One of the golden rules of investing is diversification, but that can be difficult to achieve when you are just starting out or have limited funds to tap into a world of opportunities. Which is why investors have been flocking to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and listed investment companies (LICs). ETFs and LICs are like managed [...]
Interest rates have been low for so long it’s tempting to think low rates are the new normal. So, when the Reserve Bank suggests that a cash rate of 3.5 per cent is the new ‘neutral’, people take notice. Even the Prime Minister warned Australian householders to prepare for higher interest rates ahead.i That’s good advice, [...]
Parents with adult children still living at home have the best of intentions to help their kids get ahead, but they might be putting their own financial futures at risk. At the time of the 2016 census, almost 400,000 non-dependent children aged 25 to 34 were living at home1, an increase of 20 percent from [...]
Australians are living longer and if you hang up your work boots at, say, age 65 and live to age 90, you need to plan for the possibility of a quarter of a century in retirement. That’s a wonderful thought! But will your money last the distance? Understanding your current financial position A good starting [...]
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) remain a popular vehicle for investors to build their retirement savings. According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), 99.5 per cent of all super funds are SMSFs. A total of 29 per cent of the $2 trillion in super fund assets are in SMSFs and the average SMSF balance now exceeds [...]
Housing affordability continues to be a major concern in Australia and not just for would-be first home buyers. It also affects pre-retirees forced to work longer to repay bigger mortgages and older Australians unable to downsize from large family homes due to a lack of affordable options. The latest 2016 Census revealed a gradual decline [...]
It’s almost a decade since the global financial crisis created havoc in financial markets. While the global economy continues to show signs of recovery, political uncertainty in Europe and the United States is creating fresh confusion on global markets as investors wait to see how current events play out. It started just over a year [...]
Aussies are getting better at planning and growing their finances – but there’s still room for improvement. Find out how you stack up… Australians are taking better care of their financial health, as revealed by BT’s Australian Financial Health Index. The study involved over 9,000 Australians, delving deep into the attitudes and behaviours of the [...]
When Dr Bryan Humphrey retired, he didn’t stop working. He simply shifted gears, concocting a plan to embark on his long-held dream of an international ‘voluntouring’ adventure. After a career lecturing at Deakin University on education, criminology, and medicine, Dr Humphrey was ready to ply his many skills in an environment where he would [...]
Getting the right balance Treasurer Scott Morrison’s first budget of the Coalition’s second term in office marked a significant shift in tone from the tough stance of its three previous budgets. Gone is the mantra of debt and deficit. Instead the Treasurer has balanced the government’s resolve to live within its means with promises to [...]
