(03) 9020 2905

Welcome to Bruce Brammall Financial

Federal Budget 2017: The super pros and cons

SUMMARY: Super bonus for downsizing retirees the upside,  property tax deductions the main downside from Federal Budget 2017. If you are a self-managed super fund trustee, it’s safe to take a breath. Take in a deep one. The Federal Budget was one that largely left SMSFs alone. It absolutely needed to be – with all […]

Super strategies for death

                                  SUMMARY: How the death of a spouse will impact on the $1.6m pension limit. And what to do about it. In days gone by, a good old reversionary pension would generally do the trick. It’d cover most situations. […]

Credit card limits are cancer for home financing

            If you’re not in control of your credit card, you’re not really in control of your financial life. An over-the-top generalisation? Actually, it’s not. With countless thousands of hours talking one-on-one with people about their finances … I’m happy to say that is, sadly, too true. What most people […]

Super gearing may be on borrowed time

                  SUMMARY: Gearing-in-super issues continue to be touched up in the lead up to 30 June. Things are getting interesting in the super fund loans space and the 30 June light coming down the super-changes tunnel. “Interesting” in an “uncertain” sense. The light could be a train. […]

Where SMSFs fit in the property debate

  SUMMARY: SMSF property investors are not the enemy of first home buyers. Property and superannuation are top of the pops at the moment – barely a TV news bulletin occurs without one of both of them getting a guernsey. This is more airplay than either of them usually get. Putting them both in the […]

Get into the spouse super juggling act

        SUMMARY: Five strategies for couples to even up super balances this year, if they can act quickly. Fatigue has set in. And some barely repressable anger. Treasurer Scott Morrison’s Budget on May 9 had better not have major super changes in it. The changes that got through parliament late last year […]

Kill and maim to get point across

In order to get my point about insurance across forcefully to a mum and dad, I usually need to kill one of them. To get singles on board, I either have to maim them in a horrific car accident, or give them a life-threatening cancer. Sounds drastic, sure. But we’re talking life and death here, […]

Don’t lose out by default

      Default insurance coverage inside super is fuelling a dangerous “she’ll be right, mate” attitude to protection among Australian families. Too many Australians see some minor levels of insurance inside their super funds and believe they are “covered”. But default coverage levels have not taken anyone’s circumstances into consideration. Your need, or your […]

Super Advice: Your burning super and pension questions answered

              SUMMARY: The most common questions being asked in the lead-up to 30 June and the big-bang changes. Question: How can I maximise how much money I put into super this financial year? Answer: Until 30 June, we’re still operating under the “current” rules. And those allow for concessional […]

Mixing super & property : The combo is the stuff nightmares are made of

                  If you wanted to get an Australian all hot and steamy over finances, there would be two essential elements to your narrative. Your elevator pitch would maximise the potential audience if the following phrases were weaved in – “legal tax dodge” and “property riches”. We’re famous […]