How to create realistic goals….and stick to them. Whether it’s finances or fitness, spending time on setting your goals can reap rewards. When it comes to the big things in life we all have our goals. Getting promoted at work. Educating the kids through school. Saving for a comfortable retirement. It’s important to aim high. But if the goals you set are overambitious, with no checkpoints along the way, you could be setting yourself up …
How to retire early Whether you choose or need early retirement, having a plan can give your money the best chance of lasting the distance. Whether lifestyle preferences or circumstances beyond your control are behind your decision to retire early, you’ll need to make a plan to help your retirement savings last, while still enjoying a few of your favourite comforts in life. Here are some retirement planning tips to consider when thinking about retiring …
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 …
Successful investing despite 115 million worries and Truth Decay – how to turn down the noise Key points A surge in financial information and opinion combined with our inclination to focus on negative news risks making us worse investors: more fearful, more jittery, more reactive, less reflective & more short term. This is potentially harmful to our long-term financial health. Five ways to turn down the noise & stay focussed as an investor are: …
How to max your tax refund Expecting a refund from your 2017/18 tax return? 77 out of 100 Aussies are likely to get one and many could already have plans to spend it. If you’re one of them, find out how to treat yourself right with your windfall and be better off for good. For most of us, tax refunds rarely come as a complete surprise. In fact, sometimes we might even be using the …
How to invest for your kids’ education When kids are starting school, will your finances be ready too? You’ll often have many other financial commitments at this time – your mortgage, family holidays, insurance, grocery bills and more. If you think a fee-paying school could be on the cards, how will you cope with another big bill to pay? We talked to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional Paul Garner, financial planner and principal at Novo Wealth, …
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. …
How to achieve goals with scarce capital It’s all well and good to think about goals when you have a million dollars in the super account, but what about people who want to achieve financial goals in circumstances where they have limited current capital. How can a goals-based approach serve them? There are many people in this position and there are some useful goals-based investment strategies customers can use. It is extremely important to be …
How to spend more to save The old saying “penny wise, pound foolish” couldn’t ring truer than in today’s throw-away world of overconsumption and excessive production of disposable items. Did you know that many manufacturers have been using techniques to deliberately reduce the life of a product to increase its replacement rate and sell you the same thing again? It’s called planned obsolescence. Some products are not built to last. Others are specifically designed to make …
Your money goals and how to reach them It’s easy to have big ideas about your financial future, but harder to achieve them. As most dieters know, you can follow the best dieting program, but struggle to stick to it. The same is true for your financial goals, whatever they include, and the plan you draw up to achieve them. Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to fall “off the wagon”. Life is full …
