Market Wrap for July 2020
Market Wrap Along with a recap of the markets in June, in our market wrap this month, we look into some of the reasons why stock markets have been performing strongly during the current challenging economic times. Please click here to see our Market Wrap.
Australians delay retirement by three years
Australians are delaying retirement by an average three years as cuts to the age pension and low interest rates force people to rethink their savings plans. A survey by research firm Roy Morgan conducted last October found that the average age of individuals planning to retire over the next 12 months was 61, up from…
End of Financial Year Update and Strategies
After a long spell of milder weather, winter is finally here, but the upcoming federal election will be providing plenty of heat for the next few weeks at least. With significant changes to superannuation, business tax and negative gearing in the offing, the outcome of this election could also have a material impact on the…
Federal Budget 2015 Summary
After criticism that his first budget was too tough and unfair, Treasurer Joe Hockey has used his second budget to restore the confidence of ordinary Australians and shift the focus to jobs, growth and opportunity. Gone is the talk of a budget emergency. Instead, the Coalition government has unveiled nearly $10 billion in spending initiatives…
Eight’s the age – Ways to help children save
Personal finance editor John Collett and financial planner Olivia Maragna discuss strategies for parents to help their children establish good savings habits.
Olivia was recently interviewed by Alan Kohler
Olivia was recently invited to be interviewed by respected Finance Journalist, Alan Kohler. You can listen to the interview below. The interview must have made an impression with Alan as he then wrote about her the next day in The Australian newspaper and for ABC’s online news. Alan Kohler is the founder of Business Spectator,…
What is your Age Pension age?
The Federal Budget this week has announced that from 1 July 2025, the Age Pension qualifying age will continue to rise by six months every two years, from the qualifying age of 67 years that will apply by that time, to gradually reach a qualifying age of 70 years by 1 July 2035. Check out…
Olivia features on Channel 9 for the Federal Budget Wrap Up
Join Olivia on Nine News tonight talking about the impact on the Federal Budget. Headline story with Laurie Oakes and Ross Greenwood. To read more about the budget changes click here Olivia Maragna is the co-founder of Aspire Retire Financial Services and was awarded the Australian 2012 AFA Adviser of the Year. Olivia’s advice is general in…
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…
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…
An Ageing Australia and Government Pressure
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…
The rise and rise of SMSF’s
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…