The latest financial stressor for families and businesses as we face down the new normal this year is runaway petrol and fuel prices.
But this recent price rise at the petrol bowser might have a very different long term effect for us all.
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen, it usually does - and we all do better knowing we have a backup plan in place.
Is fair to say that double-digit investment growth may not return to the investment market for some period of time so making sure we get good value for what we are saving to invest, is more important than ever.
While super is seen as a low tax saving environment, there are limits and official caps to how much money you can put into your super (the cynic would say because the government doesn't like to give away too many tax deductions), so it's worth knowing what your options are.
Annual research indicates an average of 6 out of 10 parents report supporting their adult children financially to the detriment of their own financial stability - and it's getting worse.
In 2021, almost half, or 45%, of parents with adult children have given their children money during the covid19 pandemic, and of those 79% said the funds would have otherwise gone towards their own personal finances.
Perhaps you have a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) and you're the Director of your SMSF Corporate Trustee? If so you’re caught up in the latest new regulation from the Australian government.
Given the sheer abundance of our modern lives, it's not surprising we end up with so many complicated feelings and concerns about 'things and stuff'.
When you're an adult raising kids-to-be-adults, we're going to face unexpected and honest questions.
Some are expected and others totally catch us unprepared.
And just because you may not have your own kids, remember we’re all role-models for somebody.
It's August 2021 in Australia and we’re in the middle of learning to live in a global COVID-19 pandemic.
How are you doing today?
Australia is now in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and learning to live and work with lockdowns and public health orders.
With rolling lockdowns and much general uncertainty ahead, as we race towards the nation's next mass vaccination target, it's only natural people are looking for certainty and asking important questions about 'whether COVID-19 affects their life insurance policies in any way?'
The Vulcan salutation, ‘Live Long and Prosper’ was first made famous by Star Trek's Commander Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy).
The phrase owes its now world wide familiarity to the fact that it does indeed reflect the hopes and dreams of all people - to live long and prosper.
Now regardless of whether you subscribe to the Star Trek universe or the Star Wars franchise view of the world (or neither - *gasp*) the good news is for the most part Australians are becoming healthier and actually living longer – 12 years longer than the global average, to be precise.
Making good decisions and understanding why we often avoid making them is an essential part of everyone's financial life.
But how do you recognise when an old attitude towards money is no longer working for you and might need to change?
It's actually way harder than you'd think - and there's a good reason why.