Planning a holiday gives you something to look forward to. Even if you’ve been able to maintain a kind of normal during Coronavirus, most people have experienced additional stress from the uncertainty and isolation. This is especially true for Victorians who have had to endure a long and difficult lockdown period. No matter where you …
If retirement’s coming up on your horizon, you’ll be keen to make sure your plans stay on track. It makes sense to concentrate on things you can control, such as insurance. Too-high premiums can chew away at the foundations of your savings, at a time when they’re more important than ever. Under-insure and one day …
Australia: The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the official cash rate to a new historic low of 0.1%. The Treasurer released Australia’s latest Federal Budget. This was essentially a ‘no-surprises’ package of measures designed for Covid-19 challenged times. Given the scope of the challenge, the budget deficit for 2020/21 was unsurprisingly large, at $213.7 billion, …
Older people who are struggling to live at home and take care of themselves often face a dilemma. Many don’t want to move into aged care accommodation, but they recognise the gardening, cleaning, cooking or showering is impossible or becoming more difficult. Some worry about placing a burden on their loved ones, others can’t afford …
There’s always been a lot of unknowns when it comes to retirement but throw a global pandemic into the mix, and we’re feeling more uncertainty than ever before. Things we once thought of as quite certain– like being employed, getting decent returns on investments and savings, and a continual rise in house prices – seemingly …
Introduction As an investor it’s very easy to get thrown off by the ever-present worry list surrounding investment markets that relates to economic activity, profits, interest rates, politics, and so on. This has been magnified by a digital media where everyone is vying for attention and the best way to get this attention is via …
Timing is everything. It’s true in comedy, and it’s also the case when it comes to retirement. After decades of work, moving to the next stage of your life is a time of great anticipation. Your super is at its highest, you’ve planned for a lifetime of retirement income… and then…. 2020 happens. In the …
If you’d like your money to make a difference to the world as well as to your future, ethical investing may be for you. Almost nine in 10 (89 per cent) Australians would prefer to invest in a responsible investment option that considers ethical, social and governance (ESG) issues as well as financial returns. With …
With the initial six-month deferral period coming to an end, lenders have started contacting customers who deferred their home and business loans due to COVID-19. Over the next month, Aussie lenders will contact more than 450,000 borrowers to assess whether they can start repaying their loans. This includes at least 260,000 mortgage deferrals and 105,000 …
Key Points This economic downturn and recovery differs from those of the past in that: the downturn was driven by a government shutdown; fiscal and monetary support has been faster and bigger; forced asset sales have been headed off; it’s dependent on containing coronavirus; and it’s seeing more rapid structural change. As a result, we …