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Category: Articles

Family finance fighting

A week ago, Mrs DebtMan and I had to have a serious talk. The chat was at my instigation. I gave her no warning. Sure, some might call that an ambush. Sometimes guerrilla tactics are needed. All’s fair in love and war. Particularly when it includes money. And this was about the family’s finances. With […]

Super and the value of segregation

PORTFOLIO POINT: These assets stay here. Those assets go there. Segregation within SMSF can lead to better tax outcomes. The word “segregation” has some nasty connotations, most usually associated with policies of entrenched racism. South Africa under apartheid and the deep south of the United States pre- and post-Civil War are infamous examples. Less nasty, […]

Battle of the sexes: Are men or women the best money minds of your generation?

Fences equal splinters in butt. So straight-talking it is. Managing money comes down to income, spending and investment. You have less control over the first and ultimate control over the second two. On average, Gen X guys will earn more. A good portion of the reason for this is because they’re missing a few bits […]

Super’s magic years

PORTFOLIO POINT: Have your cake and eat it too – combining salary sacrifice with a transition to retirement strategy. “Hey Dad, there’s some bloke here at Eureka Report who reckons there’s a super strategy that allows you to both have more money in your hand each month AND still get more money in your super […]

Our economy is envied by much of the world, but how do we compare when it comes to personal finance?

I have this sneaking feeling, with no hard evidence to back me up, that speed skater Steven Bradbury is actually in control of Australia’s finances. Maybe as Wayne Swan’s puppeteer? Of all our first world competitors, our economy seems the only one that hasn’t fallen over. They’re all in a bit of economic poo, something […]

Team super

PORTFOLIO POINT: Share the SMSF love. Taking a joint perspective to contributions strategies can be far more effective. Building your superannuation nest-egg can be a lonely challenge, not unlike trying to climb Mt Everest. Sure, you can surround yourself with committed like-minded people. But you’d better believe they will order you back down with a […]

How to fund kids’ education

January is a pretty good time to be alive in Australia. The sun’s out. The tennis is on. We’re annihilating India by complete innings. Driving to work’s a breeze. Beer tastes better. The extra daylight hours knacker the kids. It’s Happy Days, without Richie Cunningham’s moaning. February brings reality. Traffic returns to chaos. The workload returns […]

A dozen do’s and dont’s for SMSFs

PORTFOLIO POINT: The temperature is rising in SMSF-land. Time to apply some protection. Here’s 12 do’s and don’ts to get you prepared for 2012. It’s looking like another daunting year for investors. If you’re shaking in your boots at the prospect for returns, you won’t be alone. Europe’s sovereign debt woes are here for a […]

Super heavyweights

PORTFOLIO POINT: There’s nothing average about SMSFs. But what’s interesting is how much the really big SMSFs throw out the averages. The chasm between SMSFs and managed fund super is, literally, light years. They’re in different leagues. It’s like putting up Muhammad Ali in his prime against … well, me, now. SMSFs are lean machines […]

If you were going to start a share portfolio, what would be the first five stocks you’d buy, and why?

Just like that old 80s “oils ain’t oils” Castrol ad, it’s important to remember that shares ain’t shares. Shares are the riskiest asset class. And the recent proof of that was the market rout of 55 per cent from November 2007 to the “bottom” in March 2009. The oldies to the right would more likely […]