As every parent knows (even before they become one), raising a child isn’t cheap. And those expenses don’t necessarily stop once they reach 18. Parents often hope to help their adult children with significant financial milestones in life too. We look at some of the main expenses for parents, how
As baby boomers shift into retirement, Australia is on the brink of the nation’s biggest ever intergenerational wealth transfer. Yet estate or inheritance planning is rarely discussed by families. Talking openly about how you want your assets to be passed on can help avoid family disputes that take a toll
It’s 2024 and that means New Year’s resolutions – your chance to change things up and make a positive difference to your life. You might be thinking of hitting the gym to get fitter or jumping online to look for that dream job. But many of us are focusing on
These days, the phenomenon of keeping up with the Joneses is more pervasive than ever. The constant bombardment of images from advertisers, as well as our friends and family via social media is making Australians feel pressured to maintain a certain lifestyle, often to the detriment of their long-term financial
It’s challenging buying property. It’s tough scraping together a deposit, it’s not easy dragging yourself to one open-for-inspection after another (especially if you’ve been doing it for a while!), and it can be soul destroying being pipped at the post when you have set your sights on a particular property.
Understanding your retirement income options How you organise your retirement income streams can make a huge difference to your quality of life. Here are some options you might want to consider. What will you do with your super when you retire? You have plenty of flexibility as there’s a wide
Our emotions colour every aspect of our lives including our financial lives. Recognising how emotions can influence your financial decision making puts your rational side back in the driver’s seat and can help you to achieve positive outcomes in business and your personal finances. So where do our feelings about
Bonds can provide a stable source of income and can protect the money you invest. They are considered less risky than growth assets like shares and property, and can help to diversify your investment portfolio. What is a bond When you invest in bonds, you’re lending money to a company
If you’re lucky enough to have received a windfall, perhaps an inheritance or a retrenchment payout, your first decision will be what to do with it. Assuming you have decided against a shopping splurge, finding the best place to invest a lump sum is all about the effect on your
Here’s what you can do to help you make the right choices and enjoy your retirement. Three common income shrinkers and how you can avoid them with the help of your financial adviser 1. Paying down a mortgage Many people may need to pay down a mortgage in retirement as
Can you imagine living mortgage-free? For many homeowners, mortgage repayments represent a large part of their salary and many years of hard work, with the end not clearly in sight. Whether your goal is to soon be mortgage-free or to reduce your mortgage to allow you renovate, invest or live
Overview If your relationship with your spouse ends, you should be aware of what can happen to the super entitlements of you both. The Family Court and super-splitting laws generally enable super interests (accounts in super funds) or super payments (pensions or annuities) to be split by agreement or court
