It sounds like a silly question at first. How could it be possible to save too much money? While it is a great feeling to be debt-free with money in the bank, there comes a point where hoarding money causes you to miss out on the opportunity to put your money to work. After all, […]
I want to tell you about a little known savings and investment product called the Investment Bond. It also goes under the names of Growth Bond and Insurance Bond. It is generally available from Friendly Societies and Insurance Companies. It is a 10-year non-superannuation product with an underlying investment in managed funds that offers tax […]
If you are the owner of a small business, you might not be paying too much attention to your own superannuation because your business is your ultimate retirement asset, right? Every year you make a profit you increase your balance sheet and the value of your business grows over time. As a business owner myself, that […]
Did you know that your 40’s is the dangerous decade for onset of chronic health conditions? For most families, this is the peak decade of home-building, child-raising, and carving out a career. It is a busy and stressful time so it is no surprise that in the fifth decade of life, the engine splutters or […]
There are some serious misconceptions out there about personal risk insurance. Take it from one who knows that all that glitters is not gold when it comes to insurance. The super-convenience of over-the-phone, immediate instant sign-up, direct insurance with no medicals may lead to disappointment later on if you don’t read the fine print. Here […]
In a nutshell, estate planning is getting your financial affairs in order ahead of your passing. What it really means though is not leaving a bloody big mess for your spouse or kids to clean up. Families in conflict over money with more lawyers than you need, dragging it out for years, is a common […]
I am often asked the best way to retire. It’s not an easy answer because everyone is different in terms of their dreams, personal situation and money. However, I can tell you with genuine insight how I personally am approaching and dealing with retirement. I’m in the second half of my sixties and so far, so […]
Buying a property through your Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) is quite straight forward if you have the money in your fund to purchase it outright, ideally with other diversified assets and some cash left over. It becomes a bit more complicated when you want to borrow money to make the purchase. There are three […]
Retirement is generally regarded as quitting full time work somewhere in our 60’s, and starting a new phase of life without having to trudge off to a daily shift at the salt mine. Although retirement can last 20 or 30 years, it is the last lap because there is only one outcome at the end of it. […]
Superannuation is the government’s legislated system of saving for retirement. Its main advantage is the concession of reduced taxation and because it is compulsory for employed people, it’s a type of forced savings. The disadvantage is that it is complicated for the layperson; and in fact a good many financial advisers avoid detailed superannuation advice because […]