IF ANY?! To quote tennis legend John McEnroe: “You cannot be serious!” Remove “if any” from that question for Generation Xers! I know it’s awful to think about, but picture yourself dead or paralysed from a major car accident. If dead, how deep in the financial poo would you be leaving your partner and/or family? […]
Yes and, um … no. Well, yes. But not really. New Year’s Eve is a stupid time to make resolutions. For a start, nobody should promise anything when they were as drunk as I was. How would you remember them? If you could, do you wish someone had gaffer taped your mouth shut? The biggest […]
I don’t believe in crystal balls. They’re trouble, like poking Chopper Read in the eye. Exact predictions are for crazy people. And liars. Nobody knows what’s going to happen this year. So, in the great Australian tradition, I left mine out on the footpath years ago and somebody took it. I hope it’s causing them […]
PORTFOLIO POINT: A “review” of super gearing in two years is as close to certainty as SMSF trustees could have hoped for. Half full or half empty? Is a review of super gearing rules in two years’ time the end of borrowing in SMSFs, as some commentators suggest? Or is it the next best thing […]
Sssh! Bite your tongue! Be wary of inviting hippies into any financial discussion. Imagine the world’s economy if Neil from The Young Ones was in charge of Treasury? Debt recycling is based on the premise that tax-deductible debt is cheaper to service than debt on which there is no deduction. Example: take a debt of […]
PORTFOLIO POINT: Be careful what you wish for. Early retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be say those who’ve beaten the rest to it. Human behaviour can be quite bizarre. I think we all know that. There are plenty of things that we do that don’t make a lot of sense. Top of mind […]
You want focus? I’ll give you focus! Al Pacino in Scarface: “Say hello to my little friend!” My “little friends” in financial motivation are “fear” and “greed” and you need a bit of both or you will struggle each month. They are two of life’s most powerful forces for good. Fear. Does living on the […]
PORTFOLIO POINT: Let’s clear up a misconception – “transition to retirement” strategies are not about “retirement”. They’re about tax. And paying less of it. I really enjoy writing for Eureka Report. You’re a fantastic, interactive audience. You let me know when I get things right (thankyou) and when I get things wrong (thankyou also). And […]
There was a guy doing the talk show circuit two years ago and his suggestion was to “cancel Christmas”. “Visit friends in the week before Christmas and share a cuppa. Christmas is about spending time with people, not presents,” was his message. Mmmm. Sure. Nice idea. Remember you’ll wake up the loneliest person on the […]
PORTFOLIO POINT: Don’t forget non-concessional contributions when it comes to retirement income planning. They are now close to being a compulsory part of your building super strategy. The focus of the anger that surrounded the halving of the concessional contribution caps 18 months ago has been largely from the over-50s. If you’re 50, or not […]
© Bruce Brammall Financial 2009 -2025
Bruce Brammall Financial Pty Ltd as trustee for the Castellan Financial Consulting Unit Trust is an authorised representative of Sentry Advice Pty Ltd (AFSL number 227748). Bruce Brammall Financial Pty Ltd as trustee for the Castellan Financial Consulting Unit Trust is not authorised to provide credit services. All credit and mortgage services referred to on this website are provided by Bruce Brammall Lending Pty Ltd (ACL number 448881). The information contained within the website is of a general nature only. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material, Bruce Brammall Financial will not bear responsibility or liability for any action taken by any person, persons or organisation on the purported basis of information contained herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no person, persons or organisation should invest monies or take action on reliance of the material contained herein but instead should satisfy themselves independently of the appropriateness of such action.