“WE SHOULD CATCH UP MORE OFTEN!” “OOH, I COULD GET USED TO THIS!” “I’VE BEEN MEANING TO DO THAT MORE OFTEN” “MMM, THIS IS THE LIFE…” You can’t go back in time. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever said (or thought) the above, you’re not alone. It’s natural for the holidays to shape your ambitions for […]

Move over baby boomers, younger Australians are taking to self-managed superannuation funds in ever greater numbers. While the face of DIY super may be changing, the reasons for flying solo remain the same. Flexibility and control are the main drawcards, along with falling set-up costs. The latest statistics from the Australian Taxation Office show that […]

To say that Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States took the world by surprise is an understatement. Markets hate surprises and uncertainty, so a short-term period of volatility is to be expected. But as investors begin to digest the new policy direction, buying opportunities could arise. So, what do we know of […]

It’s often said that it is better to give with a warm heart, but divesting assets while you are alive may not be the best way to pass on your accumulated wealth to your nearest and dearest. Certainly giving when you are alive means you have more control over who gets what and you get […]

HOW MUCH LIFE INSURANCE IS ENOUGH? How much life insurance is enough? Australians enjoy access to a strong safety net, with universal healthcare and the new Disability Support Scheme. But will this be enough to protect your family’s standard of living if you or your partner die or become too ill to work? The answer […]

THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS Forty or fifty years ago, we were all convinced that robots would be the norm right now.  It wasn’t just futurists picturing a time when robots would outnumber humans. Plus the mere idea of robots was (and is) pretty attractive. Mums and dads dreamed of having their own Rosie to […]

5 instant fails which will make your SMSF non-compliant and incur massive penalties and taxes. 1.Being a bad trustee 2.Dying without a plan 3.Leaving the country 4.Borrowing blindly 5.Being greedy. Read More

BUY OR RENT Buying a home has been heralded as the way to get ahead for generations of Australians. But with housing affordability a rising concern for would-be first home buyers and their parents, many younger Australians are beginning to weigh up whether it’s better to buy, rent or invest in residential property. Despite record […]

EVERYTHING BORROWED MUST BE PAID BACK $2.2 trillion. That’s how much Australian households owe right now, according to the latest ABS stats.i Household liabilities grew by $1.2 billion in the last quarter alone. Real household debt per person has risen steadily by around 2 per cent per year, and now sits at around $79,000 per […]

ARE YOU AFFLICTED? ‘Million Dollar Shoppers’. ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’. ‘My Shopping Addiction’. ‘Shop ‘Til You Drop’. ‘Haul’ videos on YouTube. These aren’t just entertaining titles, they’re also tacit acknowledgements of our society’s consumerist craze.  These days, spending a lot of money on things is considered unremarkable at worst. It’s a sign that we’re becoming comfortable […]