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Category: Articles

Should we write down every dollar we spend, or is doing this just a waste of time?

To answer this question requires some help from the divine wisdom of Yoda. “Waste of time, it is, if you already know where your money goes. Yessss, hmmm.” What the late 900-year-old registered lethal weapon is saying is, if you only ever have enough moolah to just get through a week … then yes, start […]

Spouse splitting makes super sense

PORTFOLIO POINT: Consider starting spouse super splitting arrangements now if you want to take advantage of higher concessional contribution limits later. Sharing and caring – and minimising your tax burden – in your old age, that’s what super is all about. And if Eureka Report can make it more profitable for you lovebirds, then fabulous. […]

What is the most inspiring piece of financial advice you’ve heard. Who gave it, and how did it help you?

Once upon a time, in the early 70s, there was an evil scientist named Walter Mischel. (Evil might be a bit harsh, but the best stories have evil scientists.) Wally decided to experiment on small animals with some reasoning skills – Generation X toddlers. Individually, he locked them in a room with one marshmallow. He […]

SMSFs inside ‘secret’ weapon

PORTFOLIO POINT: In your 50s? Looking to expand your asset base? Should it be inside, or outside, your SMSF? Read this before you make any further investments. A lawyer colleague made a considered, but seemingly throwaway, line in a meeting a few years ago. He said that “Anyone in their 50s with a SMSF should […]

Winning lotto is unlikely but we can always dream. What should you do with a $1 million windfall?

Say to yourself: “Cool! One million down, one million to go”. On its own, it’s not retirement material for a Gen Xer. Or, at least it shouldn’t be. A million bucks ain’t what it used to be. While it’s not a bad start, Xers should be aiming higher than that. (And, funny, this is the […]

Winning lotto is unlikely but we can always dream. What should you do with a $1 million windfall?

Say to yourself: “Cool! One million down, one million to go”. On its own, it’s not retirement material for a Gen Xer. Or, at least it shouldn’t be. A million bucks ain’t what it used to be. While it’s not a bad start, Xers should be aiming higher than that. (And, funny, this is the […]

Is this the ultimate super loan?

PORTFOLIO POINT: What!? A no-interest loan to your SMSF? Maybe, but don’t rush in just yet. For now, just watch this space. Sometimes regulators work in mysterious ways. Very mysterious ways. There is a bit of a buzz in the upper echelons of the world of SMSF professionals in regards to some recent utterings from […]

Should people hand back money they are wrongly given, and in your experience, do they?

Damnit. I know every time I answer one of these, my chances at wearing a halo get slimmer. My first money lesson was: “Find a penny, pick it up, then all day you’ll have good luck.” If I was handed too much change at the sandwich shop checkout? I’m not sure I’d notice half the […]

Stay calm, everyone, but check out these fixed mortgage rates!

Fess up. Who doesn’t occasionally succumb to a panic attack? Usually, panic bobs up when we’re at our most vulnerable, our most irrational, our most stupid. It’s natural to look for a lifeline when we’re feeling stressed. A tourniquet to stem the bleeding. A silver bullet to … you know … kill the “American Werewolf […]

Don’t make a super stuff-up

PORTFOLIO POINT: Time to check your salary sacrifice contributions – before you bust out of your limits. The vast majority of Australians don’t think too hard about their super contributions. They show up for work, they get paid, and an extra 9% gets sloshed into their super funds. But for anyone who does actively manage […]