Financial planning is something more and more people are considering as a service they need to help them get the best from their finances and focus on putting their money towards what matters to them most. In fact, according to 2020 research, 2.6 million Aussies said they intended to seek help from a financial planner …
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our daily lives, and romance is no exception. While lengthy separations have led some relationships to end, other couples are choosing to move in together more quickly than they might have expected. If you’re planning on living together, you might be wondering whether to merge your finances. …
Everyone has financial goals. Maybe you want to pay off your mortgage early, stop relying on your credit cards, or go on an amazing overseas holiday (once we’re allowed to travel again). Or you might want to set up good money habits, like investing regularly or look at ways to grow your super. Whatever you …
Most of us have heard of the main asset classes: shares, property, fixed interest and cash, but alternative assets are less well known. However, these types of assets can provide further diversification and enhanced returns for your super. Alternative investments are those found outside the traditional asset classes. Typical ones include real estate, private equity, …
Market volatility refers to extreme price movements over a given period. These movements may occur in a particular area, such as real estate or shares, and may be upward or downward. Ever since COVID-19 started spreading across the world in late 2019, affecting every aspect of our lives, the term ‘market volatility’ has been hitting …
You might be leaving the country for a variety of reasons – career prospects, love, adventure, new opportunities – or you may be returning home. While you’ve probably got a checklist of things to cover off before you jet, spare a thought for any super you might’ve accumulated while you’ve been working in Australia. What …
Investment bonds are long-term investments that may offer tax efficiency to investors on a high marginal tax rate and those investing for children or grandchildren. Unlike traditional investment products, such as managed funds, bonds are a ‘tax paid’ investment. This means that tax on investment earnings is paid at the applicable company rate of 30 …
Investors with long memories – or a good education – will recall the bad old days when inflation was the economic bogeyman. It broke Germany’s Weimar Republic in the 1930s and nearly cratered America’s economy in the 1970s. Fortunately, inflation has been a non-issue in Western economies for decades. But is that about to change? …
Investors remained focused on rising inflation and the possibility of policy settings being tightened worldwide. Bond yields continued to rise – particularly in Australia – as investors brought forward their expectations for interest rate hikes. This hampered returns from fixed income markets. Equity markets performed much more strongly, aided by the release of pleasing corporate …
You’ve worked tirelessly to own the home of your dreams. But if you suffered from an injury or illness that prevents you from working, would you be able to cover your mortgage repayments? A government report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that accidents were one of the leading causes of death …
