Why people choose the wrong credit card Now we have a bit more proof that these warnings from consumer advocates were spot on. As banks face pressure to live up to claims they “put customers first”, the Reserve Bank released research finding almost two out of three Australian cardholders receive no “net monetary benefit” from having a credit card. When you think about it, that’s a surprisingly high proportion of customers who are no better …
Weekly Market Update 7 June 2019 Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets, except for China’s, rose over the last week on increasing prospects for Fed rate cuts in response to the negative impact of trade wars.The Australian share market also saw a modest boost from the RBA cutting rates. The prospect of more rate cuts and easier monetary policy left bond yields flat to down. Commodity prices were mixed with …
What kind of money parent are you? Many parents approach the topic of money differently, but could your way of doing things influence your kids’ success? The majority of Aussie mums and dads recognise that they’re accountable when it comes to shaping their children’s perspective around money matters. A recent report published by the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), revealed parents listed themselves (95%), followed by grandparents (63%) and teachers or coaches (59%) as …
Weekly Market Update 31 May 2019 Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets fell again over the last week on the back of worries about global growth in the face of the escalating US/China trade war, made worse by Trump’s decision to put a 5% tariff on imports from Mexico rising to 25% by October unless it stops illegal immigration. Australian shares were dragged lower too as post-election euphoria wore off …
Ways to invest your money If you’re interested in seeing what your options are outside of investment property and super this article explores some of the different investment options available. Cash investments If you put your money into cash investments (including savings accounts and term deposits), the returns will often be lower in comparison to other investment products. However, these types of investment options typically provide stable, low-risk income in the form of a regular …
Weekly Market Update 24 May 2019 Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets fell over past week amid escalating noise around the US/China trade war and increasing signs that it may be impacting business conditions. However, Australia’s “miracle” election set off a surge in the Australian share market with investors pricing out the risk of a Labor Government which resulted in a surge in bank, retail and property shares more than …
How to play catch up with your super Now you can put more into super at the concessional rate of tax, starting from the 2019-20 financial year Putting more money into the tax-friendly framework of superannuation to help you enjoy a fulfilling retirement… it’s one of those things that seems like a no brainer, especially with the benefit of hindsight. In a recent report Australians in retirement said that making extra super contributions was the …
What the Coalition’s election victory means for Australia’s economy With the Coalition returning to government following Saturday’s Federal election, it’s likely to be business as usual for the Australian economy. AMP Capital Senior Economist Diana Mousina says the Coalition’s focus in the near term will remain on providing tax relief to low-and-middle-income households, which was the focus of this year’s Federal budget. This tax relief represents about 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). …
Weekly Market Update 17 May 2019 Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets fell earlier in the past week as the trade war continued to escalate, before rebounding helped by better economic and earnings news and hopes of a trade deal. This left share markets mixed with US and Chinese shares down slightly, but Eurozone, Japanese and Australian shares up. Australian shares saw strong gains in resources stocks helped by rising iron …
Should investors be worried about the election outcome? We’re in the midst of the 2019 Federal election campaign, and some investors may be worried about the impact of the outcome on investment markets. There is definitely a clearer difference between the major parties this time, which is creating more uncertainty than in previous campaigns. But those differences aren’t as extreme in many other countries around the world. While the election result may trigger some short-term …
