Superannuation is a long-term financial relationship. It begins with our first job, grows during our working life and hopefully supports us through our old age. We have outlined below a few steps to help you maximise your superannuation. The first step is to check how much money you have in super and whether you have [...]
Despite falling prices, housing affordability remains an issue, especially for first home buyers in Sydney and Melbourne where home values have soared in recent years. The median home value in Sydney is $855,287, almost twice as much as Hobart ($437,254) and more than twice the regional average ($368,366). But prices are only part of the [...]
More recently, three of the big four banks and many smaller lenders have lifted mortgage interest rates due to the increased cost of funding. Lenders source much of their funding from overseas markets where interest rates are rising, unlike here where the cash rate remains at an historically low 1.5 per cent. This raises the [...]
When it comes to personal finances and ways to build your wealth it seems that everyone has an opinion – and a preferred pathway for wealth accrual. From your mate down the pub who likes to share his stock market tips to your friend at work who has a constant stream of ‘get rich quick’ [...]
If you have a mortgage this is likely to be your biggest monthly expense so it’s a good idea to check your progress at least once a year. Why not use some of the savings you’ve identified and increase your repayments to save interest? If your mortgage has a redraw facility you could use this [...]
You can’t set realistic financial goals and savings targets without knowing how much money you have at your disposal. If you don’t already track your income and spending, then take an annual snapshot as you go through your records to prepare your annual tax return. Deduct your total spending from total income and what’s left [...]
The Federal Government has turned the spending tap back on, signalling the end of the revenue drought since the GFC and the end of the mining investment boom. Australia is in a much stronger economic position than it was a year ago, but question marks remain over the sustainability of new spending promises and whether business [...]
Thinking about the unthinkable When asked, most people say the thing they value most is family. Yet when it comes to insurance many of us cover our car and our home but overlook our most important assets – our life, our ability to earn an income and the wellbeing of the people who depend on [...]
Australians buying their first home or downsizing in retirement are about to receive a helping hand thanks to new superannuation rules which come into effect on July 1. From that date, first home buyers will be able to contribute up to $30,000 into their super fund towards a home deposit while downsizers can put up [...]
Investors had plenty to smile about in 2017, despite a world of worries on the geopolitical stage from the Middle East to North Korea and the South China Sea. The global economy continued its steady improvement and financial markets produced some excellent returns. Australia’s economy grew by 2.8% in the year to September, marking 26 [...]
