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5 considerations before moving into a retirement village
December 4, 2017
It’s important you understand how retirement villages work and the type of costs you’re likely to come across. Today, around 184,000 Australians call a retirement village home. And, with the country’s senior population only set to increase, the number of people wanting to live in a retirement village is predicted to more than double by...Read More
Housing affordability down, rental affordability up
November 24, 2017
Despite national figures, there are still windows of opportunity within different Australian states. Aussie home owners are now forking out nearly a third of their annual income to meet average home loan repayments, according to research from the Real Estate Institute of Australia.1 The group said while home loan affordability showed a slight decline in the second...Read More
Think ahead about smart retiree spending and investing
November 20, 2017
A common personal finance trap is to concentrate on saving and investing to finance our eventual retirement without thinking enough in advance about how to invest and spend that money in retirement. Given that we have so much going on in our lives long before retirement –such as our careers, dependent children, home mortgages and...Read More
Downsizing is not always the answer
November 17, 2017
If you’re pinning your financial hopes on the ability to downsize your home in retirement, you may need to think twice. Many Australians don’t have enough in super to fund a quality retirement, but if you’re pinning your hopes on the value of the family home, it could pay to think again. Downsizing to a smaller place may...Read More
Where do different generations invest their money?
November 13, 2017
An Australian study could reveal some surprises when it comes to the investment preferences of both young and old. If you thought cash savings or investment property were the most popular retail investment choices among Aussies, a recent study by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) revealed that it was in fact shares, along with other on-exchange investments*1. The...Read More
What do Aussies do with their super?
November 8, 2017
Find out where and what retirees are investing in and spending their superannuation money on. A significant number of Aussies are now entering retirement with substantial superannuation balances, after compulsory super contributions for most employees were introduced a quarter of a century ago1. But what are retirees doing with their super money? Are they putting...Read More
Technology: An adversary in the fight for 2% inflation
November 6, 2017
It’s been a generation since inflation last ravaged Australia, with costs for ordinary consumer goods rising on a seemingly daily basis. Indeed, in the wake of the global financial crisis, inflation in many countries has been lower than policymakers would like. Low inflation, it turns out, can be a problem too. Over time, declining or...Read More
Estate planning: what’s involved?
November 3, 2017
Make sure you and your money are well looked after. Estate planning is not just about making a will. It’s about deciding how you want to be looked after (both medically and financially), if you can’t make your own decisions later in life. It’s also about documenting how you want your assets to be distributed...Read More
Why you should have an emergency fund
October 27, 2017
When you’re faced with unexpected expenses, having emergency cash set aside can make all the difference. Could a relatively minor event—such as an unexpected filling, visit to the vet, broken phone, faulty home appliance or busted car tyre—leave you financially stranded? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. One in five Australians don’t have enough...Read More
6 tips for managing money and memory loss
October 13, 2017
The potential for memory loss later in life mightn’t be a subject you want to broach, but having a contingency plan could go a long way. Memory loss in your later years can be difficult, emotionally as well as financially. That’s why having a conversation with your loved ones, or devising a plan early on,...Read More