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Welcome to Bruce Brammall Financial

What is the most embarrassing financial situation you have ever been in?”

I feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. Please don’t make me remember. I don’t want to remember! Nooooooo! Rewind back to 1979, when I was about nine. My parents gave us two boys a few bucks each to go to the school fete. The money, of course, was supposed to be for chips, drinks […]

Planning to retire: think ahead

Debt Man column – The West Australian (Business) 1 April, 2011 Bruce Brammall Debt Man When I first heard the Uncanny X-Men belt out “Where will we be in 50 years?”, I was 14. I was the target age group. But I’m sure, given Brian Mannix’s charisma and reputation, he was really aiming it at […]

SMSFs, property and income

PORTFOLIO POINT: Thinking of cashing up your property portfolio to get your money into super? Here’s what you need to know (Part II). If super is a powerful way of creating wealth (and saving on tax) for your future, then property in SMSFs can be simply awesome, if you get the investment right. Super laws […]

“Saving money can be difficult whatever your age. What are some savings tips that really work?”

It’s a bit Vyvyan from The Young Ones. “This calls for a very special mix of psychology … and extreme violence.” And a bit of the old lightbulb joke. “How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? None – the lightbulb has to want to change.” The trick for Gen Xers is not […]

Super’s safe house

PORTFOLIO POINT: Should you sell your properties to get money into your SMSF? There’s plenty to weigh up. Here are the main points (Part I) A recent survey suggested that 2011 is going to be the year of property in SMSFs. The suggestion was that – with the GFC slowly fading into history – that […]

Two decades of Japanese deflation casts eerie shadow

It’s a bit Foo Fighters, but I’ve got another confession to make. As a financial adviser and investor, Japan is not a topic of conversation that I like to get stuck on. But today I’ll take one for the team. Japan doesn’t scare me because of this month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. The tragic loss […]

“Splitting a restaurant dinner bill can be stressful. How do you work out who pays?”

Thankfully, the national standard for divvying up share-plate restaurant meals is NOT according to volume consumed. One of my parents’ nicknames for me in my youth was “Garbage Disposal Unit”. Whenever we went out for dinner with friends at one of Canberra’s Chinese restaurants in the 70s and 80s – there wasn’t much choice there […]

“Aussie shares have been pretty flat over the past five years. Should I sell mine and switch it all to cash?”

URRGHACKACK! Know what sound that is? That’s the sound Bart Simpson makes when Homer is choking him. It’s the same sound I made as I read this question. Everything in cash? For Gen Xers? You cannot be serious! Listen carefully. You can’t save your way to a fortune. You’d have to put away about 20 […]

Super to the power of two

PORTFOLIO POINT: Super double up. If you’re a couple, then combining your TTR and salary sacrifice strategies can lead to even more powerful results. The great thing about Transition to Retirement (TTR) strategies is that there are no so few losers. Generally, you’ll pay less tax on the income stream that you receive from your […]

“What is your most expensive habit, and do you have any plans to kick it?”

Mmmm. Most expensive habit? What’s the definition of “most expensive”? The one that has cost you the most money? Or the guilty pleasure that derives no economic benefit. Kids? We’ve only collected two, DebtBoy and DebtGirl. Creche fees, nappies, DVDs, clothes, toys, child-raising paraphernalia … The boy is nearly four and hasn’t even played his […]