Last week saw the end to an important way that some Australians to save for their retirement. From 10 August 2026, Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) are no longer able to enter into a new Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) to purchase residential investment property. An LRBA is a fancy acronym for a loan taken […]
Blog
If your dog could write your estate plan
If your dog could write your estate plan, it would almost certainly start with the important questions: who knows the preferred walking route, who can be trusted with dinner, and who understands that forgetting to bring the tennis ball to the dog park is simply not optional. We hear you, Scruffy. For many Australians, pets […]
The Census: why it counts to be counted
Well done if you completed the recent Census. It may have felt like just another form to fill out or task to tick off, but it’s helpful to reflect on how participating in the Census is actually a meaningful contribution that each of us can make. It’s one of those national moments where every Australian […]
What Rubik’s cubes, iPods and market leaders have in common
If you’re an investor, it can be helpful to remember that corporate leadership is rarely permanent. In fact, very few companies seem to stay in the global top 10 for more than a decade, and history shows how quickly the market’s favourites can change.[1] For those of us who were around in the early 1980s […]
Generosity with guardrails
For many Australian families, the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ has become a very real part of financial life. It might involve helping with a home deposit, going guarantor, covering study costs, or giving your adult children breathing room while they save. Done thoughtfully, that support can be incredibly powerful – not just as a […]
Your checklist of what not to do this EOFY
For many people the end of financial year (EOFY) can have a frantic vibe about it – perhaps it’s the overwhelm of suddenly having to sift through receipts, super and tax deductions that they’d been meaning to tend to months ago. June 30 can be a great motivator to get organised, but it can also […]
Contribution caps to increase from 1 July
From 1 July 2026, super contribution caps are increasing – that’s the amount Australians can contribute to super each year before extra tax may apply. In broad terms, the annual before-tax (concessional) cap will rise from $30,000 to $32,500, while the annual after-tax (non-concessional) cap will rise from $120,000 to $130,000. For people eligible to […]
Ups, downs and volatile markets
Market downturns can feel unsettling, and it is natural to wonder whether a difficult few days, weeks or months means the whole year is likely to end badly. But history shows that it’s not always the case. In Australia, it’s not unusual to see markets show meaningful declines throughout different days, weeks and months, yet […]
Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption on EVs
When the Federal Government introduced the Frige Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for electric vehicles (EVs) in July 2022 it couldn’t have foreseen the surge in demand for EVs we’ve been seeing with higher fuel prices due to the war in Iran. If the cost of fuel has you considering an electric vehicle as your next […]
Less rush, more strategy – clarity in a cooling market
Australians have a complex relationship with property – many value it highly, seeing it as a cornerstone of financial security, but many also feel the pressure from affordability and market uncertainty. With all of these mixed feelings, a changing property market can feel daunting, whatever your situation – but it doesn’t have to. In fact, […]