The hidden victims of our road toll

We all read about the terrible road tolls that affect our modern life.

Every day the same stark reality of yet another death on the roads tempts us to look away, forcing advertising agencies to use increasingly violent images to get our attention.

But today with modern technologies and advances in trauma medicine, more people now survive car accidents. The cost of surviving can be devastating to the survivor and their family in both personal and financial ways.

Diabetes in Australia is our fastest growing chronic condition.

Each day 280 Australians develop this disease.

• 56% are males
• 44% are females

The onset of Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) occurs most frequently in people under 30 years, however, new research suggests almost half of all people who develop the condition are diagnosed over the age of 30.

How do you feel about having money?

It's not something many people stop and consider—but there’s definitely patterns connected with personal poverty and financial chaos.

Are you still living up to your parent's expectations towards your own money?

Below are four questions we ask our clients to help them consider could their adult relationship with money today, be unconsciously influenced by their parent's money attitudes from childhood?

The long-term effect of grief over the loss of a family member.

A recent report about Millennials and Generation X’ers who lost a parent while growing up confirmed what most people already suspected - the impact of the loss lasts a lifetime.  A third of those surveyed said, ‘I've never really gotten over my loss’.

Does a child in a blended family lose their inheritance if their parent dies?

A Contractual Will Agreement might provide the answer to this difficult question.

Many blended Australian families wanting greater certainty in their estate planning choose to make a mirror Will with their spouse - effectively leaving everything to each other.

Get clear on what's at stake when you borrow with others

Understanding 'joint and severally liability loans' and what it means for you.

You might think when you take out a joint mortgage with someone else you’re only responsible for your ‘half’ or share of the loan.

Think again because this is not the case.

• By signing a mortgage contract with someone else, you’re each agreeing to pay off the whole debt if the other can’t – or won’t – pay it.

We all like to think we have more control over our decisions in life than perhaps we really do.

And this is particularly common when it comes to our personal money matters.

It's nothing new - our beliefs usually dictate how we react to life events; but what if you've forgotten what you believe and are living and deciding on autopilot?

Refinancing isn’t for everyone or every financial situation.

Refinancing a mortgage can put you in a better interest rate, but still increase your debt. Before you jump on the refinance-the-mortgage ride, here's six occasions when it might not be right for you

Both successful people and unsuccessful people have very different patterns of thinking about money.

Not surprising I hear you say, but where do these money attitudes come from? Is it about finding new ideas or more about losing the old ones?