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Tag: Superannuation

Even the experts can make mistakes. What’s the silliest financial blunder you’ve made?

It’s natural to feel like an idiot when you make a mistake. But if soon afterwards you feel smarter, it’s because you’ve learned something. Yeah, I’ve stuffed up on occasion. Some of my errors have cost me thousands. Youthful exuberance. But the most annoying are not always the most costly. The cab driver in Santiago, […]

SMSF property investors: Rate cut winners

SUMMARY: A small number of SMSFs holding cash were relative winners from yesterday’s rate cut. Have you heard of offset accounts? More than one million SMSF members will have winced a little when news of yesterday’s rate cut came through. SMSFs are huge holders of pure cash. Something north of $150 billion of the stuff […]

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 […]

Up S**t Creek? I’ll hand you the paddle!

“Hi, I’m Bruce Brammall. I’m a Shit Creek paddle salesman. When you’re really up Shit Creek, I’ll be the there to hand you the paddle. “If you die, I’ll look after your family. If you have a big accident, I’ll look after you. If you’re deathly ill, I’ll get you out of the crap.” Welcome […]

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 […]

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 […]

A superannuation slap?

SUMMARY: A superannuation slap? Stand by for broken promises on super, probably in property. Given a choice between being slapped in the face and not being slapped in the face, I’ll take the latter. As I’m sure you would. Particularly if you weren’t aware that a slap was on the menu. (Seems to have been […]

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 […]