Insights

Enjoy the now and secure your future

Enjoy the now and secure your future

Managing your financial situation always involves tension between how you live your life now and preparing for your future – whatever that looks like. The worry about not getting the balance right and making unnecessary sacrifices now – or not having enough money for the things you want to do

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Time is up for the resilient consumer

Time is up for the resilient consumer

It’s evident that the Australian consumer is under pressure. It appears the tailwinds that helped brand the consumer as ‘resilient’ are now turning into headwinds. Think of it like a rubber band: household budgets are being stretched tight and at the moment, the band is withstanding the pressure. So how

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Your home in retirement

Your home in retirement

When you’re planning for retirement, consider what kind of home you can afford and what suits your level of independence. Think about whether you want to stay where you are, downsize, or move to a retirement home. If you own your home Staying in your home If you plan to

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Joint accounts

Joint accounts

A joint account is a bank account that more than one person can access. It can make it easier to manage shared expenses, but also comes with the risk of sharing access to your money. A joint account can be any kind of bank account: savings, transaction or term deposit.

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Insuring against loss of income

Insuring against loss of income

Protecting income from unexpected illness and injury is particularly important to anyone with a mortgage to service, small business owners and self-employed people with no sick leave available. With income protection insurance, you can be paid some 70 per cent of your income for a specified period to help when

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The pros and cons of taking the DIY super route

The pros and cons of taking the DIY super route

Having your own super fund provides more control, but they’re not for everyone. The number of Australians choosing to manage their own superannuation investments – both before and during retirement – has been progressively increasing over time. Current data from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) shows around 1.15 million people

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Spend smarter and shop safer during sales

Spend smarter and shop safer during sales

Cutting back on overspending Whenever there’s a big sale event, like the upcoming Black Friday sales, it can be tempting to go on a shopping spree while products are discounted. However, this can be a slippery slope and you may end up purchasing items you don’t need simply because they’re

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Springing into action with a pre-approval in place

Springing into action with a pre-approval in place

As the real estate market begins to bloom with opportunities for homebuyers, for those who wish to buy in the next few months understanding the distinctions between pre-qualification and pre-approval for a home loan can be pivotal in securing your dream home. If you are starting out on your journey

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Save for a house deposit

Save for a house deposit

Buying a house is exciting and life changing. It all starts with saving for the deposit. Find out how much you’ll need to save and get tips to help you save faster. 1. Find out how much you need for a house deposit Before you start building a deposit, work

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Trauma insurance

Trauma insurance

A critical illness or serious injury can make it difficult to continue to work. Trauma insurance can help support you and your family at this time and pay for medical and rehabilitation costs. What trauma insurance covers Trauma insurance, also called ‘critical illness’ or ‘recovery insurance’ pays a lump sum amount

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A guide to combining finances for couples and newlyweds

A guide to combining finances for couples and newlyweds

What it means to combine finances Even if you have a strong relationship, there are some important details to consider before joining finances. Money Smart’s guide to relationships and money makes some key points: If your partner defaults on a joint loan, you may have to pay for the whole amount

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