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Welcome to Bruce Brammall Financial

Category: The West Australian

Estate planning

I’ve nearly had a lot of car accidents recently. The closest calls have always been just after crèche pick-up. The crèche teachers, bless ’em, are awesome. Boundless love and encouragement wrapped in an overdose of community spirit. And that’s to the stressed parents. They’re even better with the children. But I’m often left pondering what […]

Five financial mistakes

Time to name your weakness. What’s the stupid thing you do time and again? I’ll go first. Buffet. I’m hopeless. If a waiter hands me an empty plate (with more empties ready for courses two to 13) and says “Knock yourself out”, I follow orders. I have an exemplary record. When I finish at a […]

Fixed rates

They’re a little family of four. Let’s call them Mike, Greg, Peter and Bobby. Mr Editor, roll the tune … Here’s the story of some corporate “heroes” who were “fighting for survival” on their own. They had to sack staff and raise int’rest rates … They were deeply disowned … It’s the story of some […]

Family finance fighting

A week ago, Mrs DebtMan and I had to have a serious talk. The chat was at my instigation. I gave her no warning. Sure, some might call that an ambush. Sometimes guerrilla tactics are needed. All’s fair in love and war. Particularly when it includes money. And this was about the family’s finances. With […]

How to fund kids’ education

January is a pretty good time to be alive in Australia. The sun’s out. The tennis is on. We’re annihilating India by complete innings. Driving to work’s a breeze. Beer tastes better. The extra daylight hours knacker the kids. It’s Happy Days, without Richie Cunningham’s moaning. February brings reality. Traffic returns to chaos. The workload returns […]

School fees

Debt Man column – The West Australian (Business) January 20, 2012. Bruce Brammall Debt Man January is a pretty good time to be alive in Australia. The sun’s out. The tennis is on. We’re annihilating India by complete innings. Driving to work’s a breeze. Beer tastes better. The extra daylight hours knacker the kids. It’s […]

Super conspiracy

Smelling a government cover-up doesn’t always require heightened political senses, such as those of Watergate journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. And you certainly don’t need to be a batty loner like Mel Gibson in “Conspiracy Theory”, or an alien abductee like David Duchovny in “The X-Files”. Sometimes it’s pretty straight forward. The only thing […]

Pre xmas stuffing Christmas

Debt Man column – The West Australian (Business) December 23, 2011. Bruce Brammall Debt Man Okay, I’m stuffed. Like a turkey with a heartbeat at this time of year, I’ve just been praying to make it through to Christmas. If a turkey is still gobbling on December 25, it can relax. The next major threat […]

Doctor Debt Man

Damnit. I hate to play Grinch. But someone has to. You need a cold dose of reality injected into your veins. And that requires a qualified professional. Lucky I am such a person. Dr Debt Man. Given I’ve delivered my share of good news to West readers on interest rates this year (see below), I […]

Super good news bad news

I do love a “do you want the good news, or the bad news” scenario. A little bit Divinyls’ “Pleasure and Pain” all rolled into one. Good news first, or the bad news? And which choice makes me a glass half-full, or glass half-empty, sort of guy? Choosing the good news first means you’re setting […]