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Category: Articles

Should couples have joint or separate bank accounts? What works best?

Great. Let’s throw some divisive domestic distributions into the mix of these Generations questions. What am I? A marriage counsellor? You’re making me Danny DeVito between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in The War of the Roses here! It’s a tough question, but a really important one. From a financial/tax perspective: If you have a […]

SMSF inflow eases

PORTFOLIO POINT: Your super contributions have slumped further! What you’re putting in now is down a full one-third on two years ago. Tell me why. What’s the story with your super contributions? Where’s your love for super? A bit over a year go, I reported that contributions to SMSFs had fallen down a very deep […]

Goal setting is important, so what are three key financial goals for your generation?

Be an intergalactic rock/sport/film star. Be as rich as Bill Gates. Then self-implode in a dazzling global media-frenzied meltdown, like Charlie Sheen. Oh, hang on … that was teenage-hood. Have a stupendously high-paying, awesome job. The biggest house in the best suburb. Be retired and backpacking the world by 40. Adolescent optimism? Bugger! DING! The […]

DIY fund’s deft footwork

PORTFOLIO POINT: There has been a ferocious shift to defensive assets in recent months. Are you leading, following, or ignoring the trend? In a few days – November 1 – it will be four years since the top of the Australian equities market. Investment changed on that date. Few saw it coming. But investors’ understanding […]

Capital gains tax can cost investors tens of thousands of dollars, so how can you minimise it?

Here’s the more important question … oh, Capital Gains, WHEREFORE ART THOU? You’ve been gone too long! We miss thee. We’ve learned our lesson. All is forgiven. Please come back! You walked out years ago and left behind your ugly sister, Capital Losses. We are truly sick to death of her. Small doses only. Not […]

Make the most of CCs

PORTFOLIO POINT: Concessional contributions are the base of super. Current rules mean your contribution limits are wasted if you don’t use them each year. Are you making the most of your opportunities? Waiting. I hope nobody out there is holding their breath, because you’ll probably pass out soon. The pressure is growing on the government […]

New financial scams are being developed at a disturbing rate. What are the most dangerous scams for your generation?

Seriously? Trick question, right? There is only one “scam” almost universally common to Gen Xers. The most disturbing of them all. Tin lids! Kids don’t just vacuum your wallet empty every month for 20-odd years. Simultaneously, they suck up all your time, your love, your patience, your sanity, your sleep … And, damnit, your FORTIES! […]

How can you choose the right time to invest in the share market?

In the voice of Mr Miyagi from Karate Kid: “Aaah, editor sage like Buddha! One question asked. Two questions posed.” The first question: “How do you time the share market?” The second: “How do I know when I should invest in the share market?” Can mere mortal investors time the market? Not consistently over years […]

Diamond in the guff

PORTFOLIO POINT: Parliament House was filled with enough hot air to nearly see it float off like a hot air balloon during the tax summit. Buried deep, however, were some interesting ideas for super. “Much of what has been said has been quite predictable. I could have written the script for this before coming in.” […]

Budget black holes can destroy a household’s finances. How do you find out if you have one?

Oh, too easy, Batman! When outgoings are more than incomings … when you work harder and harder every month, but still go backwards … when your credit card has that hideous, melted-plastic smell from overuse … Like an intergalactic trip on board the Starship Enterprise, avoiding financial “dark matter” can be difficult. For Gen Xers, […]