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Category: Articles

Is 2012 your year of DIY property?

PORTFOLIO POINT: Property price declines are raising the interest of SMSF trustees. If the thought has crossed your mind, here’s what you need to do to be ready to pounce in 2012. I don’t know about you, but I was gagging for the Christmas break. Professionally and personally, 2011 was an eventful year, in a […]

Should money matters be discussed among friends socially, or is it a taboo topic?

There are only two things I don’t talk about. The first is how I vote. The second is how much I earn. But not talking about how much I earn is completely different to discussing money matters with friends. I’m a small businessman – I don’t know how much I earn! My books say one […]

Super? Make that ‘safety net’

PORTFOLIO POINT: The short-term future for superannuation for even average income earners is looking increasingly grim. Lower your expectations for super to being nothing more than a safety net. Here’s what’s changed It might be stating the bleeding obvious, but sometimes you need to take a step back to view the bigger picture. And what’s […]

Nobody likes to be a Christmas Scrooge, but how do you keep your holiday spending under control?

Christmas is all about overeating, overdrinking, oversleeping, overspending and … ham-off-the-bone-and-gruyere buttered toasted sandwiches made with banged-together leftovers and a hangover on Boxing Day. Sure, the price tag reads 657,000 calories. Don’t care. Put me down for two! Budgeting? I budget all year, saving up points, scrimping here and there, pushing back haircuts, eating salads […]

Two pensions better

PORTFOLIO POINT: Why take two pensions instead of one? Because the estate planning ramifications are potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars. Here’s why. It can often make sense to start a pension well before you’re ready to retire. The introduction of transition to retirement (TTR) pensions in 2005 meant many as young as 55 […]

Relationship breakdowns can affect all age groups. What are your tips for coping with the financial fallout?

Even without bringing in sex-addict Arnie Becker from LA Law, Generation X is likely to have the costliest and nastiest of relationship breakdowns. Typically, Xers will have some combination of a marriage, a house, a mortgage and piles of debt. And the worst … young kids. None is fun to separate, split or share. The […]

Give back your super pension

PORTFOLIO POINT: Looking to adjust your pension mid-year because of market volatility? Here’s a strategy to keep in mind. Super pensions can be a relatively simple affair. Take the value at June 30 of the previous year and decide what percentage – within your limits – you want to take for the year. If you’re […]

What are the first five questions a person should ask when they visit a financial planner?

Grill a potential adviser like a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Apply heat and pressure and the good ones will, metaphorically, make your cheese gooey, giving you confidence that they’ll do what’s right for you. Here are my top five. Who ultimately owns your licensee? Independence. If the adviser is ultimately licensed through a product […]

Asset allocation: The DIY option

PORTFOLIO POINT: Super returns? What returns? Here’s how to turn the tables and bounce back. Plus reader feedback to why SMSF contributions have taken a dive. From a super returns perspective, we’ve known things have been pretty miserable for a long time. But they’re becoming so on a grander and grander scale. Typical balanced funds […]

Group buying websites are sprouting up everywhere. What are your tips for avoiding the traps?

I love modern society. It’s awesome. Everything is immediate. Waiting? B-a-a-h! We can work from home in our Reg Grundies, choose from 10,000 TV channels and video call our overseas friends on our computers, for FREE! Remember paying Telstra $487 a second to call London? Outrageous! I am NOT a good shopper. When I shop […]