A financial planner’s guide to preparing for retirement

A financial planner’s guide to preparing for retirement Planning for retirement can start at any time, the earlier the better, but often it gets left until people are in their fifties and actually approaching retirement age. We asked James McFall of Yield Financial Planning for some tips on making the most of your final years as a wage earner. What does pre-retirement look like? Pre-retirement is widely recognised as being around 50 to 65 years of age, …

Weekly Market Update 29 June 2018

Weekly Market Update 29 June 2018  Investment markets and key developments over the past week The past week saw geopolitical concerns around trade, and particularly the US-China relationship, continue to dominate investment markets. This saw most share markets fall, with the Chinese share market falling particularly sharply, but the Australian share market held up pretty well with higher oil prices boosting energy stocks. Bond yields continued to fall on the back of safe haven demand, except …

How will a financial plan help me reach my goals? (Video)

How will a financial plan help me reach my goals? (Video) Louise Lakomy CFP® Louise has a wide range of experience and depth of knowledge in all facets of financial planning providing advice over 15 years specialising in retirement strategies. As part of the Financial Planning Association’s Ask A Planner video series, Louise Lakomy CFP® answers the commonly asked question, “How can a financial planner help me achieve my goals?” If you have a question …

Environmental and financial costs of fast fashion

Environmental and financial costs of fast fashion Avoid becoming a fashion victim by understanding the real cost of fast fashion. You might have a friend who wouldn’t be caught dead in the same outfit twice. But what’s the real cost of fast fashion –  the buy it, wear it once, throw it away culture of cheap clothing that has hit the mainstream? What is fast fashion? Not dissimilar to the fast-food movement, fast fashion is …

How can I prepare for my dream retirement? (Video)

How can I prepare for my dream retirement? (Video)  Andrew Donachie CFP® Andrew Donachie is the National Financial Planning Manager at First State Super. Andrew has 12 years’ experience as a financial planner and is CFP® qualified. As part of the Financial Planning Association’s Ask a Planner video series, Andrew Donachie CFP® answers the commonly asked question, “I’m looking to retire in the next 10 years. What can I do now to prepare for …

Should the RBA raise rates to prepare households for higher global rates?

Should the RBA raise rates to prepare households for higher global rates? Key Points The RBA should avoid calls to raise interest rates prematurely just to prepare households for higher global rates. Such a move would be Iike shooting yourself in the foot in order to practice going to the hospital.. Nor should the RBA mess with the inflation target that has served Australia well. We don’t see it doing either and continue to see …

Turning redundancy into retirement

Turning redundancy into retirement When voluntary redundancy is on the table, taking a severance package and early retirement can be very appealing. But is it the right decision for you? We talked to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional Anne Graham, principal financial planner at Sigma Wealth, about what you need to consider when looking at voluntary redundancy as an early retirement strategy. What should you think about when you’re offered redundancy, regardless of your age? When …

What happens to my super when I move overseas?

What happens to my super when I move overseas? If you’re a permanent resident, your super will remain subject to the same rules. If you’re a temporary resident, you may be able to claim a departing Australia superannuation payment. You might be leaving the country for a variety of reasons – career prospects, love, adventure, new opportunities – or you may be returning home. While you’ve probably got a checklist of things to cover off …

Get your new financial year game on

Get your new financial year game on We’re about three quarters of the way through this financial year, but don’t worry, you’ll be wearing a confident grin by June 30 with this list of eight things to do now to get new financial year ready. Download our checklist and tick them off as you go. 1. Check in on your goals There’s no point doing anything until you know what you’re doing it for.  Write down your …

The lowdown on rentvesting

The lowdown on rentvesting It’s been a hot topic for the media in the wake of our property boom. But is rentvesting really a magic bullet for securing your financial future? Find out if this rent-for-life and get rich strategy is all it’s cracked up to be. When dinner party discussions get around to the subject of getting rich, property investing is bound to come up. Thanks to a sustained boom in property prices in Australia[1], real …