Insights

Are you an impulsive spender?

Are you an impulsive spender?

Characteristics of impulsive spenders A ‘money mindset’ is a way of thinking about personal finance. Your money mindset can change over time, and it may help explain your spending and savings habits. Understanding this can help you build habits and strategies to better manage your money. If the following applies

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Weighing up the Age Pension and the assets test

Weighing up the Age Pension and the assets test

Why having less super isn’t necessarily a financial sweet spot for retirees. Millions of Australians aged 67 and over have just received an Age Pension boost as a result of the Department of Social Services lifting its fortnightly payment rates. The full Age Pension rate for singles has increased by

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Adding bonds to your investment mix

Adding bonds to your investment mix

Bonds can play an important role in investment portfolios, but what exactly are they, what are their benefits, and how do you invest in them?  What are bonds? Bonds are a type of investment security that enable investors to lend their money to a bond issuer for a set term

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The lost super pile keeps growing

The lost super pile keeps growing

There’s almost $18 billion of unclaimed superannuation. Here’s how to find it. When it comes to accumulated retirement savings, many Australians have a strong fear of running out of money before they die. Vanguard’s 2024 How Australia Retires research released in June found that almost one in two Australians do not know

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Save for an emergency fund

Save for an emergency fund

An emergency fund is money you save to cover urgent or unexpected costs. This could be car repairs, unexpected travel or an urgent medical bill. It provides a financial safety net so you don’t have to borrow money if something happens to you or your family. How much you need

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Keeping records of shares and units

Keeping records of shares and units

Records you need to keep When you sell your shares in companies or units in managed funds, most of the records you need will be given to you by the company, the fund manager or your stockbroker. These records generally include: the date of purchase the purchase amount details of

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Avoiding sales pressure

Avoiding sales pressure

Salespeople and advertisers use tactics to pressure you to buy a product or sign up to a service. Knowing their techniques can help you avoid buying things you don’t need, or paying more than you should. Sales techniques to watch out for Salespeople and advertisers use a range of techniques

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What insurance do you need when buying a house?

What insurance do you need when buying a house?

When getting ready to buy property, there are many things to keep track of as settlement approaches. An important consideration is what you will need in terms of insurance – admittedly not the most exciting part of buying a new home, but one which can save you money and stress

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How do retirement income options compare?

How do retirement income options compare?

Retirement is filled with opportunities and choices. There’s the time to travel more, work on long-delayed personal projects or volunteer your help to worthwhile causes. You also have a host of choices to make when it comes to funding your new life away from paid work. Here are four different

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What company delistings mean for ETFs

What company delistings mean for ETFs

Some big companies have left the ASX recently. How do ETFs adapt to index changes? Share markets are ever changing. Companies come, and companies go. But what happens to share market indexes, and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that use them as performance benchmarks, when a company is removed because

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How to get into the retirement comfort zone

How to get into the retirement comfort zone

A third of Australians retire without a plan. Here’s why you should have one. Working and generating a stable income can be described as a comfort zone for most Australians. The same can be said for having a well-considered retirement plan that clearly identifies your current financial position and outlines

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