With consecutive rate rises throughout 2022 and talk of more to come, many Australians have been looking at their home loans more closely. Yet one thing that may have gone unnoticed is a loyalty tax and whether you are paying one. What is a loyalty tax? A tax for being loyal? It doesn’t seem fair, … Read more
Rental property owners are now one of the ATO’s top targets after it found nine out of ten tax returns reporting rental income and deductions contained at least one error.i The tax office estimates it’s missing out on around $1.5 billion due to over-claiming of rental property expenses and omission of rental income. Growing interest … Read more
The excitement of heading towards retirement and a new stage of life can be tinged with concern over how to manage finances. For many people, seniors’ concession cards are a good way to help make ends meet. While discounts on goods and services are always welcome, they’re even more valued right now as living costs … Read more
With interest rates on the rise and investment returns increasingly volatile, Australians with cash to spare may be wondering how to make the most of it. If you have a mortgage, should you make extra repayments or would you be better off in the long run boosting your super? The answer is, it depends. Your … Read more
We all approach decision making in our own way, making a multitude of decisions every day: ‘Should I hit snooze again on the alarm?,’ ‘Do I take the train to work, or do I drive,’ ‘What should we have for dinner?’ In fact, researchers estimate that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions every day.i While … Read more
One of the things many of us have been missing over the past few years is holidays, but now that the world is opening up again for travel and destinations that have been pretty quiet are now eagerly welcoming back tourists, taking a break has never been more appealing. Holidays are not just a lovely … Read more
With the cost of living on the rise, it’s more important than ever to have a financial safety net that protects you and your family in case the unexpected happens. Most Australian employees have some form of life insurance, often through their superannuation fund, but many of us tend to ‘set and forget’. To make … Read more
Stay up to date with what’s happened in the Australian economy and markets over the past month. In August, the focus was on US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s speech, during which he reinforced the focus on bringing US inflation down, even at the risk of recession. In Australia, economic conditions are less gloomy, with … Read more
Working out how much you need to save for retirement is a question that keeps many pre-retirees awake at night. Recent market volatility and fluctuating superannuation balances have only added to the uncertainty. So it’s timely that new research shows you may need less than you fear. For most people, it will certainly be less … Read more
Life just seems to get ever busier as the years roll by and our most precious commodity is often our time. We could all do with a few more hours in the day and technology continues to play a vital role in bringing efficiencies into our daily lives. In fact, research indicates that technology saves … Read more
