Financial Planning

Home and away with super
Home and away with super Australians buying their first home or downsizing in retirement are about to receive a helping hand thanks to new superannuation rules which come into effect on July 1. From that date, first home buyers will be able to contribute up to $30,000 into their super fund towards a home deposit while downsizers can put up […]
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It’s time to talk about debt
It’s time to talk about debt Debt in Australian households are among the highest in the world and rising, thanks largely to worsening housing affordability and plentiful consumer credit. So how do we measure up and should we be worried? Most global comparisons measure total household debt as a percentage of net income. At last count, Australia’s household debt to income […]
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Franking credits facing the chop
Franking credits facing the chop Here we go again. Superannuation could be about to undergo more change with the federal opposition announcing it will end cash refunds of franking credits on share dividends if it wins the next election. The change would have a significant impact on people paying little or no tax, especially self-funded retirees in pension phase. Seniors […]
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Opportunities in the cooling property market
Opportunities in the cooling property market Things are looking up for first home buyers for the first time in years as house price growth begins to slow across the country. While prices have been on the slide for some areas in the West and the North since the end of the mining boom, the housing market in Sydney and Melbourne also […]
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Weighing up the value of life insurance
Weighing up the value of life insurance It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that there is a significant underinsurance gap between what we would need to maintain our standard of living should the unthinkable happen, and what we are actually covered for in the way of insurance. Australia is one of the most underinsured nations in the developed world, ranking […]
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