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Tag: Share market

What are the top five personal finance and investment traps?

You want riches? You want to avoid the biggest financial trap in life? Don’t … have … KIDS! They’re money pits – you just shovel cash into them for two decades. I call my first one Leech, the second one Vampire. Occasionally they flash their fangs and glare at me with blood red eyes. That […]

Low-cost super: It’s not that hard

SUMMARY: Get real. There is plenty of low-hanging fruit if governments really want to cut the cost of Australia’s baseline super. Stop with the pussyfooting on superannuation. If governments really want to strip costs out of the system, the recipe is pretty simple. Recent Super Stream changes are no more than the tip of the […]

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 […]

Life goes on even if your job doesn’t

I’ve been made redundant once. By my Old Man. I was 20. “Dad, how could you? Without so much as a severance cheque?” As part of his redundancy, they gave him his company car. (A year later, he sold me that car for $3000. Cheeky ol’ bugger.) That’s being unfair to poor Dad. The technology […]

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 […]

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? […]

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 […]

Wealthy will never be trapped in super

SUMMARY: Eat the rich. Super tax concessions don’t cost the $33 billion that is purported. And the aspiring wealthy would find another way. There’s a simple solution to the problem of superannuation tax breaks costing the public too much. Just tax the wealthy’s super harder. Tax ’em more on the way in. Tax ’em more […]

Buying property a 10-year game

If you understand one fundamental “law of life”, making improvements to your lot becomes so much simpler. That law is this: “No long-term good ever comes without sacrifice”. Ever lost weight without cutting back on intake and/or pounding the pavement? Ever got an “A” without studying? Did you buy your first home without spending a […]

Self-managed super is growing in popularity for all age groups. But how do you know if it is right for you?

With membership surging through one million in 2014, SMSFs seem to be the hip and cool fashion accessory for investors. But be warned. This is not like spending some coin to join the trendoids with the latest shades, shoes, or road bike. SMSFs are not just about taking investment control of your super. Running a […]