Australia’s aged care system is incredibly complex, and making the wrong decisions can have a high cost, both financially and emotionally. Being aware of the common traps to avoid can help your family save time, money and stress. Mistake 1: Making aged care decisions in a crisis Sadly, many aged care decisions are made in … Read more
If you want to protect your family and assets, it’s worth documenting what you’d like to happen if you can’t make your own decisions later in life or if you pass away. If you’ve got people in your life who you love and assets you’d like to be distributed in a certain way, you might … Read more
Cash flow is critical to keep any business profitable, enable growth, and stop it from going under. Sometimes, however, it seems easier said than done, especially when it seems at times that there’s more money going out of your account than there is coming in, writes business turnaround specialist Domenic Calabretta, CEO Mackay Goodwin. Maintaining … Read more
If you’re going to balance the future of your home or property on someone’s reliability to pay their own mortgage, make sure you’re across the risks. Nearly 40% of Aussies said it took them between two and five years to save for a deposit on a home, while 25% said it took them between five and 10 … Read more
In terms of gender equality, we’ve come a long way over the past few decades. Australian homes and workplaces are very different places than they were in previous generations. But there’s still a long way to go. When it comes to superannuation there isn’t a level playing field for Australian men and women. Before we … Read more
Succession planning is common in the business world. Last week, the United States investment group Berkshire Hathaway announced the appointment to its board of Susan Buffett (68). She’s the daughter of the company’s billionaire founder Warren Buffett (91), who’s still the chairman and chief executive. While it’s unlikely Susan will succeed her father in those … Read more
Investing for retirement used to be straightforward As the end of your working life approached, you gently wound down the proportion of growth assets like equities in your portfolio and lifted the defensive assets like bonds and fixed income. The aim was to eventually hit something like a 50:50 split between growth and defence that … Read more
Envision your ideal retirement: Are you relaxing on a beach? Starting a new hobby? Or finally taking that trip to Paris? A comfortable retirement looks different for everyone, but most investors share some common goals. We’ve broken those down into 4 key categories to help you start planning. Determining how you prioritise these goals is … Read more
Written by Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer After months in lockdowns and living under tight restrictions, many Australians have gone on a “revenge spending” spree. Revenge spending is the term widely being used to describe how some people are taking out their revenge on the COVID-19 pandemic by spending money on things they haven’t … Read more
A TTR pension could allow you to withdraw up to 10% of your super savings each financial year whether you’re still working full-time, part-time or casually. Even if you’re nearing retirement age, you mightn’t want to leave the workforce just yet. You may want to save more money, or you might just enjoy the mental stimulation … Read more
With significant demographic shifts occurring around the world, one useful approach for investors is to use demographic themes and trends as a compass for future investing. Focusing on companies that will benefit from slow moving, long duration and highly predictable demographic trends can help investors predict areas of future opportunity. There are three main themes … Read more
The array of mortgages available helps a good finance broker to tailor a package to suit your needs. Here are just some of the options. Fixed-rate mortgages With a fixed-rate loan, you know exactly how much you’ll pay per fortnight or month for the fixed period of the loan (usually one to five years). Variable … Read more
