As we try to understand the health, financial and social implications of coronavirus, we have made a few changes to our work environment. As far as I can tell we’ve avoided any exposure to coronavirus thus far and to help keep this outbreak under control we are making some temporary changes to how we interact […]
Blog
Coronavirus and share market insights
Cast your mind back to the financial press of December 2019. How many economists had “a virus caused by people eating bat soup” in their forecasts for 2020? And yet here we are watching with concern the spread of the new Coronavirus, with it being unsettling as a health risk as well as from an […]
How much money do I need to retire?
Many Australians approaching retirement start questioning whether their superannuation balance is enough. According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (AFSA), most Australians don’t have enough saved and are at risk of facing a lower standard of living once they stop working[1]. There are no scholarships, grants or loans for retirement so a little […]
What is infrastructure investing?
Investing in infrastructure means you’re putting money into companies that own and operate essential public assets. These assets are usually necessary services to the community and include the following: Toll Roads Railways Airports Ports Water and electricity supply Communication Assets Hospital and education facilities. Given their history of being government owned/managed, infrastructure assets are generally […]
Changes to insurance in super from 1 Apr 2020
Earlier in the year we announced the changes to insurance in super that took place from 1 July 2019. They formed part of the government’s ‘Protecting Your Super’ (PYS) package which aims to protect super savings from being eroded by fees and charges. New legislation recently passed in September 2019 introduce new changes to insurance […]
ATO to transfer inactive super balances from 1 Nov 2019
ATO is about to transfer any inactive super balances commencing 1 November 2019. If you have lost superannuation floating around from previous jobs that you’ve perhaps forgotten about or simply haven’t had the time to transfer, the Australian Taxation Office is about to do the work for you. ATO will reconcile inactive super balances with […]
The What, Why, When, on Negative Interest Rates in Australia
According to government data, the Australian economy has been sluggish for some time now. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has cut interest rates 3 times this year to historic lows in an effort to improve the rate of growth in our economy. More recently, the RBA announced that they are considering alternate strategies to […]
Overview of Power of Attorneys
A Power of Attorney is an important document that is often overlooked. Many people understand the importance of having a Will, but the same consideration is not given to circumstances where you might be unable to manage your own financial affairs while you’re still alive. A Power of Attorney can be useful when you: are […]
Superannuation Changes from 1 July 2019
A number of superannuation changes takes effect from 1 July 2019. What are they and how might this affect you? Read below to find out. Carry-forward concessional contributions The 2018-19 concessional contributions were capped at $25,000. If you didn’t use all $25,000, you are now able to ‘carry-forward’ the unused concessional contribution amount into your […]
What are the minimum pension payment rules?
Once you reach preservation age, you can start to withdraw your super as an income stream, a lump sum or both. These amounts are tax-free provided you take the minimum pension payment. Why is there a minimum pension payment instead of letting you take what you want? Well, it falls down to the Sole Purpose […]