Even those of us who have been paragons of responsibility for 51 weeks of the year can be tempted to take a budgeting holiday when Christmas and the summer vacation roll around. Unlike overindulging at the Christmas lunch, this has more than short-term consequences.
Things are looking up for first home buyers for the first time in years as house price growth begins to slow across the country. While prices have been on the slide for some areas in the West and the North since the end of the mining boom, the housing market in Sydney and Melbourne also…
In this issue: Opportunities in the cooling property market Separating needs from wants Music to your ears It’s December and the countdown to Christmas and the summer holidays has begun. But before we tuck into our Christmas ham (or prawns), switch on the cricket and head for the beach, there is always work to complete and loose…
Would Christmas be the same for you without the smooth croon of Crosby and Sinatra around the BBQ? Or carols along the most decorative boulevards of your neighbourhood? Or perhaps you are more likely to wince every time ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ comes on for the third time only to remind you…
When was the last time you did something completely out of the blue? As in, really unexpected? We’re not talking a cheeky extra shot in your morning coffee, or wearing a ‘fun’ shirt to an important meeting. When was the last time you went somewhere new for dinner, just because? Or ignored your GPS and…
Owning your own home has long been the Australian dream but after years of strong house price growth it’s becoming less of a reality for many. This has major implications for retirement planning.
In this issue: Lessons from the GFC – 10 years on Homing in on a happy retirement Embracing spontaneity It’s November and there’s no surer sign that summer is on the way than the reappearance of men’s and women’s international cricket on our screens.
It’s been a decade since the market crash known as the Global Financial Crisis rocked the investment world. At the time investors could only watch in disbelief as 50 per cent was wiped off the value of their shares. Arguably, the actions those investors took are still reverberating today. Which begs the question: what are…
One of the golden rules of investing is diversification, but that can be difficult to achieve when you are just starting out or have limited funds to tap into a world of opportunities. Which is why investors have been flocking to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and listed investment companies (LICs).
Driving towards a mega mansion and watching the house light up as the gates open. Clapping hands to dim the lights and turn up the music. Blinds opening automatically to reveal a stunning vista from the exclusive perspective of a minimalist holiday home / evil lair. If these scenes sound familiar, it’s because they’ve been…
They are marketed as being the optimum lifestyle choice for recent retirees, often in ideal locations with all the facilities for a stress-Complimentary lifestyle. But with complex fee structures and inconsistent regulation, retirement village living should be approached with caution.
In this issue: Expand your horizons with ETFs and LICs Retirement villages: look beyond the brochure Introducing the new smart(er?) home October is here after the record-breaking heat of September and all the signs point to a hot summer. Things are also beginning to heat up on the global interest rate front.
When was the last time you had a lengthy chat to a friend over the phone or, rarer still, a decent face-to-face catch up? Remember spending time with a loved one making the most of precious hours having saved up every story, anecdote and interesting conversation starter up your sleeve? Nowadays the bulk of our…
If you have super, chances are you’ll have some default insurance included and the option to buy more at an attractive price. It’s a cost effective way to get a basic level of cover, but holding insurance inside super does have some downsides.
Interest rates have been low for so long it’s tempting to think low rates are the new normal. So when the Reserve Bank suggests that a cash rate of 3.5 per cent is the new ‘neutral’, people take notice. Even the Prime Minister warned Australian householders to prepare for higher interest rates ahead.(i) That’s good…
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