All about annuities All about annuities Offering a secure income for as long as you need it, annuities are often seen as a safe, but not very sexy option for investing your retirement savings. This animation unpacks the pros and cons of annuities. Online source: Produced by The Financial Financial Planning Association of Australia and published on 25 January 2018. Original article.
How to make money by turning your unwanted goods into cash Whether it’s not-quite-right gifts you have received or the results of an annual clean out, your trash might be someone else’s treasure. A survey by online marketplace Gumtree found that Australians received more than 21 million unwanted gifts for Christmas in 2017 with an average value of $68 eachi. If that sounds familiar, you might be among – or might want to consider joining …
Baby budget – Money mistakes new parents make It’s no secret that having children can completely change the way you live, and your perceptions of life around you. So, to help you get your head (and new baby budget) around this new lifestyle, here’s a list of some of the new parent money mistakes to avoid, and some suggestions for what you could do instead. Tip 1: Don’t forget the milk We start with the …
The 2018-19 Australian Budget – saving a windfall with the hope of (decent) tax cuts to come Introduction The 2018-19 Budget will be the last before the next election (due by May 2019) and so had to provide pre-election goodies but in a way that keeps the return to surplus on track. Thanks to an improvement in the budget position since the Mid-Year review, of around $7bn per annum, this has been made relatively easy. …
Your guide to getting the right personal insurance Knowing you’re covered for what life has in store can really take a load off your mind. Our no-nonsense guide to personal insurance can get you on the right track to choosing cover that gives you peace of mind. Online source: Produced by The Financial Financial Planning Association of Australia and published on 20 November 2017. Original article.
7 ways to boost your super Investing in your super now may help you live the life you desire in retirement. By the time you retire, your super will likely represent one of your biggest assets. It’s real money and it’s your money, so putting some thought into making contributions today may help you achieve the lifestyle you want in retirement. But remember that the money you contribute into super will be subject to preservation …
Weekly Market Update 4 May 2018 Investment markets and key developments over the past week Despite a 1.3% rally on Friday after another “Goldilocks” jobs report US shares fell 0.2% over the last week, but other share markets fared better over the week with Japanese shares flat, Eurozone shares up 0.9%, Chinese shares up 0.5% and Australian shares up 1.8%. Bond yields were flat to down. The oil price rose to its highest in 3 …
How does housing affordability in Australia rank on world stage? When it comes to housing affordability, our capital cities haven’t fared well. There are 28 ‘severely unaffordable’ major housing markets that exist internationally1—and of those, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth all rank among the top 212. These are the findings from the 2018 Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, which assesses housing markets across nine countries including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the …
Five important issues to consider before tying the knot Before your big day, much of the financial talk may have been around budgeting for your wedding and planning your honeymoon. But while not nearly as exciting, there’s another vital part of your new partnership that should be considered: your future finances. Finances can be one of the biggest sources of stress and tension in a marriage. However, open communication and careful planning now can help you avoid …
Self-employed? There’s still time to grow your super While approximately 1.3 million Aussies run their own show, one in five has no superannuation at all. Many Australians see self-employment as a goal worth aiming for. But running your own show can mean retiring with very little in super savings – one in five self-employed people have no super at all compared to just 8% of employees. Self-employed women are especially hard hit. Among women aged …
