In recent years, ESG investing (also called sustainable, ethical or responsible investing) has taken a more prominent role in management and investment decisions. But what exactly does ESG mean, and how does it affect your investment portfolio? ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance and is a way of measuring and assessing a firm’s sustainability […]
Interest rates are higher, why aren’t house prices lower?
Rising interest rates usually mean bad news for homeowners, as the cost of servicing existing mortgages goes up and consumers start to feel the pinch. You’d expect this to have a knock-on effect on house prices – higher rates should mean lower house prices as more people are pushed out of (or unable to enter) […]
Higher Minimum Pensions from 1 July 2023
The recent 50% reduction in the minimum Account Based Pension withdrawal requirement came to an end on 1 July 2023. This was a temporary measure during and after COVID and was designed to reduce the depletion of ABPs in times of lower investment returns. From 1 July 2023, the minimum withdrawal percentages are reverting to […]
What is an SMSF and is it right for you?
What is an SMSF? A Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) does what it says on the tin – you manage your superannuation yourself, instead of delegating the management of your retirement savings to a large institution. In practice, very few people “Self Manage” their retirement savings entirely as they enlist the help of an adviser to […]
2022 in Review
As the end of the year approaches yet again, you might be reflecting on how things have changed over the past 12 months. Many unexpected world events have happened lately, including a global pandemic, war in Ukraine, and inflation taking over. Well composed articles about the future can be entertaining, but little more. However educated […]