New Super Changes from 1 July – August Newsletter
We are already more than half way through August and spring is just around the corner. Australians will all be hoping for brighter days ahead, as we contend with rising COVID cases in some states, sobering news on the economic front and positive legislation changes. We first take a look at the changes to superannuation…
$1 billion of investments up for grabs – could it be yours?
Whether it is moving often, heading overseas or simply forgetting, Australians are losing track of their money and investments, with more than $600 million sitting in unclaimed bank accounts and a staggering $450 million in shares, ready to be claimed. It’s a staggering amount of wealth that could be checked easily with a quick search…
Changing of the Goal Posts for Self-Funded Retirees – How to make sense of the Changes to the Age Pension.
For many years, the Age Pension has been available to thousands of self-funded retirees who have sought advice around the generous rules and exemptions available and employed smart strategies to gain access to the Government Benefits, even with substantial superannuation balances. From 1st January 2017 however, the rules are being tightened! If you are currently…
Forget the Smashed Avo on Toast – Are you just too lazy to save money?
Australians are self-confessed penny pinchers, with new research identifying three-quarters of Australians as tightwads who limit their spending and hunt for the best deals. But with all this self-confession, are we really saving as much as what we could? With more than half of Australians dumping their current service providers for a cheaper deal, research…
How to minimise the Health Insurance Hike
How to minimise the Health Insurance Hike The dreaded 1 April increase is coming and this year, Australians can expect a hit to the hip pocket with an average increase to health insurance premiums by 5.59%, adding approximately $200 a year to the cost of the average family policy. For those who aren’t watching closely…
5 Changes starting on 1 July
Olivia was interviewing on ABC Radio on some new changes starting on 1 July 2014. Listen here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdFSFLP-mHw Source: ABC Radio
The 1 Million Milestone for Super
With more than a 26 per cent growth in four years and more than $560 billion dollars in assets, the Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) industry has hit an incredible milestone – 1 million members. With an average balance of more than $543,000 per member, the growth of SMSF’s has continued with another 6374 net establishments…
Get the most from End of Financial Year Super Incentives
With the talk of working longer and the emphasis on taking care of your own retirement, here are some super incentives you may be able to take advantage of. Consider these before the end of financial year. Salary sacrifice Salary sacrifice is not for everyone but it can be an effective strategy to reduce tax…
Planning finances is women’s business
The sobering fact is that women are still not paid equally to their male counterparts, women’s super balances are falling way behind men’s and nine out of 10 Australian women don’t have enough super to fund their retirement. With 40 per cent less super than men, it’s no surprise that women are 2.5 times more…
How to protect your identity
Identity theft is a growing problem in Australia, with estimates that it costs over $1.5 billion a year. While we see regular warnings regarding email scams and the potential damage they can do, there are several other less advanced but no less effective means for thieves to steal your identity. Your details are on everything…
Olivia Maragna – CEO Magazine – Managing Money
The phrase ‘time poor’ is used freely nowadays to describe our busy lives. However, if you’re a successful executive, your workload alone can mean finding time to manage your own financial affairs can be seriously challenging. Having a strong income is undoubtedly a huge benefit in terms of living today, but executives often don’t realise…
The $158 million cut for pensioners
A new change in the way that superannuation pensions are treated by Centrelink is coming! Expected to start on January 1, 2015, the change has the potential to affect up to 28 per cent of full age pensioners and 69 per cent of part-pensioners who are income tested under Centrelink’s Age Pensions rules, saving the…