How to avoid bill shock with bill-smoothing payments Sidestep the shock of unexpected bills by smoothing out payments and making regular, automated instalments that can be planned well in advance. Ever experience that sinking feeling when you’ve opened a bill that you can’t possibly afford to pay? The shock of receiving a big bill – or worse, a number of them arriving at the same time – can be extremely stressful. Thankfully, by setting up …
The growth of contactless payments COVID-19 has accelerated our move towards a cashless society. If you can’t tell your Apple Pay from your AirPlay, now’s a good time to consider the benefits of contactless payments. It’s a very 2020 story. Your new homemade breadmaking skills are as uneven as the lump you lifted from your oven, so you pop down to the bakers for their tasty sourdough rolls. But as you make it to the …
How to review your direct debits and save Direct debits can be extremely convenient and even save you money. But they can become costly – and may even send you into debt – when you lose track of your automated payments. Conduct regular reviews to keep on top of your direct debits. Here’s how. Type ‘direct debit’ into your internet search engine and the words ‘hassle free’, ‘easy’ and ‘simple’ will likely pop up …
Making sense of the Economic Stimulus Package In March and April 2020, a whole range of payments have been announced for Australians looking for financial relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Find out more about these measures and how your clients could benefit from the Federal Government’s economic stimulus package. The global and local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many new questions in conversations between financial planners and …
What could the COVID-19 economic stimulus package do for my finances? In March and April 2020, a whole range of payments have been announced for Australians looking for financial relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Find out how you could benefit from the Federal Government’s economic stimulus package. The global and local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been like nothing we’ve experienced before. As a result, there are a …
Key points The global fiscal and monetary response to the coronavirus has been mammoth. Global fiscal stimulus is worth over 3% of GDP, interest rates have been slashed to the lower bound, quantitative easing programs have been launched and central banks are providing cheap lending facilities. The latest US stimulus program provides broad support to the economy and injects a fiscal impulse worth 6% of GDP. Fiscal stimulus won’t be enough to keep the economy …
How to avoid bill shock with bill-smoothing payments Sidestep the shock of unexpected bills by smoothing out payments and making regular, automated instalments that can be planned well in advance. Ever experience that sinking feeling when you’ve opened a bill that you can’t possibly afford to pay? The shock of receiving a big bill – or worse, a number of them arriving at the same time – can be extremely stressful. Thankfully, by setting up …
Tax concessions, the work test and getting it right with super Workers compensation and income protection If you are in an employment arrangement and receiving: workers compensation payments from their employer or insurer, or income protection payments from their employer, insurer or super fund …you may still be gainfully employed and satisfy the work test even though you are not currently undertaking physical work providing any payment has a connection to your employment arrangement. If …
What you need to know about buy now, pay later services Take your product home, pay for it within the specified timeframe, get charged 0% interest. What could go wrong? Branded the modern-day layby, ‘buy now, pay later’ services essentially offer the same thing, except you get the product up front—the outfit, the watch, even certain domestic flights within Australia. If you haven’t heard of buy now, pay later services, or are keen to know …
Insurance through my super Am I better off buying insurance through my super? What are the benefits of Insurance through my super? Get more for less It can be cost effective to buy insurance through super. That doesn’t mean you won’t find cheaper cover outside your super fund. But it’s likely you’ll be better off because tax benefits mean you could end up paying less overall and group buying power—which normally comes with insurance …
