Millennials are often accused of living for the present and wasting their money on smashed avocado. So it may come as a surprise that younger Australians are at the vanguard of a growing movement committed to the old-fashioned virtues of thrift and saving, but with a modern twist. Whereas the mantra of the Baby Boomers in the 1960s was ‘turn... View Article
New Year is traditionally the season of fresh starts and personal resolutions. Along with diet and exercise, getting ahead financially makes it onto many wish lists year in and year out. But a brighter financial future is likely to remain a pipedream without a back-up if things don’t go to plan. While setting goals is an important element in your... View Article
One of the major themes for local investors in 2018 is the fall in the Australian dollar, and it’s not just Aussie travellers heading overseas who are affected. Currency movements can have a big impact on your investment returns, but where there’s risk there’s also opportunity. The Aussie dollar has dropped from a high of US81c in January to recent... View Article
The end of the financial year is the cue for most of us to look at our financial position heading into tax time. Hopefully you’ve made progress towards your goals. But if you find that your expenses are trending higher than you’d like or—shock, horror!—higher than your income, this could be the perfect time for a fiscal makeover. This year... View Article
In what is likely to be the final Budget before the Federal Election, tax cuts are again being used to woo voters. The centrepiece of the May 2018 Budget is a new 7-year personal tax plan consisting of a three-step process involving immediate tax relief, protection from bracket creep and simplification of the tax system. Personal tax cuts The initial... View Article
Ever look back on past New Year’s resolutions and notice they failed, not with a bang, but with a whimper? There was no dramatic quitting of that new class and no midnight burger binge. Instead, time just gets away from us. Other priorities come into our life. We just forget. There’s one type of professional for whom that’s just not... View Article
The sun is shining, the days are getting longer, flowers are in bloom, the department stores are having post Christmas sales… yes, 2018 is finally here! The Christmas and New Year holiday period is a great time for reflection on the year that has passed, but also a chance to plan the year to come. Most people will take the... View Article
From time to time, we all feel like we’ve got a bit too much on our plate. It’s a symptom of modern life that everyone seems to be juggling their careers, quality time with the family, and a social life while trying to fit in a bit of ‘me time’ somewhere along the line. Some people manage to make it... View Article
You’ve probably heard by now of Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency. In the space of eight years they’ve gone from a geeky novelty to big business and investors are beginning to take note. There’s an estimated US$US100 billion worth of cryptocurrency floating around in cyberspace. In the real world, there’s a small but growing number of Bitcoin ATMs appearing... View Article
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” “Everything you’ve ever wanted is one step outside your comfort zone.” “Outside of the comfort zone is where the magic happens.” Sound familiar? We’ve all heard the phrase before – in a book, on a motivational poster, in a meme, as part of an ad. It’s the ubiquitous, go-to idiom for... View Article