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Retirement is not just about dollars

A life-cycle consultant has revealed only two in five retirees admit to being happier once they stopped working, prompting him to issue a reminder that achieving a satisfactory retirement goes well beyond how much money a person has saved in their superannuation fund.

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Working after pension age

 

The Australian Government is assisting older Australians to work, if they are able and wish to do so, by allowing them to keep more of their pension when they have income from work.

 

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Big stamp duty and tax changes for Victoria investors and businesses.

  There are three main areas of significant change: Transition from stamp duty to annual property tax for commercial and industrial property. This will apply to commercial and industrial properties acquired on or after 1 July 2024. (existing owners of properties purchased before 1 July 2024 will not be affected).  Once a property enters the

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Unfair Terms in a Standard Form Contract

As a business owner, you probably enter into contracts every day. Contracts are crucial as they document and govern the relationship between your business and various parties. It is common to offer the parties you interact with the same or similar contracts. These are examples of a standard form contract.

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Advice-Related Complaints Low Despite Huge Rise In General

Of the nearly 97,000 complaints lodged with AFCA in the past 12 months, less than 5% were related to investments and advice and just under 2% were about life insurance.

A statement from the authority says consumers in dispute with financial firms lodged a record 96,987 complaints, an “unprecedented” rise of 34% on the previous financial year.

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Protect your business from cyber threats.

Computer hacking has been around for as long as there have been computers.  Once it used to be computer geeks showing the world how smart they were.  Now it's become very serious with almost any person, company or Government at risk from these criminal activities.

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Beating back inflation, but at what cost?

Joe Davis, Vanguard’s global chief economist, gives a high-level overview of where the economy and markets are likely headed in 2023. Inflation is abating, thanks in part to central banks’ aggressive actions, but it may come at a cost, with recession likely in most developed markets. But it may not be all bad news for the financial markets.

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Volatility is here to stay

Volatility is part and parcel of investing so it's important to put it into perspective and look at the full picture when thinking about your wealth, rather than focus on day-to-day market swings.
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Investors and recessions

Despite much talk of rising interest rates and possible recession, here are a few reasons to stay the course and stick to your long-term investment strategy.

By Alexis Gray, Senior Economist, Vanguard Asia-Pacific

 

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Partial property sales eligible for downsizer

Superannuation fund members making a downsizer contribution do not have to sell the whole property or even move out of it after the sale, but cannot claim a contribution for land that has undergone a subdivision, a technical expert has advised.

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How costs can add up

There is quite a bit of truth to the old adage “there is no free lunch in life” or its more recent equivalent “if you’re not paying for the product, you’re the product” because pretty much everything in life comes at a cost these days.

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Strategic asset allocation: a timeless solution

While adopting a tactical asset allocation might seem tempting during bouts of heightened volatility, the timing and skill required to perfectly execute a portfolio shift is near impossible. Sticking to a strategic asset allocation however is likely to yield better returns.
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Should you be getting advice?

From navigating market volatility to superannuation legislation changes to determining the right asset allocation, here's how financial advice can help investors optimise their portfolios.

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Census 2021 Data

Search through the data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and find interesting facts about how the country is changing.

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Tax tips

The more detail you can give your accountant the quicker your tax return can be processed and, usually, the better the outcome. The following will help.

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Constructing a portfolio using investor profiles

Vanguard research showed that not all younger investors had a high equity allocation and not all older investors reduced risk as they aged. Consider constructing a portfolio using diversified funds that not only considers your investment time frame, but also aligns to your attitude towards risk.

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Federal Budget 2022 and YOU – Part 2

 

Part 2: The second half of a detailed breakdown of last night’s Federal Budget. Also included are the budget documents themselves for those who like their information to be as granular as possible. Part 2 is set out in this way to help quickly find information that affects you, your family, and your region.

 

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Federal Budget 2022 and YOU – Part 1

 

Part 1:  Any government Budget consists of information about all areas the respective government manages for the tax payer.  The Federal Budget is no exception and set out below are half of the areas this year's Budget covered.  It is set out in this way to help quickly find information that effects you, your family and your region.

 

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Risking your retirement

If you're retired or approaching retirement, and dreading the next piece of news that may cause your portfolio to dip, then it might be time to revisit your asset allocation.

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Vaccination rates (Dose)

61.4% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 10.2 billion doses have been administered globally, and 18.22 million are now administered each day. Only 10% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.

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What to expect in 2022

2022 is set to be a bumpy year for investors, but sticking to an investment strategy and thinking long-term will help investors navigate the road ahead.

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The real impact of investment choices

Alongside uncontrollable factors like market returns, the cumulative impact of all the investment choices you make along the way is what ultimately determines your investment outcome. That's why making good decisions about investment contributions and fees is of the utmost importance.

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Asian Economies (1960 – 2020)

 

While there is a very rapid escalation with watching and monitoring the economies of Asia, especially China, it is always interesting to look back over time, in this case 60 years, to see how they have evolved. Doing so adds great perspective.

 

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Rising life expectancies and retirement

Average life expectancies in Australia are now at a record high, and while that's a positive, longevity can also come with potential financial risks such as outliving your retirement savings. So what can you do to ensure you have the best chance of experiencing a financially secure retirement?

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The dos and dont’s of revenge spending

After months in lockdowns and living under tight restrictions, many Australians have gone on a “revenge spending” spree. But before you go out and buy buy buy, do a financial stocktake to see if those purchases are viable and that your emotions aren't ruling your reality.

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Planning your financial legacy

Beyond accumulating wealth over time, planning your financial legacy is one of the most important aspects of estate planning. With the greatest family wealth transfer set to occur in the next 20 to 30 years, here are a few things investors should consider when planning.

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State and Federal COVID-19 support

 

The following links are to the latest state and federal government plans, schemes, programs, and initiatives to help businesses and individuals manage the impact of yet more COVID-19 restrictions.

 

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SMSFs, employee share schemes & NALI

Acquiring shares under an employee share scheme (ESS) via your self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) may appear attractive but greater uncertainty has arisen following the ATO’s recent ruling, LCR 2021/2, on the application of the non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules to such a transaction.

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Retirement can be risky business

 

Retirees face a variety of risks in retirement including market risk, inflation risk and longevity risk. Here are some strategies to help mitigate them so you can achieve financial peace of mind.

 

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The rise of the female investor

 

While society continues to grapple with the factors driving gender and pay inequity, women are proactively turning to investing more than ever before. And in doing so, they are demonstrating a very competent and sensible approach to building up their wealth outside of superannuation.

 

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Lockdowns and mental health

 

Victoria endures its sixth lockdown as the state's cases grow; NSW records 1,281 new local COVID-19 cases and three deaths. Lockdowns to be eased once 70% of the population is double vaccinated against COVID-19 yet today some 60% of Australians are in lockdown.

 

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SMSFs go for growth

 

SMSFs are looking to invest more in equities and less in cash in this low-yield environment, according to the Vanguard/Investment Trends 2021 SMSF Investor report released last week.

 

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Guide to writing a business plan

 

Whether starting a new business or re-planning an existing one, a business plan is always a good idea.  Getting professional help drafting you plan is another good idea because planning a business's future should be done in the best manner possible.

 

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Why Australian households are getting richer

 

Australian household wealth is rising, with the bulk tied up in residential real estate. On an asset allocation level, there may be room for households to revisit their asset holdings to see if they still align to their financial goals.

 

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A broad range of Calculators – Tools

 

These calculators, along with videos that explain accounting ideas, latest news articles, an easy to use file transfer system, and a portfolio management portal make our website a great place to keep up-to-date and obtain help on many of your financial questions. *

 

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COVID crash: one year on

 

It's now been one year since the COVID-19 outbreak sent global markets into freefall. How have investors fared since the 2020 crash and what are the lessons learned?

 

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Frydenberg flags super freeze

 

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has weighed in on the superannuation debate in the clearest sign yet that the government may be considering a freeze to the legislated increase.

 

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The real value of advice

 

The right words of advice – whether it be from friends or family, business mentor, sports coach – can have lasting impact on the way we lead our lives, manage our businesses. The same holds true for financial advice.

 

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How to pass the diversification test

 

Diversification, spreading your money across a range of different assets rather than putting it all into one place, is one of the core principles of investment risk management. That's because investment returns from different assets are never consistent.

 

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Early access boosted interest in advice

 

Public interest in financial advice rose significantly in 2020, with consumers focusing their online searches on super topics as the government launched its COVID-19 early access scheme, according to new data from fund manager Allan Gray.

 

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Approaching the dawn

 

COVID-19 has completely, and mercilessly, dictated the direction of economies and financial markets through most of this year. So, as we rapidly approach the end of an extremely unpredictable and volatile year, what's in store for 2021?

 

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Super, death, and taxes

 

An interesting finding in the federal government's Retirement Income Review report is that many Australians are dying with the majority of the wealth they had when they retired.

 

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Investing basics for first timers

 

The students of 2020 are graduating to the adult world in one of the most uncertain times in recent history amid recession, pandemic and global political tensions. In times like these, knowing the basics of how to get started down the road to prosperity is more important than ever.

 

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2020 is coming to an end. Phew!!

 

Some fireworks and a great Advent Calendar to help you celebrate. On behalf of all our staff we wish our clients and their families a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a great holiday period.

 

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How your coming tax cut could pay off

 

Over the coming weeks, around 12 million working Australians will start receiving extra cash in their pay packets as a result of changes to personal income tax brackets announced by the federal government.

 

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Most SMSFs are still poorly diversified

 

Data only just released by the Australian Tax Office, detailing the asset allocations for all SMSFs in the quarter to the end of June, shows there was still a large investment weighting at that time towards cash and term deposits.

 

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How to construct an effective portfolio

 

Portfolio construction is always a popular topic among investors, but as markets become more volatile, the practice of carefully piecing together a jigsaw of investments that weathers both good times and bad is particularly relevant.

 

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Your super fund, your choice

Choice is inherently regarded as a good thing, particularly in these COVID-affected times when some of our basic choices have had to be suspended for the greater community good.

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How SMSF trustees navigated COVID-19 volatility

Last week, Vanguard and Investment Trends launched the 2020 SMSF Investor Report. This year's report surveyed over 3000 SMSF trustees on their investment priorities and industry outlook, providing an insight into how trustees navigated through COVID-19 volatility.

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COVID-19 resources -Update July 2020

Several new links have been added to the many already in this article, links that date back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  If you have any questions, or require further assistance, please send us an email or phone.

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JobKeeper Phase 2

The Government has decided to extend a lower JobKeeper for a further six months (13 fortnights) from 28 September this year, with eligibility based on actual rather than projected turnover declines.

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The Bond Market

2020, a year that will be marked in history by a pandemic that had devastating effects on global health and economic activity to individuals and nations across the world.

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‘But how will we pay for this?’

It’s a natural question about global policymakers' multitrillion-dollar efforts to prop up economies and markets against the monumental threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the question has understandably taken a back seat to confronting immediate health and welfare challenges.

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Extra Tools & Resources for our clients

Over time we have supplied our clients with a growing collection of tools and resources to help in areas such as COVID-19 relief updates, articles on tax changes and updates, articles to help understand economic changes, calculators for all financial needs, and videos to help you and your family learn more about financial matters.  We hope you enjoy these 'extras' and if you have any question then simply ask.

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Ways to outsmart your cognitive biases

As markets continue to be wax and wane due to ongoing coronavirus fears and subdued employment and economic recovery numbers, it seems timely to remind ourselves of the types of behavioural and emotional biases that could lead to potentially risky investment behaviour, and how you can avoid them.

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COVID-19 cuts risk pension pain

The Federal Government recently announced the mandatory minimum drawdown rates for retirees with account-based pensions would be temporarily halved in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years.

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Financial Videos

A range of informative and easy to watch videos on topics important to you gaining a better understanding of your financial future.

What Can A Financial Adviser Do For You

Reducing Your Capital Gains Tax Liability

Why You Need Life Insurance

Home and Contents Insurance

Cyber Liability

Debt Recycling

Love and Money

Teaching Kids About Money

General Calculators

Please enjoy the links to these free tools supplied by MoneySmart – a great resource for general financial information. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any questions that you may have as a result of using these calculators.

Managing My Money

Superannuation

Investing

Borrowing and Credit

Retirement

Secure File Transfer

Secure File Transfer is a facility that allows the safe and secure exchange of confidential files or documents between you and us.