Getting your bounce back

Life is pretty frantic, and it is common to feel like it’s a struggle to keep up the pace. In fact, feeling exhausted is so common that it has its own acronym, TATT, which stands for “tired all the time”. While it’s somewhat comforting to know you’re not alone, it’s certainly not a nice feeling, … Read more

Keeping track of your shares

Monitor how your shares are performing compared to similar companies or the market overall. Stay up-to-date with company, economic and market changes. This gives you a better chance of acting quickly to take advantage of opportunities or to avoid losses. Set alerts to track share performance Economic and market changes can impact a company’s earnings. … Read more

Credit scores and credit reports

Lenders use your credit score (or credit rating) to decide whether to give you credit or lend you money. Knowing this can help you negotiate better deals, or understand why a lender rejected you. Your credit score is based on personal and financial information about you that’s kept in your credit report. You can access … Read more

Salary sacrifice – no sacrifice at all

What is a salary sacrifice arrangement? Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to contribute a certain amount of your pre-tax salary or potential bonus into your super. The aim is to potentially reduce your tax and boost your super balance at the same time. The word sacrifice doesn’t really make this strategy sound … Read more

Life happens when you’re making other plans

From Proverbs to John Lennon, many people have said it – and the last nine months have been a reminder of its truth: life happens when you are making other plans. While investors were worrying about the recession that sharply rising interest rates would surely lead to, fretting about the cost of living and waiting … Read more

What you need to know about debt consolidation

Rising levels of debt and finding ways to manage it is a concern for many of our clients. For some, it’s aiming to improve their credit score when applying for a mortgage or government home ownership scheme. For others, it’s being able to cover rising mortgage repayments or unexpected expenses. Fortunately, there are a number … Read more

Growing your super

Your superannuation investment grows through: your employer’s compulsory super guarantee contributions (concessional contributions) any voluntary contributions out of your pre-tax income, such as salary sacrifice and personal contributions you’re allowed as an income tax deduction (concessional contributions) any government super contributions you’re eligible for any voluntary contributions you or your spouse make out of after-tax income sources (non-concessional contributions). Your pre-tax income contributions … Read more

Setting financial goals as a couple

Step one: what are your financial pain points? When you start making plans, chances are you’ll both come across financial pain points. In other words, the areas that need some attention and possible alterations. These might include: post-wedding or honeymoon debts different earning capacities different savings goals different spending habits disagreements you’ve had in the … Read more

Couple goals: saving for a home deposit

One of the biggest challenges first home buyers face at present is saving for a decent deposit. While there are definitely some advantages to buying as a couple compared to on your own, pooling your savings for a deposit can put a strain on even the most solid relationship. So here are some tips to … Read more