Want to invest but don’t know where to start? Here are five basic steps for investing. 1. Define your goals Taking the first step on your investment journey may feel daunting. However, setting clear goals with achievable targets can be a good place to start in the planning process. ‘I want to retire at 60 […]
How healthy are your finances? Isn’t it time you put your own financial wellbeing front and centre? You can take control of your financial future quickly and easily, with a simple financial health check. Just like your physical health, it’s worth giving your finances a checkup once in a while. Over time, unhealthy spending habits […]
Staying at home last year may have proved costly based on global returns. The Australian share market went into overdrive over the last few weeks of 2023, gaining more than 7% as signs of a soft landing and improving economic conditions fuelled global markets. It was a strong end to what, until then, had been […]
Your super balance will most likely play a big part in how comfortably you live in retirement. But depending on how far off retirement is for you, it might be difficult to gauge whether your super is on track, or if you might need a bit more saved up to live the lifestyle you want […]
Introduction The surge in inflation coming out of the pandemic and its subsequent fall has been the dominant driver of investment markets over the last two years – first depressing shares and bonds in 2022 and then enabling them to rebound. But what’s driving the fall, what are the risks and what does it mean […]
Transferring money to children can be one of the most valuable financial steps parents can take. Most of us would have heard the old saying – probably from our parents – that “money doesn’t grow on trees”. In other words, rather than being freely available, money generally needs to be earned. It’s still a powerful […]
The three biggest drains on our money are paying for housing, food and transport; and there’s no getting away from the fact that it is unlikely we can live without any of the ‘big three’. Here we look at some ways of how to save on these items. Saving on rent in the Big Smoke […]
Australians lost over $3 billion to scams in 2022 alone. With investment scams being the most common, consider these insights so you can better protect yourself from online criminals. This is a story where scammers created a website and emails that looked legitimate. What was the scam? An example from Colonial First State (CFS) A […]
The festive season is fast approaching and with it, all the wonderful things an Aussie summer Christmas brings. With gifts, parties, food and beverage costs, however, it can be tough on the wallet. Here are some tips and tricks to get you through the silly season and help you stick to a realistic budget. Make […]
There is no magic age at which to retire. But what’s important is to plan for a longer retirement than you may expect. This is in part because research shows we’re now living longer than ever. According to the Australian Government Actuary (AGA), factoring in improvements in life expectancies over the last 25 years, half […]
