budgeting tips Archives

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 was the last time you paid cash?

7 July, 202130 June, 2021 Updated on30 June, 2021 Budgeting, Education

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 to filling up the petrol tank, we wave that plastic with little thought to the impact on our account balances. In fairness to us, many retailers are now adopting the ‘no-cash please’ trading regime, but we Australians have a reputation for embracing technology and touchless shopping is no exception. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australian household debt is currently sitting at around 210% of net disposable income. That places us fifth in the world, behind Denmark (257%), Norway (240%), Netherlands (236%) and Switzerland (223%). Compared with countries with spending habits similar to our own – the USA with (105%) and the UK (142%) – we’re quite high. If your debt level is pushing northwards of your preferred limit, here are a few ideas for getting, and staying, on track: – Pay your full card balance off every monthSure, it’s an oldie but a goodie. You know what you need to do; if your current balance is too high, pay more than the minimum amount. The first step in breaking the credit cycle is to get off it, which leads into our next point: – Create a realistic budgetThis will identify where your money is going and how much extra you can pay off your credit cards. The government’s Moneysmart website has a free budget planner to help you. Alternatively, chat with your financial planner and work with them to develop a payment strategy to get your debts under control, and stay that way. – Keep your tap-and-go receipts and reconcile them against your account each weekThis is one of the best ways to see exactly how much you’re shelling out, and on what. You’ll identify areas of unnecessary spending, and you’ll spot any errors or dodgy transactions. – Instead of a credit card for your touchless transactions, consider using a pre-paid cardAvailable from banks and other financial institutions – even Australia Post offers one – you load it with your own money and use it for in-person or online shopping. It’s just like a credit card but without the risk of getting into debt. – Consider your subscriptionsYou know, streaming services, magazines and memberships, etc. Many renew automatically and the first you’ll know about it is an unexpected – often expensive – transaction on your card. Do a stocktake to see what subscriptions you have and decide if you really need them. For those you no longer need, change your subscription settings so they don’t automatically renew. Don’t worry, they’ll alert you when the renewal is due in case you change your mind! We’re definitely living in an interesting time. Our lives have altered in ways we’d never have imagined and we Australians, in our typical way, are adapting to these ‘new-norms’. This is a good thing, just as long as we stay in control! The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

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

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