Beware of Pension Pressure
Beware of Pension Pressure Changes to the pension assets test that came into force on January 1 have resulted in some retirees losing some, or all, of their pension entitlements. The big question now is whether the tighter assets test will encourage people to change the way they plan and behave in the years leading up to retirement to […]
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Counting the cost of education
Counting the cost of education A quality education is a lifelong resource and a powerful launching pad for young Australians. But with education costs rising at more than twice the rate of inflation, it’s more important than ever to plan ahead for the investment you’re making in your child.i Grandparents may also like to help their family by investing money […]
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Fire up your small business in 2017
Fire up your small business in 2017 As it’s back to work for most Australians, hopefully you took the time out to recharge your batteries over the holidays. But what about the batteries fuelling your small business? Even if you were working ‘in’ the business over the holiday season, it should have been worth carving out some time to work ‘on’ your […]
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Making the most of home office deductions
Making the most of home office deductions Working flexible hours at home or running your small business from the spare room are becoming increasingly popular options for Australians. In August 2015, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated around 3.5 million of us were working from home, 59 per cent as employees and another 24 per cent as owner-managers of unincorporated enterprises.i Although […]
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A global sea change
A global sea change If 2016 taught us anything, it was to expect the unexpected. Britain’s vote to exit the European Union and Donald Trump’s election as the next US President surprised the pundits and markets alike. Markets generally hate surprises, yet in the closing weeks of the year so-called ‘Trump trades’ pushed shares, bond yields and the US […]
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