Month: March 2022

It’s been a rocky start to the year on world markets but that doesn’t mean you should hit the panic button. Staying the course is generally the best course, but that’s easier said than done when there’s a big market fall. In January markets plunged some 10 per cent but then staged a recovery. That … Read more

If you guarantee a loan for a family member or friend, you’re known as the guarantor. You are responsible for paying back the entire loan if the borrower can’t. If a lender doesn’t want to lend money to someone on their own, the lender can ask for a guarantee. Before you agree to be a … Read more

Using your home as the base for your business is increasingly popular, particularly due to COVID-19, with many of Australia’s 2.1 million enterprises with four or less employees now based at home. As a result, the ATO is busy revisiting the rules on the tax deductions you can claim for a home-based business. Your claimable … Read more

Many of us make paying off our mortgage a priority. It’s the new Australian dream. But before making that last home loan repayment, use our checklist to make sure you’re prepared. Your end-of-mortgage checklist Reassess your home insurance. Review your title. Review your estate plan and will. Assess your personal insurance situation. Think about your next financial … Read more

Investors worldwide have been rattled by the heightened volatility on share markets over recent weeks. A combination of factors have largely been to blame, particularly fears around rising interest rates as global inflation levels continue to surge. Over January the U.S. share market fell more than 5 per cent, its worst performance since the onset … Read more

Consolidating your super means moving all your super into one account. It makes your super easier to manage, and saves on fees. Before you consolidate, pick the best super fund for you. You can transfer your super for free in a few simple steps. If you’re ready to consolidate your super now, go straight to … Read more

In life, many of us are totally at ease and comfortable talking to our family and friends about many topics. However, for whatever reason, there are certain subjects that we’re either reluctant or feel uneasy to discuss openly – typically they are love and relationships, politics, religion and money … call them the “taboo topics”. … Read more

Investment forecasts, just like weather forecasts are just that – projections of what might happen on the future, based on past patterns calculated alongside all possible factors that might help provide an estimation of what might occur in the short term. If you’ve ever relied on a weather forecast to help plan a significant event … Read more

Investment properties can generate wealth or earn you a passive income – maybe both – but even in a booming market profit is never promised. The key to purchasing a successful investment property is to buy with your head (not your heart) and to stick to your plan. A bad buying decision made at the … Read more

Quarterly property update: November – January 2022 After a bumper year across the Australian property market – from the city to the regions – experts are predicting slower price growth ahead. However, with limited supply and low interest rates for the foreseeable future, real estate will still be a hotly sought-after commodity in 2022. National … Read more

It’s easy to walk into debt, but so much harder to get out of it. You must own your mess and know that your financial reason for living is to pay down your debt, writes Glen James author of Sort Your Money Out & Get Invested. Apathy and debt reduction don’t go hand in hand. You … Read more

Investment returns are unpredictable. Take last year, for example. Few would have predicted that the price of coffee beans would outperform global share markets. But that’s exactly what happened, thanks to a combination of unforeseen climatic events and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on supply chains around the world. Those factors, combined with … Read more