What to Do if Someone Dies
Australia’s death rate remains the same as it has always been. We get one death each. The problem is, very few of us know when our death will come. What is also certain is that we will know people who die before us. This is a quick guide to what to do if someone you love dies.
How to Win at Tennis. And Investing
It is Australian Open time again and the world’s attention focusses on Australia’s very own Grand Slam Tennis Tournament. Happily, with Covid restrictions much less this year, we will see a blockbuster tournament. May the best players win.
Why Insurance is a Good Idea
Our heart has been breaking in recent weeks over the massive floods affecting so much of Queensland and NSW. If you or someone you know has been affected, please know our thoughts are very much with you at this time. This week we look at why having insurance in general is a good idea, and an important one.
Ever thought about the role of buffers in good financial planning?
The Governor of the Reserve Bank Phillip Lowe recently recommended that home borrowers ensure that they have a ‘buffer’ against the time when interest rates inevitably rise. Interest rate buffers are not the only type of buffer in good financial planning. Buffers are used in many areas, but the need for buffers always comes from the same source: understanding that the way things are now is not likely to be the way things are in the future.
Does Your Life Insurance Policy include Covid-19?
If you hold a life insurance policy in Australia, the good news is that your policy will almost certainly not exclude health events that are caused by Covid-19. This is especially the case for policies that pre-date 2020, but is also almost always the case for policies that you took out before you became or become ill with Covid.
Identifying Goals And Objectives To Improve Your Personal Financial Situation
The upcoming new year offers a new beginning and for many, this is as good a time as any to look at your own financial goals. Take this time to reset, perhaps put the past behind you and set yourself some goals and objectives and a plan to achieve them.
Would You Walk Out on a Bad Movie?
You have paid $100 for gold class movie tickets. About a third of the way through, you realise that this is the worst film you have ever seen. Do you leave now or do you stay until the bitter end? Your answer might have big implications for your financial future.
Do You Know What Makes Money, Money?
While privately-traded cryptocurrencies are becoming more well known, they are unlikely ever to be used as ‘money’ in Australia. To understand why, it helps to understand what makes money, money.
How Much of Your Wealth Comes From Housing?
This week we came across an interesting little read from Fidelity International, an international fund manager. Their article examined the composition of Australian household wealth as of the end of 2020, which is about as recent as the data gets when it comes to this kind of thing.
Maximise Your Wealth to Prepare for Your Children’s Financial Future
Most parents worry about providing for their kids’ future. The specific way in which you save for your kids’ future might vary, but the essential principle is the same: the best way to help your kids is simply to maximise your own wealth.
Ever Borrowed Money from the Government?
This week, we want to explore the concept or borrowing in retirement a little more fully by looking at a unique way of doing so – the Commonwealth Government’s Pension Loan Scheme.
Asset Rich but Cash Poor?
In recent articles we've explored the personal and general reasons why many Australians choose not to sell their family home as they move into and through retirement. In this article, we look at ways that make keeping a family home easier once you stop working.