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House price growth predicated to fade in 2015 after a solid spring
Domain Group Senior Economist Dr Andrew Wilson says capital city house prices are set to grow by an average of 5% over the 2014/15 financial year, with Sydney and Brisbane leading the way.
Australia’s capital city housing markets have performed solidly through the winter of 2014 with the prospect of a generally robust spring selling season ahead.
House price growth will, however, be mixed over the remainder of 2014 and into 2015 as the waning effect of historically-low interest rates and underperforming local ...
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Saving in a Material World
It’s not easy to be thrifty in our consumer society. We’re surrounded by so much temptation that it can be difficult to avoid spending money.
So why not try taking a break from spending? If you can tighten your belt on the little things, it can help ensure you have enough for the odd splurge, that well-earned holiday, or for unforeseen expenses.
Here are some creative ways to cut your spending.
Get smarter with your spending...
Negotiate on your utility bills
It’s a competitive market, with ...
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SMSF
Like other superannuation (super) funds, self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are a way of saving for your retirement. The difference between an SMSF and other types of funds is that, generally, the members of an SMSF are also the trustees. This means the members of the SMSF run it for their own benefit.
The ATO is the regulator of SMSFs.
Thinking about self-managed super
SMSFs are not for everyone and you should think carefully before deciding to set one up. It is a major financial ...
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Searching for income in the current environment
A question many investors face is where to invest for sources of income in a low yield environment. With the official cash rate on hold at 2.5% since August 2013, many investors are looking for income opportunities outside of term deposits.
Sources of income are available outside of term deposits and across the traditional risk spectrum through equities and listed property in the form of dividends, and through bonds and hybrids in the form of coupon payments for bonds held.
Equity income is ...
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Living and dying: doing it your way
Living longer is something to be celebrated. But it can be a less settling prospect if advancing age or an accident reduces your capacity to make decisions. Worse still, if you are incapacitated.
It is a good reason to make provisions ahead of time to pass on some, or all, of the responsibility relating to your financial and other affairs. This might include how you want your future health, medical treatment and personal
care to be managed.
The following ‘tools’ are governed by different ...
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Planning to avoid financial mistakes
Selling shares when prices have tumbled or buying a house at the height of a property boom only to dispose of it when the market falls are among the financial set-backs that can happen to anyone on the road to retirement.
Everyone makes mistakes during their investment lifetime; the trick is to avoid them when you can and learn from the ones you can’t.
Have a plan
Failing to plan for retirement and build up savings is one of the most common mistakes. ...
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Things you need to know about personal insurance
Personal insurance premiums have increased significantly over the past 18 months, running the risk that cost- conscious consumers might consider cutting back their cover. Suddenly those quick, off-the-shelf insurance products advertised on TV look enticing.
But simple is not always cheaper, the cover may be inadequate or, worse still, may not pay out when you need it most.
Underinsurance
Personal insurance is a general terms for term life, total and permanent disability (TPD), trauma and income protection insurance.
The reality is that even those people ...
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End of Financial Year Checklist
Click here for full details of - End of Financial year checklist
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Federal Budget 2015 – How will it affect you ?
As the Treasurer foreshadowed, this to be a Budget of structural reform with distinct short and long term winners and losers. The bad news headlines were fairly accurately reported and were old news by Budget night.
For many - families, pensioners and those relying heavily on assistance and subsidies - the impact of the Budget will be evident through the co-payments that will demand a little more for each service each time and in some circumstances severe restrictions to eligibility.
For business, left untouched ...
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