Keeping you informed and up to date.

Australia’s population will both grow strongly and become older according to research released by the Government.  Such slow but profound shifts in the nature of a society do not elicit the same scrutiny as immediate policy issues. The preferable time to contemplate the implications is while these near-inevitable trends are still in their infancy. Population…

Self managed super funds (SMSFs) are growing at a rapid pace in Australia, with latest statistics from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) revealing that there are more than 509,000 SMSFs with nearly 964,000 members. These numbers have continued to trend in an upwards direction, increasing from June 2012 when there were nearly 476,000 SMSFs and…

Olivia Maragna has won the inaugural Money Management/Super Review Women in Finance Services Awards’ Financial Planner of the Year Award. Now in the tenth year of owning and running her own practice, Aspire Retire, Maragna started her career in accounting and worked in large accounting and wealth management firms before founding Aspire Retire. This business…

While some divorces come as a surprise to some, others are the exact opposite. In fact, more and more people are planning their divorce before actually telling their partner and moving out of the matrimonial home. Interestingly enough, women file for divorce more often than men and are more likely to divorce than die while…

As a shareholder you receive a share in the company’s profits or earnings by being paid a dividend. Think of your dividend like interest on a term deposit – it is the income you earn from the investment. Generally Australian listed companies pay dividends twice each year. There is no requirement for the company to…

Credit card debt is now sitting at around $35 billion dollars in Australia, which is an interest bill of over $6 billion each year. This represents more than $4,680 of credit card debt per card holder in Australia, with younger Australians getting into the trap of spending too much and not being able to pay…

The new financial year is a great time to take another look at your finances  and reflect on what you have achieved, where you want to go and what you need to  get there. These times of reflection are critical to our lives whether we run  our own business, are employed or retired.  The below…

You've probably heard of salary sacrificing, but how well do you understand it? write my paper You can use it to contribute to superannuation funds – even lease for motor vehicles. So, is it something that you should or shouldn't do? Financial expert and Australia's adviser of the year, Olivia Maragna from Aspire Retire Financial…

The Government made some changes to the superannuation system recently.  These include – Super guarantee to rise from 9% to 9.25%. Increase in superannaution contribution cap for over 60's from $25,000 to $35,000. New super guarantee requirements for workers over 70.  Financial Adviser and recently named Australia's adviser of the year, Olivia Maragna from Aspire Retire…

It’s the start of the new financial year and whilst for many it may not feel like a big deal, it might come as surprise to some that this may mean less in your pay packet. The Government has brought in new rules around increasing superannuation guarantee from 9% to 9.25% and whilst it sounds…

It's tax time! write my essay It is that time of year when many people are scrambling around looking for receipts, digging out the old shoe box or going through the credit card statements. It is tax time and most people do not want to pay more than they have to. So what is the…

Did you know that there is Medicare, Medicare Surcharge, Lifetime Loading and Health Insurance Rebates and each one of these has different rules around whether they apply to you depending on your income and age? Confused?  Listen to Aspire Retire's Olivia Maragna explain these on ABC Radio. Financial Adviser and Australia's adviser of the year,…