The two hottest topics (in the financial world) are inflation and interest rates, so I thought I’d just give a little explainer on what is happening. The interest rate dilemma: Only 18 months the Reserve Bank (RBA) was saying they would keep cash rates at close to zero for a couple of more years, but…
It’s that time of year again where there is a great opportunity to take stock of your estimated tax position and your superannuation position to see if there are some opportunities to boost your super and get some incentives from the tax-man. This article covers three key types of superannuation contributions, concessional contribution, spouse contributions…
And how to avoid them! Not planning for the unexpected Social events that we want to participate in The one-off annual expenses that are off our radar Essential things we rely on needing repair or replacement Urgent essentials/emergencies How to avoid: A ‘buffer’ in your lifestyle spending account for the unplanned events we want/need to…
We never like to think the ‘worst’ could happen. When and how the unexpected strikes is something we can’t predict, but the financial burden of unexpected events and even tragedies is the one aspect you can actually control and protect your family against. There are three key elements to take care of in setting your…
Ahhhhh, the b word. I know, it’s not a favorite of mine either, in fact we try not to even call it a budget in my house – we opt for “spending plan” instead. B word or not b word, you need to have a plan when it comes to allocating your money and the…
The other week I talked with Jessica Irvine, a senior economics writer with The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age about how to boost your tax refund with a contribution to super. While the days are narrowing down to meet any contributions deadlines this financial year, it’s worth being abreast of what your options are so you can…
It’s coming up to that time of year where Centrelink will be balancing child care subsidy and family tax benefit payments. I’ve heard so many stories from other mums in previous years about needing to pay back the benefits received and it comes as a real blow, so I’ve provided a bit of an overview on the…
Standby for some alarming facts when it comes to women and their super and why the Age Pension might not be your best answer.. Ready? Women retire with 47% less super than men, on average. Women live 5 years longer than men, on average. 40% of single retired women live in poverty. The super…
An incredibly important foundation piece of a successful relationship it to start and continue to have conversations around money. Understanding and respecting each partner’s journey (money story) and priorities is critical. I’ve witnessed and experienced first-hand relationship breakdowns with money issues at the core. Relationships Australia say that financial stress is one of the main…
Financial Advisers (me being one) talk to clients commonly about how to invest their money – but how do you get money to invest in the first place? It’s by simply having money left over after spending each pay check. Sounds simple doesn’t it but it’s where the majority of us fall down. We are…