Helping your kids buy a home Increasing house prices are good news for property owners but can be a bit of a hurdle for people trying to get into the market. If, like many of our clients, your goal is to help your children buy a home, there are a few ways you can help. Perhaps some of the tips below might give you an idea or two to discuss with your adviser. 1. Start …
Planning is the key to making it financially If you’ve paid off your home, have a healthy stash of super and take an overseas holiday each year, you’ve made it financially. That’s the view of many Australians according to recent research. A study by comparison site Finder found paying off the mortgage is the financial milestone 74% of Australians value most. Having enough in super to retire comfortably comes a close second for 59% of …
Six traits of Australians living the dream Almost one in four Australians (23%) believe they are definitely or mostly ‘living the dream’, according to recent research from the Financial Planning Association.iHere are six traits that have helped them to achieve their dreams. 1. Strong personal habits Australians living the dream are family oriented, spending more quality time with their family during the week than the average Australian. And they’re five times more likely to meditate …
Protecting your family from an inheritance nightmare Estate planning is a topic that many people would rather not talk about too often, but it’s an important part of the entire financial planning process for anyone with responsibilities, whether they are family or business responsibilities. With the current rate of divorce and people living longer, the number of blended families in Australia is increasing and family life is becoming increasingly complex. The need for comprehensive estate …
How to create visibility on spending goals in retirement Retirees looking to develop a sustainable financial plan face a challenging technical problem. So it makes sense to simplify some of the inputs. Those of us who focus on the production of investment returns for retirees’ financial assets often choose to make simple assumptions about consumption patterns in retirement. However a more detailed understanding of priorities for spending in retirement can inform the design of appropriate …
Planning to avoid financial mistakes Selling shares when prices have tumbled or buying a house at the height of a property boom only to dispose of it when the market falls are among the financial set-backs that can happen to anyone on the road to retirement. Everyone makes mistakes during their investment lifetime; the trick is to avoid them when you can and learn from the ones you can’t. Have a plan Failing to plan …
Superannuation and the financial ties that bind They say, only one thing in life is certain. And while we would rather plan our next holiday than consider what’s going to happen when we die, it is one inevitable event that we should all plan for. When someone dies, it’s a very difficult time for all the family. A Will provides some assurances as to how our money will be distributed. But what about superannuation? …
Living longer, working longer and super balances larger Australians with the best life expectancy in history will have to work longer in order to be able to fund their retirement. But research has found only half of all working Australians will be healthy enough to work in to their golden years. The latest AMP.NATSEM report, Going the distance: Working longer, living healthier, has found the majority of Australians have less than a 50 per cent …
Women need a plan for ‘early’ retirement We know women generally live longer than men, but new research shows the majority of Australian women are unlikely to work past the age of 65, making it more important than ever for them to take control of their finances early and plan appropriately for life after work. The latest AMP.NATSEM Report, Going the distance: Working longer, living healthier, has revealed the gender gap in the Australian workforce …
Saving is a family affair You eat together, play together and live under the same roof – so why not save together? While many parents bear the brunt of their brood’s finances, it’s a good idea to consider making household saving a family affair by involving kids in the process. With the cost of living on the rise, many Australian families are finding it hard to keep up with today’s growing list of expenses. …
