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Welcome to Bruce Brammall Financial

Crystal ball gazing an imprecise science

Being the banker for shady international characters, money launderers and cyber criminals has got to be a profitable business, doesn’t it? Well, for the masterminds behind Liberty Reserve, it probably was. Until they got caught. It’s a bugger how that happens. There’s got to be an easier way to make money. Thankfully, I’m no economist. […]

House prices have been improving nationally this year. Where do you think they will go in 2013-14?

Two words: Mean reversion. That means almost everything will go back to their long-term averages, no matter how out of sync they might become temporarily. The naughty child who starts actin’ all sweet as pie will eventually go and whack someone. Charlie Sheen, bless him, is possibly only ever one day away from getting back […]

Why non-concessional contributions pay

PORTFOLIO POINT: Non-concessional contributions have a mighty powerful impact on your super balance for those who make them. You can’t point to too many areas of superannuation that have contained any semblance of stability in recent years. But for all the huffing and puffing, changes to the law and threats to do so, politics and […]

You need more — it’ll be a while ’til you knock on heaven’s door

It’s not my “elevator pitch”, or what I spout when someone at a barbecue asks me what I do. But the fact is simple: I deal in death. More precisely, I help people prepare for death at financially inconvenient times. Dying too early. Living too long. And having a cruddy time during that period when […]

One deadline that’s super important

PORTFOLIO POINT: It’s not too late to get your final contributions into super for FY13. But make sure you don’t get caught on the tricky timing issue. Knock, knock. Who’s there? June 30. Oh, bummer. Right, so with less than two weeks to go in this financial year, have you sorted out your super contributions? […]

Banks and miners are the biggest components of our sharemarket. Should you invest in one, both or none?

Like mooning an avalanche as it rolls down the icy slope, sunbaking on the beach after a tsunami warning, or sticking your pinky in the leaking dyke. Somewhere between utterly pointless and unarguably dangerous. If you invest in Australian shares, you can avoid the bastard banks and the earth-raping and pillaging mining stocks. But why […]

Is the great Australian dream of home ownership still an achievable goal for young Australians?

Aah, here we go again. The perpetual moan of youth and property ownership. Perhaps we end this eternal whinge by getting the Federal Government to give everyone a home on their 21st birthday. Given the expense to taxpayers, you won’t mind living 80km out of town, will you? Listen here, Young Turks. Property ownership is […]

An in-specie backdown

PORTFOLIO POINT: Death of the death of the in-specie transfer ban? A Government backdown is a surprise boost for SMSF trustees. If there’s a saint of self-managed superannuation trustees, then she’s just delivered on one of your prayers. And it’s a biggie. In-specie transfers of assets into your super fund are, it would appear, back […]

Switching super funds may seem like a good idea to some, but is it worth the hassle?

Hey, just how bad can a super fund be?  Believe me, you have no idea. Some super funds from the 80s and early 90s are nothing short of criminal. Yes, criminal. I’ll go one step further. Some 80s superannuation executives should be awaiting their final meal on death row for crimes against their customers, a […]

Tax time is just over a month away. How should your generation prepare for it now?

Damnit! Too late! Why are we asking this question now? Should have asked this 10 ¾ months ago. But, instead of planning for tax time throughout the year … we leave it to the last minute. Month. Whatever. I know tax is not something you want to think about all year round. If you’re not […]