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Tag: Salary Sacrifice

Avoid a super contributions trap

SUMMARY: Getting around the traps to super contributions pre- and post-65. Getting money into super can be confusing, particularly for those at, or getting toward, the end of your working life. Turning 65 is when getting access to your super is easy. But putting money into super becomes more difficult. But not impossible, under the […]

What are some of the most important things you should know about your super?

Generation X is often accused of being fatalistic about superannuation. Many believe it will be hoovered up by government taxes, crash before they receive it, or taken by frauds. But they’re not acceptable excuses for taking a bad attitude to super. Most importantly, Xers need to understand that super is our money, we just can’t […]

Permanent chaos – Super’s relative stability

Permanent chaos can be overwhelmingly tiring. A bit of stability and consistency in life is generally welcome. An example of chaos? Greece. Who would be them at the moment? Flat broke and can’t decide whether or not to eject themselves from the Eurozone. Cravings for stability apply to your money, too. Regular paycheques suit many […]

Money for nothin’? You gotta earn it!

There is a period in every parent’s life where all vacations seem to be “holidays in hell”. Who would travel with kids by choice? Tired kids meet airport security. A truly volatile combination. I’ve never sweated more quickly than when I was forced to softly scream at my eight-year-old boy to stop talking about “blowing […]

Now’s time to go hard, Gen-Xers!

I have a rule with Mrs DebtMan. Well, I have a few. So does she. And hers includes no mobile phones at the dinner table. She goes all Cujo-like – frothy at the mouth – if I receive 100 texts over dinner from the school-dad, punting-club “Turkeys”. Which is often. But one of my rules […]

Play God with your tax this June 30

Less enjoyably than Father’s Day, but less unpleasantly than a birthday after 40, tax time pounces on us every year. Love it. Loathe it. Ignore it. Your choice. June 30 offers a series of little decisions, some of which can be short-term profitable, some are long-term profitable, while some allow you to “play God” with […]

Motivation is often lacking when it comes to managing money. What motivates you the most?

EXCUSE me!? Please issue a warning before asking questions like that. I’m choking on my Sunday roast as I write this! Motivation? Lacking? Seriously? Who’s having that problem? Something to motivate you should be easy! Backing your motivations with actions and sacrifices every single day is the “Tough Mudder” part. My motivations? Making sure my […]

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 […]

TTR: The secret to not having to work longer

SUMMARY: You don’t have to work longer. Just be smarter with your super. Have a transition-to-retirement pension in your sights. Yet another government manifesto says the nation’s workers are going to have to get used to the idea of working longer. The Intergenerational Report (IGR) last week punted on how much longer we’re going to […]

The nine risks for DIY fund operators in 2016

SUMMARY: No time to relax. SMSF trustees need to consider the risks ahead in 2016 and act now. It’s been nicely quiet out there in DIY super regulation land. Occasional jawboning, the odd threat, but little to no action. The lack of big changes in recent years has been welcome, given the turmoil of the period […]