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Tag: investment strategies

Exploiting low rates 2: Good numbers for gearing

SUMMARY: It’s the perfect cocktail for SMSF property investors. Two parts rising asset prices and one part low-interest rates. So, the bookies were wrong. An interest rate cut was odds-on favourite early yesterday afternoon. But nothing. Another month at least. Possibly longer. Every interest rate cut – for years, actually – has only been icing […]

The Easter break is great fun but also provides a little time to review money matters. What should you be doing?

AAAWW, come on! It’s Easter! Seriously? It’s a long weekend for chillaxing with the family. A long weekend for letting go. A long weekend to celebrate carbs in all their fat-inducing glory! In every one of that food group’s fabulous forms. Hot cross bun carbs, potato chip carbs, pizza carbs, beer and wine carbs. And […]

What are three good places to stash any surplus cash you may be lucky to receive?

“LUCKY to receive?” Whaaaat? Outside of the track, lotto, scratchies and an inheritance, there’s usually no luck involved in having “surplus” money! Savings are usually the result of considerable work (your job) and sacrifice (not spending)! Cue Donna Summer: “She worked hard for the money”. So, then, what should Gen Xers do with their surplus? […]

How often should you think about changing the investments you hold in superannuation?

Aaah! My financial regret. Not being aggressive enough, early enough, with my super. I sat in a “balanced” fund through my 20s. Foolish. What a twit. Has already cost my retirement tens of thousands. Gen Xers, if that’s also you, it’s not too late. And making a difference now doesn’t have to be hard. Firstly, […]

Has your SMSF been missing out on offshore gains?

SUMMARY: Failing to attain international exposure continues to cost SMSFs big bucks. Here are three ways you can do it easily. It’s not quite “mutual exclusivity”, but Australia’s self-managed super fund investors and international equities are, let’s say, not well acquainted. It’s a pity. A huge shame. That’s partly because, ignoring how much myself and […]

Here comes the investment property squeeze

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 […]

Six super strategies for couples

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 […]

A million reasons to watch SMSFs

SUMMARY: SMSFs continue to do what they know best – make sure that their own best interests are being looked after. UNDERDOG status is something with which DIY super funds have long been comfortable. Being underestimated has never worried them. Authorities and outsiders often misread them, misunderstand what drives them and mis-judge how they’re going […]

The franking credit fallacy

SUMMARY: SMSFs like franked dividends. And as a result, they pay more tax, not less, than regular super funds. The DIY super army is under fire again. Now the claim is that they don’t pay tax, or “evade” paying tax. It’s a flimsy argument, based on the premise that self-managed super funds invest in companies […]

Rice Warner urges rethink on super pensions structure

SUMMARY: Rice Warner proposes a copy of SMSF pension investment strategies in middle of a super ideas fest. I think these chartered accountants mob might have a point. Perhaps it’s time to stop, survey the mayhem and consolidate some of the thinking. We are being absolutely overwhelmed with ideas at the moment. “There are at […]