5 Ways to Give Your Christmas Spending a Makeover
These days Christmas appears to be more of a retail festival than a festive event, and while it can be a season of joy for many, it is a time of stress or loneliness for others. If the ‘Xcesses of Xmas’ have been getting you down, or if you just want to shake up your […]
Three-Minute Financial Check-up
While the standard of living is constantly improving in Australia, economic disruptions, stagnant wage growth and continually increasing house prices are putting more and more people under financial stress. A recent report by the social research group, the Melbourne Institute, ‘Taking the Pulse of the Nation’, found one in three Australians reported being under financial […]
Closing the Gender Superannuation Gap
Most people, when asked about retirement, will tell you they’re looking forward to it. However, for some women, the approach of retirement is viewed with uncertainty. In recent times a spotlight has been shone on the gender pay gap, resulting in greater awareness of women’s conditions in the workforce. Yet we’re still overlooking how lower wages […]
Financial Planning for a Family Member with a Disability
With over 4.4 million Australians living with a disability, most families either have a family member with a disability or know of a family supporting a disabled loved one. In 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 4.5 per cent, or approximately 211,200 children, aged between 0 to 14 years, have a profound or severe […]
Building Financial Resilience
Buying a new home is undou Resilience is the ability to quickly recover from setbacks, and while setbacks can come in many forms most of them will have a financial component. So what can you do to build financial resilience? Expect the unexpected Rarely do we get advance warning that something bad is about to […]
5 Factors that May Derail Your Mortgage Application
Buying a new home is undoubtedly one of the most exciting time in our lives. But, on the other hand, a mortgage application can be a stressful process as you dive into a world of unknowns. Let’s look at five factors that may negatively affect your chance of being approved for a home loan. Lying […]
6 Steps to a Sustainable Christmas
Just as the Grinch stole Christmas, excess spending can rob us all of yuletide happiness. Seasonal credit card splurges can create ballooning long term debt, while unnecessary consumption inevitably leads to a blow-out in rubbish bin waste. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia estimates $11 billion is spent on presents each year, including some 20 million […]
Don’t Lose Your Home! Alternative Ways to Pay for Aged Care
Anyone who has helped an elderly relative make the move into aged care knows that it can be a traumatic experience. It involves a move from the familiar – a home that a loved one may have lived in for decades – to the unfamiliar, a care facility with many residents and staff. On top […]
Protect Your Estate from These Mistakes
It’s a sad but unavoidable fact: one day we are all going to die. You will most likely have clear ideas as to how you would like your hard-earned wealth – your ‘estate’ – to be divided amongst your loved ones or other beneficiaries. However, estate planning is a complex area of law and basic […]
How Much Should I have in My Emergency Fund
It’s the most common story financial professionals hear. Unfortunately, too many people fail to set aside emergency savings to see them through life’s hiccups. So when the inevitable happens, and an unexpected bill arrives, they are put under pressure to find the funds to pay it. In turn, this leads to maxed out credit cards […]
