Protecting your income during your working years makes sense. But once you – or your parents – grow older, is life insurance still important? We take a look. Life insurance for later in life As you age and your health starts to deteriorate, having a financial safety net and protecting your nearest and dearest may …
Planning for retirement is a daunting task and many Australian women lack confidence in financial decision making. Fortunately, there are some small steps women can take today to make a positive difference to their future. It’s probably no surprise to hear that Australian women often retire with less money than their male peers. New research* …
The beginning of the financial year is a great opportunity to review your financial situation, to make sure you’re on track and on top of changes happening across tax and superannuation. Here are five areas that you may wish to review early this financial year. 1: Make your tax savings work for you The personal …
Thanks to the evolving rules and additional tests, the world of superannuation contributions continues to be a source of confusion, resulting in misunderstandings and genuine errors. Whether it’s the work test, work test exemption, downsizer rule, bring forward rule, or carry forward rule, the area is a never ending array of snappy titles that are …
Back in November we saw five reasons to expect a higher $A. These largely remain valid and the $A seems to be perking up again. Source: AMP Firstly, from a long-term perspective the $A remains somewhat cheap. The best guide to this is what is called Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) according to which exchange rates …
Conventional wisdom used to dictate Australians were better paying off their home loans, and then, once debt free turning their attention to building up their super. But with interest rates ramping up over the past two years and uncertainty as to when they are likely to reduce, what’s the right strategy in the current market? …
Let’s explore the ins and outs of salary sacrificing into your super and help you determine if it’s worth considering as part of your financial strategy. We’re all familiar with the concept of super. It’s that portion of our salary that employers are required to contribute to a super fund on our behalf, with the …
Asset allocation is the process of dividing funds between different asset classes including cash, bonds, property and shares. This takes place as spreading resources across different asset classes can help diversify the portfolio’s holdings, which is an important way to manage risk. In theory, asset classes rise and fall at different times. So, when one …
Australian shares fared well in July, buoyed by suggestions that no further interest rate hikes will be necessary. With inflation coming off the boil, there was optimism that borrowing costs have peaked and could be lowered later this year. In turn, this could be beneficial for corporate earnings. Returns from overseas shares were positive too, …
Common human biases that investors should understand when it comes to investing is extremely important. These biases are ingrained in human nature, leading to tendencies to oversimplify, rely on quick thinking or exhibit excessive confidence in judgments, which may lead to investment mistakes. By gaining insight into these biases, investors may be able to make …