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Category: Articles

Bequeath your super tax-free

PORTFOLIO POINT: You’ve fallen off your perch. Who’s getting your super? Part two of my series on death benefit nominations. At the time of retirement, superannuation is likely to be the second largest asset of most people, suggest the statistics. The home is likely to be your biggest asset, unless you’ve developed a reasonable asset […]

How should you react when someone asks you how much money you earn?

You should pray for a little intervention from Pixar in your life. (You know, the makers of favourite kiddie movies, including Toy Story and Finding Nemo.) You want a giant cartoon character hand to magically appear, firmly slap the asker across the chops, then disappear. Your inquisitor would be so flummoxed by what had just […]

A fix for super limits

PORTFOLIO POINT: The government seems to be coming around to the idea that some changes are needed to concessional contributions limits. And here’s one worth considering. The way things are going, it could just get all too hard to get money into super. If people are limited to $25,000 a year, there is a good […]

We’ve all heard horror stories about small businesses failing. What should you consider before starting one?

Love it or hate it, the great message I got out of Forrest Gump was: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something”. But even more importantly … “Run, Forrest! Run!” If you’re starting your own business, expect steep learning curves. And you won’t have time for a casual stroll. You’ll have to […]

Who’ll get your super when you fall off the perch?

PORTFOLIO POINT: Who will get the proceeds of your super when you fall off your perch? There are some big traps. Here’s what you need to know. The aim of super is roughly this: Get enough of a pot of assets to last you through a long life and happy retirement. And the ultimate? To […]

“Financial independence seems harder to achieve these days. What are your top three tips to get there?”

“Aah, come grasshopper, wisdom you seek.” Okay, I might be mixing my Kung Fu quote with my poor Yoda impersonation there. Honestly? I disagree with the statement. It’s no harder to achieve wealth than it ever was. It might seem more difficult, but that’s explainable. We got into a false belief up to 2007 that […]

Super and the self -employed

PORTFOLIO POINT: Concessional contributions face strict limits because of the tax “generosity”. Do you qualify for a tax deduction for your contributions? Getting money into super is hard enough, what with the halving of the contribution limits by the government. And it’s not getting any easier to make those contributions. Particularly if you don’t fit […]

“Hurry! The tax year ends in four days! What can you do now to get a bigger tax refund?”

When minds turn to tax matters, some divine intervention wouldn’t go astray. So I generally channel Australia’s patron saint of tax minimisation, Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer. “If anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax, they want their heads read because, as a government, I can tell you, you’re not spending it that well that […]

Super pensions not set-and-forget

PORTFOLIO POINT: Don’t just think that switching to pension is flicking a switch. You need strategy to back it up. Here are some more areas to consider when starting a super pension. The pension phase of a super fund can be a long one. Even if someone were to delay taking a pension until they […]

“A new financial year is about to tick over. What areas do you think will deliver the best investment returns?”

Pulling out the crystal ball, hey? “Danger Will Robinson!” I hate one-year predictions. Hero? Or zero? That said … here are my punts. Shares: With shares stagnant at levels of five years ago, it feels like they are ready for a canter. (But I would have said that last year too – zero!). Stay diversified. […]