Financial Advice

5 Questions To Ask A Financial Planner

5 Questions To Ask A Financial Planner

Finding the right financial planner for your needs, goals and life stage is essential to help you achieve your financial goals. As a specialist profession, it's important to check your financial planner is professionally licensed and qualified to provide you with advice. Equally important is the rapport you have with them - it should be comfortable and feel like the right fit from the start. Here are five questions to ask a financial planner at your first meeting...

Goals: A New Sense of Progress

Goals: A New Sense of Progress

Chances are, you're thinking about 2018 - most of us do this time of year. It's a great time to regroup and hit the refresh button to get a clean start, especially if this year didn't quite work out how you thought it would...

Alert: Residential Property Deductions

Alert: Residential Property Deductions

The ATO have now made the following changes to residential property deductions, applicable from 1st July 2017...

Market outlook for 2018

Market outlook for 2018

By the standards of recent years, 2017 was relatively quiet. Sure there was the usual “worry list” – about Trump, elections in Europe, China as always, North Korea and the perennial property crash in Australia. And there was a mania in bitcoin. But overall it has been pretty positive for investors...

Accountant or Planner?

Accountant or Planner?

When it comes to sorting out money matters, where do you go to seek professional help? Can an accountant take care of your finances or should you be speaking to a financial planner? Discover more about the difference between these two support services and how you can benefit from both...

Mistakes To Mastery (Free eBook)

Mistakes To Mastery (Free eBook)

Life doesn’t revolve around money. Lots of other things - like family, friends, and health - can be much more important to you than your bank balance. But some personal goals are hard to achieve if you don’t have much money. That’s why the FPA have put together this handy guide to getting to grips with the do’s and don’ts of your finances...

US interest rates: The Fed hikes again

US interest rates: The Fed hikes again

The US Federal Reserve raised rates last night by another 0.25%, noting continuing strengthening in the US labour market and solid economic growth. The question now is where to from here? Will the Fed get more aggressive? Should investors be concerned?

Superannuation: Housing Measures Passed

Superannuation: Housing Measures Passed

Two very important housing affordability measures were passed on December 7th - the First Home Super Saver Scheme & Downsizer Contributions...

Investing: Cautious optimism better for your health...

Investing: Cautious optimism better for your health...

At the start of last year, with global and Australian shares down around 20% from their April/May 2015 highs, the big worry was that the global economy was going back into recession and that there will be another Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Now, with share markets having had a strong run higher, it seems to have been replaced by worries that a crash is around the corner and this will give us the global recession and new GFC that we missed last year!

Psych yourself into saving

Psych yourself into saving

Whether you’re struggling to make ends meet or living comfortably, saving money can be something you’ll be finding hard to do. In her new book “Mind Over Money: The Psychology of Money and How To Use it Better” BBC broadcaster and psychologist Claudia Hammond shares insights into how we can change our ways when it comes to budgeting, spending and saving more for a rainy day...

Market Update: Bubbles, busts, and bitcoin

Market Update: Bubbles, busts, and bitcoin

The surge in bitcoin has attracted much interest. Over the last five years, it has soared from $US12 to over $US8000; this year it’s up 760%. Its enthusiasts see it as the currency of the future and increasingly as a way to instant riches with rapid price gains only reinforcing this view... 

Saving: Lessons to teach your kids

Saving: Lessons to teach your kids

One of the most important things you can teach your kids is how to manage their money as this will help them better face the challenges of adulthood. In our world of ever advancing technology, children often don’t see physical money being exchanged. In fact, some Scandinavian countries are even doing away with physical cash altogether...

Another Tech-Bubble?

Another Tech-Bubble?

A quick look at the valuations of the so called FAANMG group of stocks – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Net ix, Microsoft and Google – and it certainly feels like it we’re in a tech stocks bubble a-la the late 1990s.

But does that mean we’re going to see another tech-stock crash? 

Budgeting: Where does all my money go?

Budgeting: Where does all my money go?

The three biggest drains on our money are paying for housing, food and transport. And there’s no getting away from the fact that it is unlikely we can live without any of the “big three”. Here we look at some ways of how to save on these items...

UNDER 40 & BROKE: THE NEED FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE

UNDER 40 & BROKE: THE NEED FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE

With increasing debt and falling home ownership among the under 40s, their financial prospects are less than rosy.  If this trend is set to continue, young people are going to be needing financial advice more than ever to help them make the best choices for a secure future...

Retirement: Seniors are doing it for themselves

Retirement: Seniors are doing it for themselves

Newcastle-based lawyer Lyn Lucas has been practicing family law for 25 years. She is also 76. Lucas studied law as a mature age student, and seven years ago created an online legal practice, Online Divorce Lawyer. This came about as she was looking to lessen the stress of practising law full time...

Australian House Price Crash?

Australian House Price Crash?

A common narrative on the Australian housing market is that it’s in a giant speculative bubble propelled by tax breaks, low interest rates and “liar loans” that have led to massive mortgage stress and that it’s all about to go bust, bringing down the banks and the economy with it. Recent signs of price falls – notably in Sydney – have added interest to such a view...

Financial Advice Worth More Than It Costs

Financial Advice Worth More Than It Costs

A young family could be $240,000 better off at retirement if they receive financial advice, according to Sunsuper....

SHARING FINANCIAL WISDOM

SHARING FINANCIAL WISDOM

Money know-how can come from anyone, young or old. When it comes to financial wisdom, author and speaker Kylie Travers and actor and singer Charmaine Bingwa have taken their lead from the previous generation...