New financial year – new perspective
July 13, 2020
The start of the financial year is always an excellent time to take stock of your current situation and visualise where you’d like to be in the future. It’s fair to say this year hasn’t been ‘business as usual’! While no-one could have predicted the first six months of 2020, nor want to repeat them,…
Unintended consequences of Government COVID-19 Policies
June 9, 2020
For every action there is a reaction. And while we’re not criticising the government’s policy response to COVID-19, we recognise that such intervention often has unintended consequences. Take lower interest rates for instance. Central banks intended to make the cost of investment cheaper and be stimulatory. Instead, Australian households borrowed more money to buy bigger…
Is your SMSF balanced?
June 9, 2020
The recent sell-off on global sharemarkets due to the economic impact of COVID-19 has highlighted the risks of depending too heavily on a single asset class. Even before the current crisis, the ATO was concerned about a minority of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) with up to 90 per cent of their money in a single…
Support for business investment
April 20, 2020
The government is loosening the criteria around the instant asset write-off. Pre-Coronavirus, businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million could instantly write-off the purchase of assets costing up to $30,000. Post-Coronavirus, businesses with a turnover of up to $500 million can write off asset purchases of up to $150,000. Contact the Centaur Financial team…
Making peace with the unknown
April 14, 2020
Life constantly challenges us with unknowns, yet some of these hit closer to home and harder than others in their impact. The coronavirus is unprecedented in our lifetimes, so we are charting new territory in the world’s response to this crisis. The uncertainty around its far-reaching impact is creating fear for many around the globe,…
Coronavirus and Global Volatility
March 10, 2020
Special Update – Monday 9th March, 2020. Today the Aussie market suffered the worst decline since October 2008 with the ASX 200 -455.6pts or -7.33% to 5760.6pts. All sectors finished in negative territory with the energy producers the hardest hit due to plunging oil prices. The market is now at a 13 month low and…
Hold on – Bumpy markets ahead
March 2, 2020
After period of optimism, global investment markets have hit the panic button on fears about the possible economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19). At times like these, it’s good to get some perspective. Australian shares rose 24 per cent last year, touching record highs, and 10 per cent a year over the past seven years….
Ins and outs of SMSF property investing
February 7, 2020
With a property market recovery underway, most notably in Sydney and Melbourne, Australian…
Steering through choppy seas
November 27, 2019
Like it or not, we live in interesting times. More than a decade after the Global Financial Crisis, the global economy is facing fresh headwinds creating uncertainty for policy makers and investors alike. This time around it’s not a debt crisis, although debt levels are extremely high, but geopolitical instability. The ongoing US-China trade war…
Building wealth in diversity
October 9, 2019
What a difference a year makes. In recent months, Australian shares hit a record high, the Aussie dollar dipped to levels not seen since the GFC and interest rates were cut to historic lows. Towards the end of 2018, shares were in the doldrums and while experts agreed the Aussie dollar would go lower most…
Positives and Negatives of Negative Gearing
October 9, 2019
Negatively gearing an investment property is viewed by many Australians as a tax effective way to get ahead. According to Treasury, more than 1.9 million people earned rental income in 2012-13 and of those about 1.3 million reported a net rental loss. So it was no surprise that many people were worried about how they…
Making the most of falling interest rates
July 2, 2019
The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut official interest rates is good news for anyone with a mortgage or hoping to buy their first home, but presents a challenge for savers. Whatever your personal situation, the question now is how to make the most of falling rates. In case you missed it, on June 4 the…
Jump and celebrate !! We have been able to negotiate further savings for you
June 24, 2019
The end of financial year is fast approaching and we wanted to share some good news in regards to fee reductions we have negotiated for you. You may remember we have talked about the ‘scale’ benefits in the group and that as we grow we are able to discuss deeper discounts for our clients within…
Dollar Cost Averaging
June 10, 2019
Dollar cost averaging is an alternative strategy to investing a lump sum. Using this approach you invest a set amount at regular intervals over time. This method of investing can be a powerful risk reduction strategy during times of market volatility or uncertainty, and can help you avoid the pitfalls of trying to choose the best time to invest. Investor A: $200,000…
Artificial intelligence – the future of finance
May 7, 2019
We often like to think of artificial intelligence as some fantasy of the distant future, the stuff of sci-fi movies. But the reality is, it’s already here. From flight comparison websites to predictive text, AI is everywhere, but what is it exactly? AI is the development of computer systems that have the ability to perform…
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