Super guarantee and salary sacrificing: The changes that may benefit you Salary sacrificing – making before-tax (concessional) contributions from your salary into your super – may be an effective way to help grow your super and set yourself up for a comfortable retirement. For most pe

Making sense of Medicare and your tax obligations To help pay for the public health system which we call Medicare, you’re required to pay a 2 percent Medicare levy as part of your income tax. While the low-income tax offset can reduce your individual tax liability, sadly it does not r

Will I pay Capital gains Tax on my Inheritance? In Australia, special capital gains tax rules apply when dealing with assets of a deceased estate. The most common types of assets inherited by a beneficiary that could be subject to a capital gain are property, shares and managed funds.

Is $1 million enough to retire on? Everyone who’s approaching retirement wants to know how much money they need to save – how much is enough to leave work confidently and then live comfortably? Lately, we’ve been seeing $1 million dollars bandied around as the magic number but i

How to overcome a financial setback When considering the financial position they’ve achieved in retirement, many Australian retirees share the same opinion: “I wish I’d saved more.” For some people, keeping up with day-to-day living expenses and staying on top of debts is challenging

How to review your SMSF investment strategy Super law sets out some requirements that trustees of regulated super funds need to consider when formulating an investment strategy. These requirements include (but not limited to) the composition of investments, risk and return, liquidity,

Market and Economic overview Australia Headline inflation rose slightly more than expected in the December quarter. Prices rose 0.7% over the three-month period, the fastest quarterly increase in three years. This took the annual inflation rate to 1.8%. The increase was partly due to

6 ways to stay well in retirement A fulfilling retirement isn’t just about money, it’s about staying healthy, active and connected. So much of preparing for retirement is about the dollars and cents: Working out whether a transition to retirement strategy works for you. Deciding which

Going solo in retirement While divorce rates have fallen in Australia in recent years, there is one age group where it’s becoming more common. In the two decades to 2017, the divorce rate for men aged 55-59 more than doubled. For women in the same age group it has tripled. We explore

Putting a value on your potential What is your most financially valuable asset? The answer to this question could be quite different depending on your age. A younger person may say their car or a possession, such as a musical instrument, is their most valuable asset. As people age the