The Science of Gift-Giving over the Holidays
December 18, 2017
During the holidays we spend quality time with family and friends while celebrating our faith and love for those around us. It is also a time where gifts are recognised as being both pleasurable to receive and give. Just for an interesting read, we have found some of the studied science on gift-giving in society today. Enjoy the holiday […]
Self-employed: working till they die with no backup plan
November 2, 2017
Approximately 10% of the workforce in Australia is self-employed and it is currently not compulsory for them to make superannuation contributions since the Superannuation Guarantee largely applies to employees only. While self-employed are busy focusing on the day-to-day running of their businesses, many overlook the advantages of superannuation and generally fail to plan ahead for […]
Your Finances and Living the Dream
October 17, 2017
Recent research links living the dream with financial planning Recent research from the Financial Planning Association of Australia indicates that Australians enjoy dreaming about their future and believe in their ability to create the life they want, but only 23% believe that they are living the dream. The report suggests that the people most likely […]
Pre-Retirement – Re-contribution is still alive, but the timing is essential
September 11, 2017
Numerous superannuation strategies can be developed to enhance an individual’s position prior to retirement. Here we look at one of them, called the ‘re-contribution strategy’. Re-contribution is an alternative strategy to rolling super into a pension. In this case, one takes a lump sum out of super first and then puts the money back into […]
Understanding Residential Aged Care
August 14, 2017
Who is it for? Residential Aged Care is generally for older people who for various reasons can no longer live at home. Living in an aged care home provides assistance with day to day tasks, personal care or 24-hour nursing care. It also provides access to social activities. User pays system Australia has one of […]
Super Magic and Social Security Considerations in Retirement – Case Study
July 20, 2017
Usually retirement means the end of formal employment or the selling of a business. For most people, it will mean the end of a regular income through salary/wages or business income. The purpose of retirement planning is then to ensure that people will have a certain quality of life in their retirement. Each person will […]
How Much Do You Need In Retirement?
June 1, 2017
Australians aged 55–64 will typically retire with a median* superannuation account of $105,900 according to a recent ABS data1. The reason it is so low is that widespread superannuation did not come into place until the mid-1990s. At age 64 men have, on average, more than 20 years to live and women around 23 years […]
Alex Lukashenok Joins Aspire
May 5, 2017
It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new Financial Adviser, Alex Lukashenok, who has joined our Aspire team. We are proud to have known Alex for the past 14 years and see him as a competent, articulate adviser with a passion for helping people navigate the financial maze surrounding them to ensure their […]
Topping Up Super Tax Effectively – A Third Option for Employees
March 23, 2017
If you work as an employee, chances are your employer is already putting money into superannuation for you. When the employer puts this money into superannuation, they get a tax deduction because, to them, it is a cost of running a business. If the person or business putting money into superannuation is getting a tax […]
The Golden Rule
February 8, 2017
One of the challenges we face today is that we tend to become less patient. Fast food, fast internet, instant messaging and pay-wave. Gone are the days of purchasing with lay-by or saving first. Instead, we have credit cards, buy now–pay later arrangements and payday lenders. With spending, it’s easy to see how our impatience […]