Not so long ago one of the most effective, low risk wealth creation strategies was to use spare savings to pay down a mortgage, either directly or via the well disciplined use of an offset account. If your mortgage interest rate was 8% per annum, that’s the effective, after tax investment return this strategy delivered, […]
Archive for the ‘Budgeting’ Category
Is paying your mortgage off quicker really the best option?
By admin • January 8th, 2020Work, life, travel – you can do it all!
By admin • January 6th, 2020Travelling the world and seeing the sites is an expensive endeavour, particularly when young. This article explains how working abroad can help you live the work-life-travel dream. Michael was twenty-something and eager for adventure when he spotted the advertisement. It read, “Japanese schools seeking English teachers. No experience necessary – we train you.” What followed […]
Joined up finances
By admin • October 28th, 2019If things are getting serious with your partner, is merging your finances a natural next step? Learn about different ways to manage money as a couple so you can decide on the right approach for your relationship. Being open about money is pretty important in a successful relationship. Secret spending and other forms of financial […]
If you think you’d never fall for a scam, read this…
By admin • September 18th, 2019If you are aged over 50, male, highly educated, financially literate and manage your own super, beware. You’re at a higher risk of being the target (and victim) of organised investment fraud. This isn’t necessarily because your demographic is particularly gullible. Rather, it’s because you’re more likely to control higher levels of wealth, perhaps as […]
8 handy tips for travelling overseas
By admin • September 9th, 2019Even for seasoned travellers there’s a little bit of magic involved in hopping on a plane in Australia today and disembarking in a far-off destination like Istanbul or London tomorrow. For most people their travels will be a safe and wonderful experience, but things can go wrong. While you can’t control everything, a little bit […]
Traps to avoid in retirement – Going too hard too fast
By admin • September 2nd, 2019Retirement: you’ve made it! And one of the rewards for all your hard work is that you can now access your superannuation. Suddenly a world of opportunities opens up – a Caribbean cruise, major home renovations or maybe helping your kids reduce some of their debt. Of course, you deserve to celebrate your retirement, but […]
When to start talking money with kids
By admin • August 29th, 2019If you want your kids to get into good habits with money, when should you start teaching them about it? Are the pre-school years too soon for pocket money and chats about spending money online? Aussies may have a natural reserve when it comes to talking money. But as parents, teaching our kids to be […]
How much Income do you need in Retirement?
By admin • July 2nd, 2019Many people will say that they are dreaming of retirement, but some are not taking the necessary action to make it a reality. In fact, there are not too many people who know the answer to a straightforward question: How much income do you need in retirement? Let’s take a look at what the Association […]
Building your ‘Family Future Fund’
By admin • March 11th, 2019How much does it cost to raise a child? Obviously, the answer is highly dependent on individual circumstances. However, as a guide, a 2013 national study* found that a typical middleincome family would spend about $812,000 on raising two children from birth to age 24. At that time childraising costs were increasing at around 9% […]
What’s your magic number?
By admin • March 11th, 2019According to a recent survey *, Australians tend to underestimate the amount of money needed in our retirement years by as much as 20%. Survey respondents, including active Australian investors, revealed a disconnect between income amounts believed to be needed in retirement, versus their real cost of living. Pre-retiree Australians foresee their base line living expenses […]