Staying passive is being active

Heightened global markets volatility – as we’re experiencing right now – can easily trigger kneejerk reactions by panicked investors. Widespread selling, triggered by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, has been behind the recent big swings on global financial markets, including on stock markets, commodities markets, and currency markets. As serious as the current events are, heightened markets … Read more

Investing for a house deposit

The surge in house prices around Australia over the last two years has done little to quell the notion that getting on the property ladder is an increasingly difficult feat, particularly for younger investors. While higher interest rates expected this year may lead to less demand and a fall in house prices, property buyers are … Read more

Financial planning for your growing family

Starting a family, whether it be taking those first steps of planning or knowing your baby is on their way, is exciting – and expensive. Before you start thinking of paint colours for the nursery, it’s wise to understand the costs involved in raising a child. Knowing the costs While there’s no set cost to … Read more

How to get the right My Aged Care Assessment

How to start the aged care assessment process, understand the difference between the ACAT and RAS assessment service, know what is involved in the aged care assessment and the significance of this to getting the right level of aged care at home service. So often when talking to our clients, we hear busy adult children … Read more

Investing and tax

Lower tax on your investments can help you reach your financial goals sooner. But don’t choose an investment based on tax benefits alone. How investment income is taxed You need to include investment income in your tax return. This includes what you earn in: interest dividends rent managed funds distributions capital gains from property, shares … Read more

(Re)finance your way to renovation

Why go through the worry (and expense) of moving when you can turn your current place into your dream home? While renovations aren’t always stress-free (or cheap) there are some straightforward ways to finance your property’s facelift so it suits your post-pandemic lifestyle. The type of renovation you want and the budget you’ll need will … Read more

Look financially before you leap jobs

It’s a phenomenon widely being described as “the Great Resignation”. With many countries now having removed the tight operating restrictions they imposed on businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a quick ramp-up in economic activity. That ramp-up has spurred a surge in job vacancies around the world, and enticed record numbers of people to … Read more

Sharing super a win-win for couples

Australia’s superannuation system is based on individual accounts, with men and women treated equally. But that’s where equality ends. It’s a simple fact that women generally retire with much less super than men. The latest figures show women aged 60-64 have an average super balance of $289,179, almost 25 per cent less than men the … Read more

Risking your retirement

If you’re already retired or on your way to retiring, have you been obsessively checking your portfolio balance and dreading the next piece of news that might cause it to dip further? Or have you been keeping up with the news as you usually do, but confident that your portfolio will largely weather the volatility … Read more