Friends, flatmates or de facto partners - and how to tell them apart

When it comes to romance and relationships, the emotional decision about who you think is your partner, may be very different to the legal decision about who is legally considered your de facto partner.

The questions about who may be a boyfriend or girlfriend and who is a de facto become important distinctions when it comes to super payouts, life insurance payouts and family law claims on your finances, investments and property interests.

Getting better at managing our personal and business risks in our connected world

The current Coronavirus epidemic is going to affect Australian families and businesses - but perhaps not for the reason you suspect.

Australians are not new to facing risks to manage. Communities who live in areas of risk have bushfire plans, flood plans and even snow closure emergency plans.

Welcome to a new year (and a new decade). Remember old habits don't usually take us to new places.

Hopefully this the year you’ve decided to set some family goals and get a little more proactive on achieving some saving goals. One of the challenges of a busy life can be we keep our ideas and hopes about our personal money goals locked in our head, rather than writing them down where we can see them, talk about them and maybe even ask about our progress to achieve them.

Trauma Informed Financial Advice is now here

Nobody understands the impact of trauma, stigma or discrimination better than the person experiencing it.Drew Browne

Sapience Financial and Investment Services is the first Trauma Informed Organisation providing specialty Financial Advice and Insurance Advice through our Trauma Informed methodology.

This is what that means for you and your family.

Not running with Scissors and Credit Cards

As a kid, I clearly remember the repeated warning about the dangers of running with scissors.

What I didn't hear was the dangers of running off with a credit card, and I wonder which one has caused me more damage in my life so far?

Can you relate?

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.