Month: February 2024

Your super isn’t automatically included in your will, unless you’ve given certain instructions to your super fund first. Deciding who gets your super when you die isn’t as simple as having a will. That’s because wills typically only cover assets you own personally, such as houses, cars, investments, jewellery and other personal items, whereas super … Read more

Overview If your relationship with your spouse ends, you should be aware of what can happen to the super entitlements of you both. The Family Court and super-splitting laws generally enable super interests (accounts in super funds) or super payments (pensions or annuities) to be split by agreement or court order if a relationship breaks … Read more

Scammers are skilled at tricking you out of your money. Knowing the signs of a scam can help you identify when something doesn’t feel right. Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scams Centre (NASC) says: Stop – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure Think – Ask yourself could the message or call be fake? … Read more

If you’re lucky enough to have received a windfall, perhaps an inheritance or a retrenchment payout, your first decision will be what to do with it. Assuming you have decided against a shopping splurge, finding the best place to invest a lump sum is all about the effect on your tax bill and how soon … Read more

Bonds can provide a stable source of income and can protect the money you invest. They are considered less risky than growth assets like shares and property, and can help to diversify your investment portfolio. What is a bond When you invest in bonds, you’re lending money to a company or government. In return, you … Read more

Key points – Australia ranked as having one of the lowest rates of disposable income growth per capita amongst OECD countries in mid-2023. – An increasing income tax burden and mortgage repayments have weighed on income growth, despite solid wages and salaries. – But, household balance sheets in Australia look stronger compared to incomes. Household … Read more

Adding to your super You can boost your retirement savings by making voluntary super contributions, such as by: setting up a salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer making personal super contributions (and a non-concessional contribution may make you eligible for the government’s super co-contribution) transferring any super you have in a foreign super fund arranging for your spouse to contribute to your … Read more

Give me the main points The most important reason to consider taking out life insurance is to protect your family if you die or become unable to work. There’s a good case for anyone with dependants or people who plan to have dependants to take out life insurance. Life insurance policies can be bought through … Read more

Sidestep the shock of unexpected bills by smoothing out payments and making regular, automated instalments that can be planned well in advance. Ever experience that sinking feeling when you’ve opened a bill that you can’t possibly afford to pay? The shock of receiving a big bill – or worse, a number of them arriving at … Read more

Understanding your retirement income options How you organise your retirement income streams can make a huge difference to your quality of life. Here are some options you might want to consider. What will you do with your super when you retire? You have plenty of flexibility as there’s a wide range of options inside and … Read more

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced proposed changes to address ongoing cost of living pressures with all 13.6 million Australian taxpayers receiving a tax cut from 1 July 2024, compared to the tax they paid in 2023-24.i Now is the time to assess what it means to your hip pocket and what implications it may … Read more