A year before retirement, Tess’s superannuation plan was on track, and she was imagining her post-work life. With savings of $34,000 at the bank, she was looking to park it somewhere it could earn better interest while rates were rising. Considering herself reasonably savvy with money, she began investigating her...
When life throws you a curveball and you suddenly can't work, the financial pressure can feel overwhelming. But here's something many Australians don't realise: there can be many safety nets to help you through. Let me share Sarah's story—it's one I see far too often in my practice, but with...
What’s the first thing that springs to mind when you hear the term ‘passive income’? It may be creating an e-book, a blog or a YouTube channel, engaging in affiliate marketing or selling stock photos, but in fact, none of these is entirely passive. They all require lots of upfront...
It can be tempting to treat superannuation as a ‘set and forget’ investment. In most years, your annual statement will show what appears to be a satisfactory growth rate, so why tamper with something that seems to be working reasonably well? However, depending on your age and goals, your superannuation...
We’d all love to be self-funded in retirement, but for many of us it’s simply not possible. Sometimes we can partially self-fund, sometimes not at all and this is where the government provides assistance. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for either a part or full age pension,...
Sandra had only a couple of years of work left when she realised that she hadn’t the first idea what to do with her super when she retired. She’d always looked forward to retirement, but as the big six-oh approached, things were getting real, and she was becoming anxious. Her...
There’s no escaping the fact that retail prices, utility bills and interest rates remain persistently high. If you’ve managed so far, but feel as if you’re stretched to the limit (or would just like to hold cost increases at bay so that you can add to your savings) here are...
When members of a long-established couple are contemplating divorce or permanent separation, there’s more than the emotional toll to take into account. Ensure you are aware of the potential financial consequences before making this life-changing decision. Dividing assets Couples in their fifties, sixties, or older are likely to have accumulated...
It’s understandable, in today’s tough housing market, that you want to give your children a leg up onto the first rung of the homeowning ladder. But before you do, stop to consider how it’s going to affect your own financial situation in your later years. That doesn’t make you selfish,...
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