SUMMARY: SMSFs who were pushing the boundaries on 0% related-party loans face big tax penalties from the ATO. When the Tax Office wants to close a door, they’ve been known to slam it with a noise that can be heard for miles. This sometimes happens even where they themselves opened the door and then left […]
SUMMARY: Property investors copping one in the neck – intense focus from regulators and FSI to cool the property market. Property investors must be wondering why a red bullseye suddenly appeared smack over their heart. Attacks are coming from everywhere. Two more financial watchdog heavyweights said this week that they wanted to tighten the screws on […]
SUMMARY: Superannuation is not just about your retirement. A secondary purpose is to protect yourself and your family. Super is that great promise that you’ll have a grand sum of money to take yourself, and your betrothed, into a fabulous retirement. As you work and earn, it grows, in a compounding fashion, so that when […]
SUMMARY: Reverse mortgages are likely, eventually, to become a mainstay of retirement planning. The day is coming when governments will declare that the family home is no longer sacrosanct when it comes to receiving Commonwealth benefits. That is, if you have a $2-million-plus, debt-free home, you won’t be able to (potentially) claim a full government […]
SUMMARY: SMSF borrowing arrangements and super tax for higher earners at biggest threat for change for Murray’s FSI final report. High-income earners and super property buyers could be about to cop a super bullet in the neck, if conjecture is to be believed. The industry chatter suggests that another series of “big bang” changes for […]
SUMMARY: Wondering what to do with your super at retirement? Look harder at the pension option. Sometimes you need an outsider to come in to critique. Rip what you’re doing to shreds. And tell you how to reconstruct it properly. American Professor Robert C Merton has done just that to Australia’s super system. On a […]
SUMMARY: Age pension and health care card changes start on 1 January. It’s not too late to shore yours up. Here’s what to do. There’s a deadline silently sneaking up on super pensioners – one which could cost thousands annually to those who don’t take action. From next year, account-based pensions (ABPs) will be deemed […]
SUMMARY: Couples working together financially can make one plus one equal more than two. It’s an unusual statistic, though it shouldn’t be overly surprising: Surveys show the widowed are generally the least worried about their retirement. The reason is understandable. Most of two lifetimes spent saving to fund a joint retirement is now going to […]
SUMMARY: Six steps to making sure your run up to retirement is as profitable as possible. There is a fuzzy point in your life when the retirement you have been working towards suddenly starts charging at you. It’s fuzzy because it’s going to be a different age for everyone. For most, it will happen somewhere […]
SUMMARY: Australia picks up “silver” in global pensions survey – but has probably already lost its chance to defend its position next year. Australia has jumped to second in the global retirement incomes rankings – but could already have tumbled off the podium due to government policy changes. Denmark was the only country to have […]
© 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.