Your own business should be your most important investment
If you run a small business, or if you are thinking about doing so, then that business needs to be the foundation of all of your financial planning. After all, get the business right and you make all the other parts of your financial plan – your investing, your debt management, your super, your insurances – much more likely to succeed. This article gives you a little illustration of the powerful impact that effective business planning can have.
There’s no need to salary sacrifice any more…
Until now, salary sacrifice has been one of the only ways that an employee can make an extra tax-advantaged contribution into their super fund. But that changed on 1 July 2017. Now, almost everyone can make additional contributions without their employer even knowing – which might come in handy next time you ask for a pay rise!
Hitting your Superannuation Sweetspot
Recent changes to the assets test have increased the rate at which the aged pension is reduced when assets exceed a certain level. This has led to what some people describe as a superannuation sweetspot. Hitting this sweet spot can make a big difference to your retirement, so read on and contact us if you would like to discuss how you can hit your own sweetspot.
All about Super in 2017/2018
As the financial year draws to an end, our thoughts turn to the next one. Superannuation will look quite different in 2017/2018, and so we want to start the new financial year with a summary of the various rules that apply to your super. Please feel free to download our ‘Super summary’ and send it to anyone you think would benefit from it.
2017 Budget – Winners and Losers
Compared to previous years, the 2017 Budget was a bit of an anti-climax. In previous years, there have been a number of big-ticket changes – such as the big changes to superannuation that we have been discussing in recent articles. But this year there have simply been a whole lot of small changes, some of which will be of benefit and others will represent a small loss.
Superannuation changes from 1 July 2017 – Part 2
The 2016 Federal budget introduced a number of changes to superannuation. Many of these changes take effect on 1 July 2017. This week’s article follows on from our article of a fortnight ago. We continue to explore the coming changes and how you can ensure you are prepared for them. We hope you enjoy it!
Superannuation changes from 1 July 2017
The 2016 Federal budget introduced a number of changes to superannuation. Many of these changes take effect on 1 July 2017. This is just a few weeks away, so this is a good time to review the changes and decide if you need to make any adjustments to your super to minimise any negative effects of the changes.
Who gets your super when you no longer need it?
Most people do not own their super benefits. The benefits are owned by the trustee/s of the fund. You can organize things to make sure that these trustees do what you want with your super when you die. You can also organize things so that the people who end up with your benefits pay as little tax as possible. Read on to find out how.
ASIC’s review of life insurers and their payment of claims
In 2016, ASIC reviewed the performance of the major insurers when it came to paying insurance claims. The report makes for troubling reading, especially for people who organise their own insurances. The news was much better for people who used a financial adviser to help them arrange their insurances.
Insurance that you never knew you had
Many working Australians – or Australians who used to work – have insurance of which they are unaware. This can be a huge relief if ever something goes wrong and you cannot work. If you or someone you know has become unable to work, then this article is a must-read. And if you think you might need help with a claim, please make sure you contact us.