Protect your precious home Underinsurance is a growing problem in Australia with an estimated 29% of homeowners having NO home and contents insurance and 40% of households WITH insurance being underinsured. With your home and its contents usually being your single largest investment and a place of comfort and security for your family, these figures are […]
According to the ATO there are around 1.8 million property investors in Australia and 2.7 million rental investment properties. Surprisingly, many landlords fail to claim all allowable tax deductions simply because they are unaware of all the expenses they can claim as a tax deduction. There are two types of investment property strategies – positively geared […]
With an abundance of online travel booking websites there’s a growing trend to DO IT YOURSELF instead of using travel agents. There can be benefits to booking your own travel but beware – it can be the small details that make or break a long awaited holiday if things go wrong. It’s a travel agent’s job […]
Here’s a scary statistic! A leading Australian demographer estimates the total cost to parents of raising the average number of children (2.7) to independence (at 24) is $1,028,000. That’s right! A million dollars to raise the average family… And that’s assuming your family is ‘average’ and they have attained financial independence by age 24! In […]
Before taking action on any of the below ‘Top 15 Ways’, we recommend you speak with a Finance Specialist. Call the office for more information on any of these 15 suggestions. Pay the first home loan instalment as soon as you settle Review your loan at least every two years and negotiate a cheaper rate with […]
At a time of almost constant (even daily) changes in the finance world – and an absolute overload of information online – it’s easy to see why some consumers are becoming ‘switched off’. A recent study about financial literacy found 57% of respondents didn’t know that banks determine actual interest rates – not the RBA. It […]
Your credit file is one of your most important financial assets. Safeguarding this file is an important part of the finance application process. Your credit file contains: • credit applications, overdue credit accounts, payment defaults, clearouts (as a missing debtor), commercial credit information and public record information. You will have a credit score calculated from […]
There’s an interesting property market trend underway… Let’s all welcome the single, female first home buyer! Statistics show Gen Y females are the fastest growing group of mortgagors, taking out almost one quarter of mortgages in Australia in 2015. In fact, almost twice as many single women are buying homes as single men! Why are […]
If you are in retirement mode – and especially if you are thinking of downsizing – you may be looking at passing on precious possessions to your children or grandchildren. There may be just one small problem…. Do they really want them? You COULD be in for a surprise! Many of our younger generation are […]
At the end of 2014 statistics showed a significant decrease in the percentage of homeowners experiencing mortgage stress – from 28% to around 15% – largely attributed to low interest rates. However, a further 15% of those surveyed were anticipating mortgage stress at some time in the future. Well it seems the future may be […]