Rising inflation brings about concern for many, but a long-term focus—can help any investor navigate choppy waters. What is inflation? Inflation happens when prices rise and purchasing power decreases. This can be the result of a simultaneous high demand for and low supply of goods and services. Consumers have money and want to spend it,…
Many parents and grandparents worry about how to help the children in their lives achieve financial independence. But the value of long-term investment can seem like a dry and complicated idea for kids to get their heads around. In fact, many young people would like to know more about money, according to a Young People and…
A good estate plan will help make sure your wishes are carried out when you die. It can also help if you become unable to make your own decisions. Estate plans An estate plan records what you want done with your assets after your death. It can include documents such as: your will a testamentary…
Staying the course, and not being distracted by short-term market events, is just as important in retirement as it is at any other time. Retiring from work shouldn’t necessarily equate to retiring from managing your investment portfolio. In fact, taking an active role in your investments during retirement will ensure you have the best chance…
With interest rates on the rise and investment returns increasingly volatile, Australians with cash to spare may be wondering how to make the most of it. If you have a mortgage, should you make extra repayments or would you be better off in the long run boosting your super? The answer is, it depends. Your…
We all approach decision-making in our own way, making a multitude of decisions every day: ‘Should I hit snooze again on the alarm?,’ ‘Do I take the train to work, or do I drive,’ ‘What should we have for dinner?’ In fact, researchers estimate that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions every day.i While most…
Working out how much you need to save for retirement is a question that keeps many pre-retirees awake at night. Recent market volatility and fluctuating superannuation balances have only added to the uncertainty. So it’s timely that new research shows you may need less than you fear. For most people, it will certainly be less…
It’s a challenging time for household finances right now. Interest rates are rising as the Reserve Bank of Australia increases the cash rate to put the brakes on inflation, and flat wage growth means household incomes have not been keeping pace with cost-of-living increases. The best way to deal with uncertain times, is to be…
As Australia’s system of compulsory superannuation celebrated its 30th anniversary in July, this is a good time to take a closer look at one of super’s biggest success stories – the number of people deciding to take control of their retirement savings with a self-managed super fund (SMSF). There are now almost 607,000 SMSFs worth…
First, we had to brush up our understanding of inflation and what it means for our hip pocket and our investments. Now the term stagflation is being thrown into the economic mix. For those with long memories, stagflation is a reminder of the late 1970s and early 1980s when the world economy fell into what…
