25 million & growing: What to make of Australia’s pop milestone

25 million & growing: What to make of Australia’s pop milestone On 7 August 2018 the Australian population has edged past the 25 million mark. What could this mean for the future financial wellbeing of everyday Australians? Hear from CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional Tony Sandercock of wetalkmoney about the potential impact of a bigger population on finances and retirement outcomes. According to McCrindle Research, the Australian population reached the 25 million mark earlier this month[1]. If you were …

How to buy a home and still have a life

How to buy a home and still have a life With the cost of buying property on the rise, many families and individuals are sacrificing other financial commitments to afford the home they want. So how can you budget for your home without being too frugal in your savings and spending? We talked to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional Michael Hayward from Capital Partners about getting the balance right between financing a home and other lifestyle goals. …

The wallet challenge: Step 1 – your financial audit

The wallet challenge: Step 1 – your financial audit This 4 part series will get you ready to grow your wealth in the new financial year. Starting with an audit of your current financial position, this checklist will guide you through a review of all your assets – savings, super, properties etc and liabilities – loan payments, insurance policies, bills so you can get a clear picture of where you are at financially and where …

Super – so what?

Super – so what? For some people, super may be the most valuable asset they’ll ever have. So it makes sense to know how much they have and how it’s invested. But it’s very often the case that young people, in particular, see super as being something that’s of low concern. So how can the super industry get young people interested in something they won’t benefit from for years to come? With home ownership rates …

Wedding planning: Budgeting tips for your big day

Wedding planning: Budgeting tips for your big day With the average Australian wedding costing over $65,000, is it more financially savvy to say ‘I do’ or ‘I don’t’ to a big budget wedding? When it comes to planning a wedding, every couple has their dream day in mind, which often includes extravagant flowers, a swanky venue, custom-made wedding attire, unlimited alcohol, vintage wedding cars and the list goes on. While digging deep into your pockets to …

Your wedding windfall

Your wedding windfall The average Aussie couple are spending around $65k on their big day. By making some smart wedding budget choices you could be investing that money for a better financial future. Let’s take a look at how saving $30k on your wedding could help you out with other lifestyle goals. Online source: Produced by The Financial Financial Planning Association of Australia and published on 15 June 2017.  Original article.  

Could you go it alone? Making sure a man is not your financial plan

Could you go it alone? Making sure a man is not your financial plan Divorce is the leading cause of financial hardship for women1. So it’s important to take control of your money and plan for a time when you may become financially independent. Spending priorities  According to a 2014 survey of over 2,000 women conducted by RMIT, 59% have experienced financial hardship as a result of divorce2 and 80% chose providing for their family as …

Get your finances ready to start a family

Get your finances ready to start a family Preparing for parenthood is an exciting time, but don’t let the cots and cuddly toys distract you. Your finances (and everything else) are about to change in a big way, so use these pre-baby days to plan ahead. Here are the key financial tasks to tick off before, and after, baby arrives. Before the baby: 1. Understand your health insurance Before you even start trying to conceive, …

Life’s not all beer and skittles – how to manage a lump sum

Life’s not all beer and skittles – how to manage a lump sum Winning the lottery is the ultimate financial dream for many folk, but most people will not fall into the category of lottery winners in their lifetime. However, many will receive a lump sum at some stage – whether it’s a redundancy payment or an inheritance on the death of a relative. Thinking “spend, spend, spend” when it happens will soon end the …

School of hard knocks: public vs private education

School of hard knocks: public vs private education From kindergarten to Year 12 the total cost of putting a child through private school in Australia ranges from $296,806 to $543,334, depending on what state or region you live in. By comparison, the cost of public school education for the same years varies between $50,950 in regional Queensland and $69,589 in metropolitan New South Wales. Whether public or private, it might almost be worth moving to …