory employer contributions to people’s superannuation funds in 1992, Australia’s funds invested in super have grown to $3 trillion. In this time, self-managed super funds (SMSF’s) have grown in popularity too. There are currently just over 1 million members with $747 billion in SMSFs across Australia. SMSFs can have between one and four members. While not yet legislated, the government has proposed allowing up to six members in an SMSF. Most SMSFs in Australia have two members (70%), with most other SMSFs having a single member (23%). According to the ATO, the average value of assets in people’s SMSFs is $320,000. The general recommendation is to have a minimum balance of $200,000 in your SMSF. While it can be tempting to see the potential of being in complete control over your super balance, it may not always be a good idea to set up an SMSF. Why set up an SMSF?Many people opt to set up an SMSF to have more flexibility in where they invest their money. Along with more investment options such as residential property and rare asset classes such as art, valuable collectables and physical gold, your SMSF income is taxed at a lower rate of 15%. Compared to the marginal income tax rate for average and high-income earners (usually between 30% to 45%), establishing an SMSF can be an attractive option. However, as with any other type of investing, there are potential downsides and SMSFs can carry significant risks and costs. What are the risks associated with having an SMSF?There are several risks associated with having an SMSF. To establish an SMSF, you are legally required to have an investment strategy. When you have an SMSF, you also need to ensure you get tailored advice from your financial adviser to mitigate the risk of making poor investment and financial decisions. Many SMSFs also choose to invest in one asset, such as residential property. This leaves your super balance overexposed to risk, compared to if you had a balanced portfolio in a super fund. Unlike a traditional super fund, an SMSF has time-consuming administrative tasks and costs. Some of the costs you may incur when you have an SMSF include annual compliance, audit and management costs, investment fees, brokerage fees, wholesale managed fund fees and advisory fees charged by your accountant and financial adviser. If you have an SMSF, it’s important that these fees don’t equate to more than 2% of your super balance. On a balance of $200,000 in an SMSF, the fees would ideally need to be below $4,000 per year. When you have an SMSF, you are in complete control of your investing, which means you are also solely responsible for keeping up to date with your compliance requirements. The legislation around SMSFs is constantly changing. If you don’t have a genuine interest in continually staying updated on these changes, or the fees to seek regular advice are going to push your annual costs over 2% of your balance, you need to rethink whether an SMSF is the right option for you. To summariseWhile establishing an SMSF can offer you flexibility in how you manage your retirement funds, there’s a raft of risks and costs associated with having an SMSF. Further, an SMSF can be a lot of work, so it may not be the right option for you if you’re unsure whether you want to commit to the ongoing financial, legal and administrative requirements associated with having an SMSF. If you are considering establishing an SMSF or deciding whether an SMSF is suitable for you, speak to us to obtain personalised advice for your unique situation. The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

What can you tell your employees about Super?

14 November, 20188 September, 2022 Updated on8 September, 2022 Finance

It’s a common question asked by employees: “what should I do about my super?” If you are an employer or manager and feel confident of your knowledge of superannuation and investment, it can be tempting to give an answer. However, just about anything helpful you have to say will likely fall within the definition of giving financial product advice, and that could land you in very hot water. The boundaries Financial product advice is a recommendation or statement of opinion that: is intended to influence a person or persons in making a decision in relation to a financial product or class of products; or could reasonably be regarded as being intended to have such an influence. The Corporations Act casts a wide net. Financial product advice can include anything you say about: joining, or making contributions to, a superannuation fund; making additional contributions to a super fund, including by salary sacrifice; rolling accumulated superannuation into or out of a fund; and selecting particular investment or insurance options within a superannuation fund. The ability to provide advice is generally restricted to holders of an Australian Financial Services Licence or their representatives. Very few employers, or their staff, fall into this category, and giving financial product advice, even inadvertently, could lead to prosecution. What can you talk about? You can provide factual information that does not include a recommendation, an opinion, or an intention to influence a person’s decision regarding their super. This allows you to provide information about: employees’ rights and employer obligations; how your employees can tell you what superannuation fund or retirement savings account (RSA) they want their superannuation guarantee contributions paid into; or the employer fund into which you will pay superannuation guarantee contributions if the employee doesn’t nominate a superannuation fund or RSA. You can also give your employees the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of your default superannuation fund. Just don’t provide any explanation of the material it contains or attempt to recommend the default fund. How can you help? None of this precludes you from helping your employees. You just need to go about it the right way. For example, you can refer employees to a licensed or authorised adviser. Just be sure to disclose any benefit you may gain from making such a referral. Or you can ask a superannuation fund provider to make a presentation to your employees. Take care, though, that you don’t give the impression of either endorsing or disapproving of the fund in question. Being asked for advice is recognition that your employees respect your views and knowledge. It can be flattering and you may well know a great deal about superannuation and investment. However, without the necessary authorisation, you need to steer well clear of financial product advice. And it’s not just you who needs to be aware of these restrictions. You need to ensure that your HR staff and line managers are also aware. What can you tell your employees about Super 14/11/2018 This is general information only

The true cost of a pandemic

11 March, 202021 December, 2020 Updated on21 December, 2020 Finance

Recent events such as the coronavirus outbreak, bushfires across Australia and the drought highlight the far-reaching effects of an epidemic. Following the initial devastation of these events, the true cost of an epidemic takes time to filter through the economy. In this article, we’re taking a look at the economic impacts that epidemics and pandemics have on a local, regional and global scale. How do epidemics and pandemics affect industries? The biggest impact on many industries in an epidemic or pandemic is supply chain delays. Industries rely on specific regions to source parts and products. Using the coronavirus outbreak and assembly lines for technology products, as an example, people in assembly lines typically work in close quarters. To contain the outbreak, factories in China have delayed restarting production after the Lunar New Year break. One smartphone factory, Foxconn, is expecting a 12% decrease in production as a result. Tourism is another key industry effected by epidemics and pandemics. In Australia, measures to contain coronavirus, including halting incoming flights from China will have significant impacts on the tourism and education industries. How are individual businesses effected by epidemics and pandemics? Businesses within the sectors most impacted by epidemics and pandemics experience the effects of an outbreak first. In Australia, for example, travel booking company Webjet experienced a 10% slump in its share price in late-January following the coronavirus outbreak. Other companies such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman have said their supply of electronics could be disrupted. Small and medium businesses can often be the hardest hit. Businesses such as restaurants and retailers in tourist hotspots and tourism services companies will be among the hardest hit in Australia over the coming months. How long does it take for markets to recover after an epidemic? Market recovery following an epidemic is dependent on a range of factors. Following the SARS outbreak, for example, the Chinese Government deployed fiscal stimulus to aid in economic recovery. At the time of the SARS outbreak (first quarter of 2003), China’s economic growth was 11.1%. By the second quarter, the country’s economic growth fell to 9.1%. As the outbreak was contained, and fiscal stimulus was deployed, China’s economic growth recovered to 10% by the third quarter of 2003. Looking at other markets, the S&P500 posted a gain of 14.59% following the first confirmed case of SARS. The index posted a gain of 20.76% a year after the outbreak. How will an epidemic or pandemic impact my investments? The economy has changed since the SARS outbreak. China is now a much larger part of the global economy, accounting for around 17% of global GDP, compared to 4% in 2003, so the economic impacts of coronavirus may be more pronounced. The best thing investors can do right now is exercise caution, but don’t panic. Often market corrections provide investors an opportunity to invest into the market at discount prices. To discuss how your investments may be impacted by coronavirus speak to us today. This is general information only

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