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Like it or not, we live in interesting times. More than a decade after the Global Financial Crisis, the global economy is facing fresh headwinds creating uncertainty for policy makers and investors alike. This time around it's not a debt crisis, although debt levels are extremely high, but geopolitical instability. The ongoing US-China trade war [...]

Negatively gearing an investment property is viewed by many Australians as a tax effective way to get ahead. According to Treasury, more than 1.9 million people earned rental income in 2012-13 and of those about 1.3 million reported a net rental loss. So it was no surprise that many people were worried about how they [...]

For most people, life insurance provides a safety net against unexpected events. This is particularly the case if you have a mortgage, debts or family who are dependent on you earning an income. In many cases, life insurance has been automatically offered through superannuation. Although 85 per cent of people hold life insurance this way, [...]

It’s been a long time coming, but up to 630,000 retirees could soon enjoy a small but welcome increase in their Age Pension payments following a cut in deeming rates used for the pension income test. Under the Age Pension income test, you are ‘deemed’ to earn a certain rate of interest on your savings [...]

For the first time in years, the planets seem to be aligning for homebuyers and property investors. Interest rates are falling, property prices largely appear to be stabilising and constraints on bank mortgage lending have been relaxed. In July, home values recorded zero growth nationally, with signs the housing conditions are stabilising. Most tellingly, prices [...]

The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut official interest rates is good news for anyone with a mortgage or hoping to buy their first home, but presents a challenge for savers. Whatever your personal situation, the question now is how to make the most of falling rates.   In case you missed it, on June 4 [...]

Most of us dream of the day we can stop working and start ticking off our bucket list. Whether you dream of cruising Alaska, watching the sun rise over Uluru, improving your golf handicap or spending time with the grandkids, superannuation is likely to be a major source of your retirement income. The question is, [...]

As expected, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg signalled sweeping tax cuts and major infrastructure spending if the Coalition wins the upcoming federal election, widely expected to be held in May. This largesse is made possible as the Budget heads towards surplus for the first time in 12 years. The following is a summary of the major measures [...]

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 [...]