What is financial planning?

What is financial planning? Regardless of your age, life stage or wage, a financial planner can work with you to reach your financial and life goals, whether short-term or long-term. This article offers an introduction to what financial planning is, how it works, and how it can benefit you. What is financial planning? Financial planning is about developing strategies to help you manage your financial affairs and meet your life goals – and the first …

Weekly Market Update 24 August 2018

Weekly Market Update 24 August 2018 Investment markets and key developments over the past week The past week saw most global share markets rise as Turkey slipped out of the headlines, but Australian shares were hit by political uncertainty. Bond yields fell a bit in the US and Australia, were unchanged in Japan and were up a bit in Germany. Oil and metal prices rose but the iron ore price slipped. While the US dollar slipped …

How Australians will use their tax return

How Australians will use their tax return With nearly one in three people planning to save their tax return, have you considered what you might do with yours?  This year more than 75% of Australians expect to receive a tax return, with a large portion of the population planning to use the money they receive to take the edge off their financial commitments.i We look at the most common ways people intend on using their …

5 ways to set your kids up for financial success

5 ways to set your kids up for financial success As we move towards a cashless society, how do we teach children that money comes from hard work and good financial management and not some magic money pot in the sky? “In a world of credit cards and online banking, actual physical money is becoming an alien concept for today’s young. From their perspective, a quick tap of the plastic is all it takes to …

Flying solo: Stories of the self-employed

Flying solo: Stories of the self-employed There are 2.1 million small businesses in Australia. Of them, just under 1.3 million are sole traders or partnerships. Making the decision to start your own business can be both exciting and terrifying. There are many perks to being your own boss but plenty of responsibilities too. We spoke to two Australian business owners to get their take on it. Go your own way Running your own business generally means working …

Women and wealth creation: Closing the gap through financial planning

Women and wealth creation: Closing the gap through financial planning With the gender pay gap still prevalent today, women often face an uphill battle to stay ahead of the game financially. The financial disparity is further compounded when women take time out from full-time work to care for family, sacrificing superannuation and wages along the way. While we each do our part for the gender imbalance to improve, investing in a financial plan is an …

Does it pay to plan ahead when you travel?

Does it pay to plan ahead when you travel? You may be keen to go wherever the wind takes you, or you might be a plan-to-the-hour type of traveller. There are benefits to both styles. Travellers often fall into two categories—the planned and the unplanned—and more than likely, you already know which of the two camps you belong to, or if you sit somewhere in between. Whatever your preference, we look at some of the …

Is the Australian dollar headed for more downside?

Is the Australian dollar headed for more downside?   AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver says he expects the Australian dollar ($A) to weaken further – making unhedged offshore investments more attractive — as interest rates continue to rise in the US. However solid commodity prices should put a floor under falls. So far this year the $A has fallen from around US$0.80 to around US$0.72. “I think the likelihood is it’s got more downside,” …

Why the $A is likely to fall further and shorting it is good protection against things going wrong globally

Why the $A is likely to fall further and shorting it is good protection against things going wrong globally Key points The downtrend in the $A from 2011 likely has more to go. The $A is near fair value, but the increasing negative interest rate gap to the US & a messy outlook for commodities suggest a fall to $US0.70 by year end. Given the downside risks for the $A and that being short the …

Role-reversal: When parents are relying on you

Role-reversal: When parents are relying on you As your parents get older, your whole family will be facing lots of changes. Supporting them during this time can be challenging, with lots of choices to be made. Get some tips to help you prepare for this role-reversal without it becoming a burden or a cause of family conflict. In the later stages of life, many seniors want to stay independent for as long as possible, but …