Month: July 2024

As a group, these companies have been riding high. But looks can be deceptive. In the 1960 Western movie The Magnificent Seven, a group of American gunmen help defend a small Mexican village from being pillaged by a gang of ruthless bandits. It was a box-office hit, ultimately leading to three sequel movies, a TV series, a … Read more

What is your ‘estate’? Your ‘estate’ includes everything you own – your ‘earthly possessions’, if you will. It can include for example cash, property, cars, boats, furniture, jewellery, family heirlooms, art, shares and more. What is estate planning? This is where you decide what will happen to your belongings after you pass away. By leaving … Read more

The super changes from the start of the 2024-25 financial year. A number of superannuation changes came into effect on 1 July 2024 and are designed to help working Australians get more money into the retirement savings system. If fully utilised, the changes potentially allow all super fund members, including those with a self managed … Read more

Average household wealth, and what it takes to rank among Australia’s wealthiest 1%. Being a billionaire isn’t what it used to be. Back in 1990, Australia had one of them – the late media mogul Kerry Packer. But these days Australia has lots. According to the just-released Australian Financial Review Rich List, there are now 150 individuals … Read more

Companies use debentures, secured and unsecured notes to raise money from investors. They offer fixed interest payments but returns often depend on risky investments. You could lose all your money if the company or investment fails. How debentures, secured and unsecured notes work Companies set the interest rate on the debentures, secured and unsecured notes … Read more

Steps to refinancing your home loan Refinancing your home loan is a big decision and it can be a complex process. Perhaps you need a different product to suit your needs? Or maybe you’d like to switch your home loan to another bank? No matter why you’re refinancing, here are the key steps involved in … Read more

Managing risk is an essential part of investment strategy to reduce the potential for losses. Risk is not just associated with investing though – life can throw a curve ball or two and insurance is one way to manage risk in a broader context. It’s a matter of weighing up your risks and thinking about … Read more

If you want to protect your family from your funeral costs, there are ways to pay in advance. Check your options to get the best value for money. What funerals cost Funerals can cost from $4,000 for a basic cremation to around $15,000 for a more elaborate burial. A typical funeral will have these costs: … Read more

ASIC urges you to hang up on cold callers and scroll past social media click bait offering to help you compare and switch super funds. How super cold calling works Cold callers often use high pressure sales tactics to convince you to buy a product or sign up to a service. Their tactics include making … Read more

If you’re nearing retirement age, it’s likely you’re wondering if you will have enough saved to give up work and take it easy, particularly as cost-of-living increases hit some of the basic expenses such as energy, insurance, food and health costs. Fortunately, someone has already worked out what you might need. The Association of Superannuation … Read more

If you’re considering investing in something everyone is talking about, do some checks first. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for investment hype Investment hype is where something is widely promoted and creates a lot of buzz. You may hear about it on social media, in the news, … Read more