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Going back to work after having a baby
September 8, 2017
Combining work commitments with family responsibilities can be something of a balancing act. We look at some of the expenses you might encounter as well as some of the financial benefits. The cost of childcare For most parents, the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating returning to work after having a child is...Read More
5 ways to make your gap year attractive to employers
September 4, 2017
Whether your gap year is made up of work, study, travel, volunteering, or all of the above, more than four in five people who’ve taken a gap year believe they’re more employable because of it.1 In fact, recruiters have also recognised that ‘constructive’ gap years can help people stand out from the crowd when it comes...Read More
Should you downsize?
August 30, 2017
By the time you are considering retirement, it is likely that you will have substantial equity in your home. You may even own your house outright. Selling the family home is one way to free up cash for retirement. The money you receive can be invested in shares, term deposits, managed funds or superannuation. The...Read More
Is your SMSF retirement-ready?
August 21, 2017
A landmark stage in the life of a self-managed super fund is when at least one of its members moves from the accumulation phase to retirement phase. SMSFs often have members in the accumulation and pension phases. And typical two-person funds have both members retiring within a short time of each other – if not...Read More
Is the outside of your property turning buyers off?
August 7, 2017
Are you in the process of selling your home or thinking about it in the not too distant future? Perhaps you need a change of scenery, more space for a growing family, less space if the kids are grown up and living out of home, or maybe there are financial or health considerations at...Read More
Making the most of flying solo in retirement
August 2, 2017
Getting out and about is important in retirement, especially when you lose the social aspect of working. But what if there’s just you, and it means going to the theatre alone, dining at a table for one or travelling solo? Society tells us these types of activities can only be enjoyed with a companion. But...Read More
You’ve finally paid off your home loan. Now what?
July 31, 2017
You’re down to zero on your home loan? Congratulations! You’ve finally done what many people dream of. But while the goal of paying off your home loan is a common one, it’s important to work out a smart plan for how to use the money that used to go to your lender. Your first instinct...Read More
Don’t become a one-eyed investor
July 28, 2017
Behavioural economists warn investors about a trap known as “confirmation bias”. This involves deciding on a course of action and then looking around for evidence to support that action. The proliferation of online investment newsletters and blogs means that investors can almost immediately find someone, perhaps a so-called expert, who agrees with them. In short,...Read More
A self-managed super statistic that doesn’t seem to change much over the years is the strong preference of new SMSFs for individual trustees rather than a corporate trustee. The latest-available tax office statistics on SMSF trustee arrangements show that 93 per cent of SMSFs established in 2015-16 had individual trustees – a percentage that has...Read More
The risks of trying to pick future winning stocks
July 17, 2017
It’s tough for both professional and personal stock pickers to consistently beat or at least match the market. But maybe many investors don’t recognise just how tough it is for stock pickers to succeed. Recent research by a US academic underlines that pickers of individual stocks typically have a minimal chance of achieving a satisfactory...Read More