Sending more to the tax office than you should?

Sending more to the tax office than you should? Can you keep more money for yourself and work towards being better off from 2017? As the year-end fast approaches, it’s a good time to think about how you can start working towards being better off. Before the end-of-year holidays start shifting into full swing and before you know it you’re splurging your hard-earned money, take a moment to think about whether you can give yourself …

Should I repay my home loan or boost my super?

Should I repay my home loan or boost my super? Both options make good financial sense—we look at some pros and cons to help you decide. Retirement may not be as far off as it used to be. With this in mind, are you finding there’s a trade-off between home loan repayments and your retirement nest egg? Adding money to super has its advantages and so does paying off your home loan. So if you’ve …

Is your growing family stretching your budget?

Is your growing family stretching your budget? Here are seven tips to help you stay on top of your finances as your family grows. Growing your family can be one of life’s greatest joys, but if you already have one or two children, you’ll understand that raising kids can be costly. To cope financially with having more kids you’ll need to balance your income with the increasing expenses. Take a long-term view When you understand …

Why your kids won’t listen to money advice

Why your kids won’t listen to money advice …and how you can bring them around Every parent wants the best for their children but kids often won’t listen to the wisdom of your experience, especially when it comes to money. Don’t give up! Here are some of the common beliefs and misconceptions kids have about managing money—and how you could get them to take your advice. 1. Money buys happiness This is one of life’s …

Save for something big

Save for something big. Using goals to achieve your dreams Many people don’t find budgeting and saving easy, nor is it on top of their priority list. Most of us are programmed to look for short cuts, or believe that with a bit of luck – and rising house prices – ‘we’ll be right’. But in reality, saving for the lifestyle we want does require a degree of discipline and an active interest in looking …

Ways to grow your Super, Value of Advice and More

Ways to grow your Super, Value of Advice and More 1. Five ways to grow your super Are you looking for ways to boost your super account balance? Watch our video (3.01) and hear how Greg Elias, an AMP Client Adviser, explain five ways his client could grow their super to save for a comfortable retirement. He discusses five ways to grow super: 1. Bring together all your super accounts 2. Choose your super fund …

A bump in the road, then a new start

A bump in the road, then a new start Taking stock of how your life’s travelling at the start of a new year is a great idea but you might feel more urgency if you’ve recently come to the end of a serious, long term relationship or gone through a divorce. What’s next, you want to know. How do you rebuild your life, is your financial outlook positive, what happens if you find a new …

After the dust settles, a fresh start…

  After the dust settles, a fresh start… Taking stock of how your life’s travelling at the start of a new year is probably an exercise you’re likely to pursue with greater urgency if you’ve recently come to the end of a serious, long term relationship or gone through a divorce. What’s next, you want to know. How do you rebuild your life, is your financial outlook positive, what happens if you find a new …

Resolutions for a wealthy future

Resolutions for a wealthy future Shedding a few kilos and getting fit are popular New Year’s resolutions, but along with improving your health why not resolve to boost your wealth in 2016? The best way to do that is to have a clear picture about what you want to achieve. Perhaps you want to buy a new car, save a deposit for your first home, prepare for the birth of a child or go on …

Retraining your savings brain

  Retraining your savings brain Where there’s a will there’s a way, especially when it comes to saving. The latest scientific findings reveal that although fewer than 25 per cent of us have a genetic predisposition to squirrel money away for the future, we can all learn to save if we set our mind to it. According to Dr Hersh Shefrin of Santa Clara University in California, a further 25 per cent of people will …