Confessions of a 13 year old iced-doughnut-fuelled loan shark.

People ask me when was the first time I thought about money matters in a more structured and deliberate way?

I must confess it was a childhood experience that led me astray and taught me the 7 early financial lessons of the schoolyard.

#StuffYouNeedToKnow series

We all have to learn how to use financial tools to our advantage to get ahead in our financial life. 

Learning how to use key financial tools is one of the habits of wealthy people… not learning how to use those same financial tools, are often the habits of people who don’t get ahead.

Do you get paid Super on your overtime?

Well, the answer is usually no, but also that depends.

Your superannuation is your forced savings for your retirement, so it’s important to understand these two key features:

• How much Super are you being paid?
• How is it actually calculated when it comes to commissions, bonuses, overtime and back pay?

Want to know if you'll be financially comfortable in retirement?

Well, first you need to have a standard of what's comfortable and what's, well ... a modest standard of living.

Thankfully, an annual assessment run by the ASFA can help you start your thinking about what you want to achieve in your retirement.

Then we can help you get there.

When is an inheritance tax not called inheritance tax?
When it's a super death payment tax of course!

Like to know more? Well, you should because this tax problem has special meaning for people with super, and adult children of people with super.

If you plan on leaving your superannuation to your now adult kids when you pass away, there's a strong possibility your super death benefit payout will be hit with tax.

Getting money out of super early on compassionate grounds

Many people are unsure about whether they could get early access to some of their superannuation funds.

While this is a very complicated task (and perhaps the stuff of urban legend) it's worth setting the story straight; so you know where you stand with your super.

How do you compare home loans so you find what's right for you?

That's often the $64,000 question we're asked by our clients.

So here are six keys to start your thinking.

Did you know you can now claim a tax deduction for making a personal contribution into your super?

Previously, most Employees were excluded from claiming a tax deduction for their personal contributions to super.

The Cost to Care

How do you make an informed health decision if you don't have the right health information?

This is the tough question thousands of Australian’s are suddenly forced to answer when they, their child or a member of their extended family is suddenly faced with the reality of a serious medical condition or injury - and the enormity of the out of pocket expenses it can bring.

The problem of living in a 'Lucky Country'

Australia – as the saying goes – is a ‘lucky country’.

Our standard of living, our climate, and our health care and social security systems are often enviable when compared with international comparisons.

That's meant that for many of us, the ‘she’ll be right’ approach to life in Australia has left us exposed to the harsh realities that life doesn't always work out the way we expect.

Living a long and healthy life can become surprisingly expensive.

In 2019 new NSW Tenancy Laws supporting victims of domestic violence living in a rented property came into effect.

If you live in rented accommodation and have been affected by domestic and family violence, you need to know there are new Tenancy Laws to help protect the victims of domestic violence.

If you're looking to buy into a residential strata property, there are many new things to consider and learn.

Case Study

Terry was looking to buy a 2 bedroom home in Sydney and came to us to arrange the investment mortgage. As the property was 17 years old, there had been some renovations completed inside the unit and some repairs were still being made to the common property.

As the property was selling at auction there were a number of things to consider, particularly because Terry was buying into an existing strata plan property.

Here are some of the things we discussed.