Blog

With Christmas and New Years rapidly fading into the past, many people are left with a New Year Hangover.  The focus in January becomes getting back into shape, both physically (if they’ve indulged a little too much) and financially (as the credit card statements arrive and they return to work).  You can’t get back into […]

Once more, the year is nearly finished when it feels like it has only just started. With Christmas fast approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to  wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous, healthy and happy New Year as we head into 2017. As always, each year tends to throw up some surprises […]

From 1 January 2017 there will be changes to the asset-test rules for Centrelink age pensions in Australia. There will be approximately 100,000 people set to lose their age pension entirely and a further 200,000 to experience a reduction in their pension payment. Around 170,000 people will, on the other hand, actually get an increase in […]

Sooner or later, we all need to make a new financial decision.  Whether opening a bank account, starting a superannuation fund, buying a house or setting up a business – there are decisions that need to be made.  Most people, quite rightly spend a lot of time ensuring that it is a good decision and […]

  Many people might have heard the term salary sacrifice but not really understood what it is.  Put simply, it is giving up some of your wage in return for higher super contributions from an employer.   There are two main benefits to salary sacrificing:   It can come out of your gross wage before […]

This week the government handed down their budget which included a number of new changes and confirmed some other previously known changes which take effect soon.  These changes are quite significant and whilst some are positive and others negative, if legislated, they will result in us wanting to change how many clients are structured leading […]

There is a significant change coming to the Asset Test for age pensioners.  From January 2017, the limits on how much assets you can have before the age pension starts to reduce and the point at which eligibility ceases altogether are changing.  The table below illustrates the change: Rates current as at 20 May 2015 […]

In Australia, it is compulsory for employers to contribute at least 9.5% of ordinary earnings into a superannuation account.  This money is then locked away until “retirement”.  But what exactly is “retirement” and what other situations are there when can funds in superannuation be accessed? In order to access funds in superannuation, you need satisfy […]