Planning to avoid financial mistakes Selling shares when prices have tumbled or buying a house at the height of a property boom only to dispose of it when the market falls are among the financial set-backs that can happen to anyone on the road to retirement. Everyone makes mistakes during their investment lifetime; the trick is to avoid them when you can and learn from the ones you can’t. Have a plan Failing to plan …
Why tax aware investing can help boost retirement income With the huge bulge of baby boomers entering retirement, and yields at near-record lows, there is an emerging rediscovery of the vital role equities can play in delivering retirement outcomes. Equities provide retirees with a regular and reliable income that grows over time. They not only generate income and strong expected returns, but also protect against inflation risk and longevity risk (the risk of outliving your …
Superannuation and the financial ties that bind They say, only one thing in life is certain. And while we would rather plan our next holiday than consider what’s going to happen when we die, it is one inevitable event that we should all plan for. When someone dies, it’s a very difficult time for all the family. A Will provides some assurances as to how our money will be distributed. But what about superannuation? …
Diversified funds’ performance – how did they do that? 12 July 2017 Comparing managed funds can be confusing because, contrary to current practices, evaluating performance is not all about returns – it’s also about how much risk you as the end investor took to get there. So how can you measure your fund’s level of risk? Below are four broad indicators to watch for: Exposure to growth assets – this is the most common method of …
Living longer, working longer and super balances larger Australians with the best life expectancy in history will have to work longer in order to be able to fund their retirement. But research has found only half of all working Australians will be healthy enough to work in to their golden years. The latest AMP.NATSEM report, Going the distance: Working longer, living healthier, has found the majority of Australians have less than a 50 per cent …
Women need a plan for ‘early’ retirement We know women generally live longer than men, but new research shows the majority of Australian women are unlikely to work past the age of 65, making it more important than ever for them to take control of their finances early and plan appropriately for life after work. The latest AMP.NATSEM Report, Going the distance: Working longer, living healthier, has revealed the gender gap in the Australian workforce …
Saving is a family affair You eat together, play together and live under the same roof – so why not save together? While many parents bear the brunt of their brood’s finances, it’s a good idea to consider making household saving a family affair by involving kids in the process. With the cost of living on the rise, many Australian families are finding it hard to keep up with today’s growing list of expenses. …
Four ways to make more retirement hay while the sun shines The latest AMP.NATSEM report, Going the distance: Working longer, living healthier, has found that although the pension age may rise to 70 if the Government’s proposed legislation passes, many people in their 60s simply aren’t going to be healthy enough to work that long. The report found that in 2035 one in four men and one in five women aged 60-69 are expected to …
Watch out for tax scams Tax time is approaching and that means a juicy refund may be just around the corner. It’s a busy time for scammers too, and last year alone 48,000 Australians fell prey to tax scams between July and October. Already this year, the Tax Office has registered over 17,067 scam reports with victims collectively losing $1.5 million to fraudsters. That makes it worth knowing what to watch out for to keep …
It pays to contribute to your partner’s super If your spouse is a stay-at-home parent, working part-time or out of work, adding to their super could benefit you both financially. If your spouse (husband, wife, de facto or same-sex partner) is a low-income earner or not working at the moment, chances are they’re accumulating little or no super at all to fund their retirement. The good news is, if you help by contributing some of …
