Investment and portfolio building has traditionally been a male-dominated world, but these days more women are trading on the market – and they’re good at it! According to an ASX Australian Investo…
Here is a list of tips to help you minimise the amount of tax you pay this end of financial year:
1. Keep records
Even if you use an accountant to prepare your tax return, you are responsible for…
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 …
As the end of financial year fast approaches, there is still time to consider the strategies available to you this June 30 to build your wealth, some of which are discussed below.
Making a non-con…
If there is anything we have learnt in the last two years, it is just how quickly things can change. Between devastating bushfires, floods, and a life-altering pandemic (just to name a few), being …
Robust domestic economic growth
Australia is rebounding from the pandemic, with domestic economic growth forecast to reach 3.5 per cent this financial year. Some analysts predict it might be even …
The Federal Government has delivered a big-spending 2022 budget, taking immediate steps to reduce cost of living pressures for working Australians while implementing a range of massive infrastructu…
It is commonly assumed that seeking financial advice is for the wealthy, and it only helps the rich become richer, yet financial advice can prove useful to anyone who wishes to better their financi…
If the ins and outs of superannuation leave you confused, the answers to these frequently asked questions will help you understand the basics.
How much do I need to retire?
According to the Assoc…
Talk about hammering the plastic. In November 2021, Australia’s 13.2 million credit card accounts were used to make over 292 million transactions with a total value of $31.9 billion. Card holders w…
There are three key components to a successful savings strategy. The first is some surplus cash; an amount of money you can regularly set aside in your quest to become a millionaire.
Second, an in…
If you are in your thirties, chances are life revolves around children and a mortgage. As much as we love our kids, the fact is they cost quite a lot. As for the mortgage, this is the age during wh…
Coronavirus
Victoria and New South Wales saw their economies roar back to life as they emerged from lockdown just in time for a new kid to arrive on the coronavirus block. Omicron spread around th…
Another year is over. Did you achieve everything you’d hoped? Are you better or worse off financially than you were this time last year? With a new year in front of you, what can you do to make the…
Despite frequent changes to its governing rules, superannuation remains, for most people, a tax-effective environment in which to save for retirement. Here’s a quick Q&A on the ‘what, why and h…
Superannuation statements. Boring, right? But if, like many people, you toss your annual super statement in a drawer or hit delete, you could be depriving yourself of many thousands of dollars just…
Resilience is the ability to quickly recover from setbacks, and while setbacks can come in many forms most of them will have a financial component. So what can you do to build financial resilience?…
Just as the Grinch stole Christmas, excess spending can rob us all of yuletide happiness. Seasonal credit card splurges can create ballooning long term debt, while unnecessary consumption inevitabl…
Concentration risk. No, it’s nothing to do with thinking too hard about something. In fact, it’s more likely to be a result of not paying enough attention.
Concentration risk is the increase in in…
COVID here to stay
The third quarter of the calendar year brought with it the third and by far the biggest wave in COVID-19 infections. Largely restricted to NSW and Victoria the outbreak was driv…
Who decides what happens to your superannuation savings when you die?
You may think that you do, but that isn’t always the case. The ultimate decision may be made by someone you don’t even know – …
Research shows that Australians are underinsured which has led to the proliferation of television advertisements promoting personal insurance cover. Are these quick and easy plans suitable for your…
Did you have a savings account when you were young? It wasn’t uncommon and those old Passbook accounts funded many a first car. Now you’re a parent, are you thinking of opening an account for your …
You’re young, expecting a satisfying future brimming with friends, family and a comfortable lifestyle.
You’re a Next Generation Investor, likely aged between 18 and 25, and you’re starting to thin…
Personal insurances are designed to provide protection from the financial consequences of death or disability. They therefore form an important part of most financial plans. Here, in brief, is how …
Employment surprise
JobKeeper was a cornerstone of Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. It provided millions of Australians with an ongoing income and kept thousands of businesses afl…
Prior to COVID, we were steadily moving towards a cashless world. Post 2020, even the most resilient of us has made the leap to tap-and-go payments sooner than we expected.
From the morning coffee…
The end of another financial year is looming, and with that may come thoughts about your tax return and how your wealth has tracked throughout the year. Whether you’re nearing retirement, a high-in…
Some people may think that a financial adviser’s role is to forecast the direction of the share market from month to month and invest clients’ money accordingly.
This is not the reality, of course…
Many Australians caught in the nine-to-five grind of working for a living, dream of the possibility of taking early retirement and spending their days travelling or playing golf or doing nothing mu…
With the range of technology and software available today, it’s become easier than ever to work from home. Employees can efficiently complete calls using teleconferencing software, many collaborati…
While it’s easy to be discouraged by superannuation and fear you will never have enough money saved to stop working, remember even a modest superannuation balance can make a big difference in retir…
The global COVID-19 jab-fest gathered pace with some countries, including Israel and the United Kingdom, achieving high rates of immunisation. However, the rollout has had some issues. Rare side ef…
For most Australians, their 60s is the decade that marks retirement. For some this means a graceful slide into a fulfilling life of leisure, enjoying the fruits of a lifetime of hard work. However,…
If 50 really is the new 40, then life has just begun. The kids are gaining independence or may have left home, and the mortgage could be a thing of the past. Bliss. But galloping towards you is… re…
Typically your forties is a time of established careers, teenage kids and a mortgage that is no longer daunting. There are still plenty of demands on the budget, but by this age there’s a good chan…
If you are in your 30s, chances are life revolves around children and a mortgage – not super. And as much as we love our kids, the fact is they cost quite a lot. As for the mortgage, this is the ag…
Superannuation is for the oldies, right? In some ways that’s true, but even in your twenties there are good reasons to take a bit more interest in your super. The average 25-year-old has around $10…
For many of us, our first experience of banking and savings was the school Savings Account Program. But in 2019 the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) raised concerns that thes…
COVID-19 update
Finally, some good news on the COVID-19 front: several vaccines have been rolled out in a number of countries. While a huge step forward in bringing the pandemic under control, it c…
Just as night follows day, it seems part of the regular cycle of the world’s share markets that market crashes and falling prices follow good times and rising prices.
The impact of the COVID-19 Glo…
The run-up to Christmas is usually a hectic time. Aside from the shopping and Christmas parties, there are deadlines to meet, loose ends to tie up and, for many farmers, the last of the crop to har…
One in six people will be over 65 years old by 2050. With the world’s population ageing quickly, it is natural to think about how pension systems around the world will cope, particularly in Austral…
While women earn less and spend less time in the workforce than men, sharply reducing their super contributions throughout their working lives, there are some simple steps women can take to boost t…
Once your mortgage and other financial commitments are manageable, it is usually time to put the pedal down on your super. Those prime income years, between age 40 and 50 in particular, should be u…
That $50 note in your pocket. What’s it worth? “$50,” you say, probably thinking it’s a dumb question. But is it really? Or a sheet of plastic and a bit of ink that likely cost the note printer les…
COVID-19 remained the big story of the last quarter. Tragically, by the end of September the pandemic had caused over one million deaths. That was up by 500,000 since the end of the previous quarte…
So, you are seriously starting to think about your retirement. The kids are finally more independent, the mortgage is less than it was, and the super is more than it was.
You look at your monthly b…
As any experienced investor knows, all investment markets have their ups and downs. Regardless of investor experience, turbulent times are a cause of anxiety, and that can lead to poor decision-mak…
One of the keys to financial success is to adopt the right strategy at the right time. As you move through the stages of life, here are some tried and tested ‘secrets’ that will help you build and …
The potential financial results of investing can feel limitless, and it can be tempting to think that just one stock pick could make you an overnight millionaire. Yes, stock-picking can have a plac…
If you have had different jobs with different employers over your working career you will probably have superannuation accounts in many different funds. Apart from the time it takes to keep track o…
Thousands of Australians receive tax refunds every year. Some refunds won’t even cover the cost of a pizza to celebrate, however many are quite substantial. If you’re one of the lucky ones, what wi…
During the last quarter one story has dominated the news – COVID-19. By the end of June at least 10 million people had contracted the disease, and over 500,000 had died. With 8,000 cases and 104 de…
Whether it’s taking a more active interest in our superannuation, starting to build an investment portfolio, or even trying our hands at playing the stock market, we…
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As the COVID-19 virus took a sledgehammer to the economy, the federal government rapidly introduced a range of initiatives to help individuals who lost i…
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Whether it’s by direct purchase, via a managed fund or through superannuation, most Australians hold some form of share investment. Many of us are aware …
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, s…
There isn’t a single person in the world who hasn’t been impacted by COVID-19. As new case numbers start to slow in Australia, so too is our economy. This time presents new challenges as everyone g…
Interest rates have never been lower, and it’s possible they might fall even further. This creates opportunities for householders and businesses, so how can you best take advantage of low interest …
The first quarter of 2020 will forever be remembered for delivering one of the greatest health and economic shocks of all time. The economic damage was an inevitable consequence of governments worl…
Most people view share market downturns as unequivocally bad events. Suddenly, hard earned savings aren’t worth as much as they were yesterday. It seems as if our money is evaporating, and in the h…
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 …
The dawn of a new year sees many people setting new year’s resolutions such as losing some weight or giving up smoking.
Similarly, the beginning of a new year is the ideal time for setting financi…
Interest rates have never been lower, and it’s possible they might fall even further. This creates opportunities for householders and businesses, so how can you best take advantage of low interest …
Move over debit and credit cards; consumers are flocking to Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services. Afterpay, Zip Pay and several similar payment solutions allow shoppers to take home their goodies now …
The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry delivered its final report in February 2019, capping off a process that revealed the unethical an…
Banks have not been passing on the full reduction in the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate, but no one knows with any certainty, what the future holds for rates and to what extent.
Most prediction…
When you invest over a period of time, compound interest is your best friend. In effect, it means you are earning interest not just on your own capital, but also on the interest you’ve already earn…
If you entered the world between 1980 and 1996 you’re part of the “millennial generation”. You’ve grown up in an age of unprecedented abundance and incredible technical innovation, and as a group, …
Many people treat their home loan as a set-and-forget, riding out whatever the original loan terms and prevailing interest rates dish up. They may be doing themselves a disservice, as there are sev…
Most people can choose to own life insurance themselves or to hold this insurance in their superannuation fund. But it’s not a simple decision – the way these policies operate and are taxed may var…
According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics report published in September 2018, cancer is the most common cause of death in Australia accounting for more than 29,000 fatalities in 2017.
Incredi…
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…
Anyone who has completed their own tax return will know that the tax office treats different types of income differently. Bank interest is recorded in one section, dividends from shares in another …
Far from being the realm of the rich, building an investment portfolio is something that most people can do. It can start as a simple savings plan – a few dollars in the bank – before expanding int…
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,…
Many of us would like to think that ‘older’ means ‘wiser’, but when it comes to money that isn’t always the case. The complexity of Australia’s superannuation system doesn’t help. The upshot is tha…
Investment planning is an important part of financial planning but underpinning the whole process of creating wealth in the first place is having a good financial strategy. For many people that str…
Many people eagerly anticipate retirement. Others view its approach with trepidation, worried over how they’ll fill their days.
Australians are living longer; it’s not unreasonable to assume you’ll…
They have been around for decades, but interest-free deals can still be confusing and costly when not managed correctly.
Excitable advertising can make these offers almost too good to refuse, parti…
You might think that only importers and exporters pay attention to the value of the Aussie dollar, but movements in the exchange rate affect us all.
After peaking at US$0.81 in late January 2018 th…
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 temp…
With Australia’s age pension being subject to an assets and income test, a simple way for part-pensioners to increase their pension payments is to give away some assets.
Not surprisingly the govern…
When developing a budget, it’s easy to think that you have no control over costs for essential items such as electricity, particularly when every bill seems to be higher than the last. But if you l…
When choosing the right type of loan to suit your needs now and into the future, there are many factors to consider.
What is the purpose of the loan?
Credit cards provide immediate access to credit…