A few years ago I was feeling conflicted. I was doing Dry July to raise money for cancer support services at the local hospital. At the same time, I knew my International Shares fund had exposure to the world's biggest tobacco companies. I was raising money to help deal with a massive health issue while … Continue reading Building a Portfolio to Be Proud Of
ScoMo has just handed down his 3rd Budget. You know there is an election ahead when you hear the news that "unexpected revenue" means we get tax cuts. It's a delicate balancing act trying to be fiscally responsible and sucking up for votes at the same time. I couldn't wait to find out what was … Continue reading Budget 2018 – Election Ahead
There is much more to think about than money when it comes to retirement.
After what has seemed like months of expectation, leaks and rumours - Budget 2014 has finally been released. We've been asked to "share the pain". In Joe Hockey's words "the age of entitlement is over and it has been replaced, not with an age of austerity, but an age of opportunity". The reality is - … Continue reading Budget 2014 – What Does it Mean for You?
Sometimes choosing to do nothing can be good for you - it can even save lives. A paper by Eric Johnson and Daniel Goldstein titled Do Defaults Save Lives? examined the organ donation consent rates across European countries. In the table below you can see there is a significant variation between some of them. Why do … Continue reading When Choosing to Do Nothing is Good For You
It may sound crazy but $1 million in super may not be enough for a comfortable retirement. Deloitte have just released their latest report on superannuation in Australia. They highlight some big issues that will affect just about every Australian: A 30 year old on a salary of $60,000 is projected to have approx. $1.1m … Continue reading Are you Serious? Why $1m in Super May Not be Enough
Given all the leaks and pre budget announcements around superannuation there was not a lot of big news. Last year was all about a "budget surplus", this year it is all about " jobs and growth". Key takeouts include: The budget is in an $19.4bn deficit and a budget surplus now put on hold until … Continue reading Budget 2013 Summary – As it Happens
When planning for retirement there are some typical problems for most people: Don't know how long they have to work for Not sure what lifestyle they can afford to lead on an ongoing basis Stressed because the future in uncertain, they don't know, they're living week to week and panicked that they may have left … Continue reading Worried about Retirement? Here is How a Great Adviser Can Help
There has been plenty of talk recently about what changes the government may or may not make to superannuation in the upcoming budget. Pressure is mounting on Labor to be seen as "fiscally responsible" and minimise the size of the deficit. Will there be an increase to contributions tax or earnings tax? Is is only … Continue reading Over 60’s to be Taxed on their Super?
According to marketing firm ExactTarget, online Australians Spend 3.6 hours per day on social media. But how long do they spend thinking about what their retirement might hold? Nowhere near as long if the latest Superannuation Sentiment Index Study from Mercer is anything to go by. I am particularly concerned with the finding that "two … Continue reading Is Social Media more Important than your Financial Future?
