Investment

Planning Your Dream Retirement

Retirement is a significant chapter in life, offering the chance to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. But what does a comfortable retirement look like, and how can you prepare for it? For many people, it’s about finding the right balance between financial security, personal fulfilment, and peace of mind. Here’s how you can start shaping your ideal retirement.

Balancing Property and Dividend Investing

As Australia steps into 2025, there's a careful sense of hope about the economy. Last year was tough, with slow growth and high prices, but things are looking up. Economic growth is forecast to improve, supported by easing interest rates, stabilising inflation, and rising household incomes. However, challenges such as cost-of-living pressures and labour market uncertainties remain in play. For investors, this presents unique opportunities in the property and dividend markets.

Is It Really ‘Set and Forget’? A Guide to ETFs

You've heard the buzz about passive investing, especially through ETFs, and you're keen to explore how it could work for you. It's often pitched as an easier route to growing your wealth, but how exactly do you get going, and what should you watch out for? Let's look a little deeper.

The Impact of Trump’s Second Term on Australia

Donald Trump has officially been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, marking the start of his second, non-consecutive term. His return to the Oval Office has already brought a flurry of executive orders and policy announcements, many of which echo his "America First" agenda from his first term. Whether you agree with his politics or not, one thing is clear: Trump's leadership often brings significant changes, and this time is no different. Let’s explore what this might mean for Australian investors and financial planning.

What is Risk, Really?

I recently engaged with an insightful video presentation by Howard Marks, author of The Most Important Thing Illuminated: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor. He emphasises that risk is not just about volatility but the probability of loss. Marks highlights the many forms of risk, such as missing opportunities or being forced to sell at a low point, and provides key points on understanding and managing risk wisely. His counterintuitive insights, like how an asset’s price drop can make it less risky, are particularly thought-provoking.

How Global Rate Cuts Affect Our Term Deposits

Australia’s major banks have recently decided to lower their term deposit interest rates. This change comes at the same time as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that the US is likely to cut interest rates soon. This development has important implications for both the Australian and global financial markets, presenting opportunities for investors […]

Patience is a Powerful Strategy

In the fast-paced world of investing, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily market movements. Charlie Munger once said “The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting”; it’s a powerful reminder that patience is a cornerstone of successful investing. As we ride the […]

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.

Financial Plan in Your 60s – Home, Super, Debts, Centrelink and Inheritance

We love reading those ‘Dear Abbey’ type letters to the newspaper. Especially the financial ones. Here is a classic we read recently about financial plan for a couple nearing retirement – and what we would do if this were our client.

Guide to investing in Mortgage Funds

What is a Mortgage Fund and how does it work? Mortgage funds (also known as credit funds) is a managed investment fund that pools its investors’ money to lend on to a range of borrowers to use on purchase or development of properties. In some instances, they may also invest in other mortgage funds or […]

Passive Income: Making Money while You Sleep

Passive income is the income generated by our investments. Because it is not linked to our time or (necessarily) our skill, passive income is not limited in the way that active income is. Indeed, it is possible to earn passive income even while we sleep.

Losing Interest? It Could be 2024 Before Things Change.

Earlier this month, Australia’s Reserve Bank dropped their target for interest rates to its lowest rate ever. This has dampened interest rates across the economy – as you will have noticed if you are a borrower or a saver. Rates will stay low for at least three years, so now is a great time to review your financial plan to make best use of these low rates.