The Australian backyard shed is a shrine to preparedness: spare bolts, mystery keys, maybe that half a tin of paint labelled ‘kitchen?’ The backyard shed is the place you’re most likely to store items like spare rope for emergencies, old fishing gear, or that tool you’d bought for one glorious afternoon of ambition. Those of […]
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The advice gap: when do you actually need financial advice?
Are you someone who’s more likely to listen to your mates for so-called ‘free’ investing tips than seek out professional advice from an independent expert? If so, listen up. Of course friends have their place in life – just not when it comes to important decisions about money. Not every financial decision requires formal advice, […]
Super at a glance
As a financial adviser, I’m often asked about superannuation, especially as people get closer to retirement, so I thought I’d share a quick rundown of super and the rules that apply. At the time of writing, most eligible employees receive compulsory super equal to 12% of their earnings from their employer. (12% is the minimum […]
Changes to SMSF borrowing rules
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 […]
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 […]