Young families are the people most pressured by high interest rates and the recent big increases in mortgage payments. Raising rates is one of the few levers the RBA can pull to control inflation, and it has an uneven effect across the population. Young families are...

Raising children is costly with many not becoming fully financially self-supporting until age twenty-five or later. It’s an expensive business with the costs starting small and increasing as the children age. There are school fees, sports participation costs,...

Pre-retirement pensions are available from age sixty but aren’t widely used as most people don’t need the income they provide while still working. However these pensions offer quite a range of opportunities. People who are fully retired can use their superannuation to...

As discussed previously, returns from most investments, superannuation and managed funds were quite good for the last financial year. Australian and international shares, property and infrastructure all did well. Values continued to rise in July. The outlook is never...

In April this column wrote about doubts over the accuracy of the valuations of some super fund investments, and so members accounts. Back then the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) had concerns that some funds may be overvaluing their unlisted assets...

A salary sacrifice plan to save tax and boost super benefits can be started at any time, but the beginning of a new financial year is best. That gives a benefit for the whole year. If a person sacrifices $100 per week of salary, over $5,000 extra is contributed....

The figures for 2022-23 are in. Most investment returns for the last financial year look surprisingly good. The average return on a typical diversified portfolio was 9.4 per cent according to investment research firm Lonsec. That is for a mix of 70 per cent growth...

Although there are no significant changes to superannuation rules as we enter this new financial year some of the limits have been indexed up due to inflation and the employer Super Guarantee rate is edging up as legislated several years ago. The Super Guarantee (SG),...

Unlike most years there are no major changes to superannuation rules coming into effect from July this year. However one temporary Covid measure is being dropped meaning the rules will return to normal. The minimum payments that must be made from retirement pension...