iPhones, tablets and online shopping are conveniences many people now take for granted, but they’ve also made their users more prone to scams. Scams are dishonest or fraudulent schemes that often prey on people’s good intentions. And they’re prevalent this time of year. Around 1 in 3 scams in Australia still go unreported. – That’s […]
Court confirms no tax on gifts (even if it’s $33 million)
You’re likely in the spirit of giving this Christmas, but how’s this for generosity … Graziella Leong, an elderly supermarket matriarch in Vanuatu sent her Australia-based brother nearly $33 million in gifts over 10 years. Australia’s tax office claimed the money was “income” and wanted its cut, but a federal court judge has found […]
Predictions that (often don’t) come to pass
How quickly the year has passed! Let’s cast our minds back to around this time last year. By the end of 2023, the RBA had raised the cash rate rise five times in the year (from 3.1 per cent to 4.35 per cent) and there was mixed opinion as to where rates were headed next. […]
2024 US election results … What it means for investors
It’s said that history repeats itself … With the 2024 United States election results now set to reinstate Trump as its 47th president, many investors are again asking what the change in US leadership will mean for the economy and financial markets. In November 2016, I posted a YouTube clip about what Trump as President […]
Conflicted advice rears its ugly head … again
In yet another cautionary tale to consumers, financial advisory firm United Global Capital (UGC) and its associated Global Capital Property Fund (GCPF) were shut down by the Federal Court in Victoria recently due to serious issues in their operations. UGC’s business model involved several practices that created a clear conflict of interest, with the firm […]