When it comes to living a longer, healthier, more active lifestyle, a good approach can often involve easy tasks that you can turn into everyday habits – even when social distancing is on the agenda. If you’re after ideas, here are some ways you might sustain or even improve your physical and mental wellbeing, which…
You might feel emotionally ready to retire but you’ll want to make sure you’re financially ready too. Socialising with mates, enjoying leisurely activities and indulging in the odd trip away are all things that have likely crossed your mind when thinking about how you’ll spend retirement. Beyond that though, have you given much thought to…
Go back a month or two and you’d be forgiven for thinking we were on the fast track to pay rises all round. The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in a decade in June, at 4.9 per cent, as government stimulus spending, closed national borders and zero community COVID-19 fuelled a post-pandemic recovery.…
Conventional wisdom used to dictate Australians were better paying off their home loans, and then, once debt-free turning their attention to building up their super. But with interest rates at record lows and many super funds potentially offering a higher rate of return, what’s the right strategy in the current market? One thing to consider…
An effective way of building your super savings (and potentially reducing your taxable income) is through salary sacrificing – that is, asking your employer to put some of your before-tax income directly into your super fund. The amount you salary sacrifice is on top of the Super Guarantee (SG) contributions your employer must pay which…
Since marriage equality was achieved in 2017, LGBTI people have had access to the same legal and financial rights as heterosexual married couples. Yet members of the LGBTI community still face some unique challenges when it comes to their financial wellbeing. So what do same sex couples need to know when it comes to planning…
Super is there to provide you with an income when you stop working and it may provide a tax-effective way to save for your retirement over the long-term. What’s probably more interesting, is in time, your super may become one of your largest assets. We don’t often think about that, but it’s a good reason…
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women are retiring with 37% less than men in their super accounts, which is a frightening thought considering women, on average, live up to five years longer. So, what’s behind the super gap? The super gap is partly due to the lower average earnings of women. Data from…
Getting money together to buy your first home can be a big ask. As well as a deposit (ideally 20% of the house price), you also need to consider stamp duty and other expenses like conveyancing fees. And if you have less than the recommended deposit, you’ll also need to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI)…
It’s been a trying time for many people, with our collective mental health taking a toll as the COVID-19 pandemic rolls on. The Melbourne Institute says one-in-three Australians are now reporting financial stress, while one-in-five are feeling ‘mental distress’. It’s well known that our financial wellbeing and mental health go hand in hand. Severe or…