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Welcome to Bruce Brammall Financial

Think outside the SMSF square

Bruce Brammall, 4 October 2017, Eureka Report       SUMMARY: Asset allocation has become a whole-of-wealth game since 1 July. Have you put enough thought into it? The new rules for super checked in three months ago, on 1 July. So, have you changed anything about your thinking since then? For most, the answer […]

The super cases for insurance

  SUMMARY: Insurance is an important consideration in super, despite industry arguments. Here’s what you need to consider. Life insurance is fighting a rising tide of discontent, predominantly caused by too many scandals. Insurance in super, even more so, is on the nose. Industry-led attempts to “fix” the current opt-out rules have not been well […]

Into super or into your home?

SUMMARY: Into your super or into your home? Where do you plough excess savings? Something left over after all the bills are paid is generally the aim of the game. It happens too rarely, to too few. The reality is, for most, where excess savings exist, expenditure rises to meet the challenge. But for those […]

Cash as king is dead. Where to now for the folding stuff?

    With a world of investment opportunity out there … why would anyone focus their attention on interest rates on savings? Why? Sadly, because everyone still needs to hold cash. As a result, interest rates, as pitiful as they are, become important for at least a portion of anyone’s wealth. I emphasise “portion”. I’ll […]

The ATO raises the TBAR on pension reporting

        SUMMARY: Real-time reporting of pension income streams is coming. Here’s what you need to start thinking about. TBAR sounds like something your kids (or grandkids) might play on, or with, in the school yard. But no. It stands for “transfer balance account report”. And it’s something that anyone with a self-managed […]

DIY super needs a hands-on approach

      SUMMARY: Do you really know the asset allocation of your SMSF? Sit down and figure it out. And be ruthless. The plight of the DIY super trustee is that it can be a lonely occupation. (Yes, despite there being more than a million of us.) Decisions are usually made in isolation. They’re […]

Behind-the-scene look at advisers

  Here’s an unlikely financial advice question: “Where does your favourite pizza come from?” When we last moved house, we moved out of delivery range of my favourite pizza delivery place. Devastated. So, the search started. Every time pizza was being hankered for, we tried a different place. Nothing came close. All options were second […]

It pays not to tell lies to insurers

  In any job, industry or profession, if you’re around long enough, you get to know the lies that are told during a transaction. For example … teachers and students, particularly regarding homework (which includes my little DebtBoy, bless him, who has been caught out, thanks to parent/teacher conferences). Defence lawyers and their clients, journalists […]

Disrupting retirement: What needs to happen

    While super’s best brains search for a golden goose of retirement income products, just stay focussed on building your nest egg. We are nearly three years into the search for new ways of delivering better superannuation income streams to retirees. And so far, we’ve had almost nothing. Product innovation is virtually non-existent. People […]

Tell your kids this

  SUMMARY: If your kids still listen to you … here’s what you need to tell them to do with their super. My son is 10. He still listens to his dad. Mostly. He knows his dad is a financial adviser who “helps people with their money”. He understands that includes investing in “stuff”, including […]