When Should You Start Retirement Planning?
Retirement planning Australia starts with a clear understanding of when you want to stop working. That age affects almost everything else when you can access your super, how long your retirement savings may need to last and how much you may need to accumulate before you finish work. Many Australians retire around 60, often before […]
Should Your Life Insurance Be Inside Super?
Holding insurance inside superannuation preserves cash flow, because premiums come from your balance rather than your bank account, and cover is often issued without full underwriting. The trade-offs are a reduced retirement balance, narrower policy definitions in some funds, and tax on benefits paid to non-dependants. Most Australians have some insurance inside their superannuation, and […]
Extra Super or Extra Mortgage Repayments?
There is no single correct answer. It turns on four things: your marginal tax rate, how far you are from preservation age, your mortgage interest rate, and how much access to the money you need. Super offers tax concessions but locks the money away. Mortgage repayments give a certain saving and keep flexibility. This is […]
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cover?
Estate planning covers your will, your powers of attorney, your superannuation death benefit nominations, any trust or company structures you control, and how your insurance is owned. Superannuation is not automatically covered by your will, which is the single most common gap in Australian estate plans. Most people equate estate planning with having a will. […]
Can You Get Financial Advice Entirely Online in Australia?
Yes. Financial advice can be provided entirely online in Australia. The same regulatory framework applies whether advice is delivered in person or online including licensing requirements, best interests obligations and advice documentation. Documents can be signed electronically and identity can be verified digitally. The consumer protections that apply to financial advice do not disappear simply […]
How Much Does Financial Advice Cost in Australia?
So, what does financial advice cost in Australia? It’s charged in one of three ways: a fixed fee for a defined piece of advice, an ongoing service fee for continuing support, or an hourly rate. Cost is the question most people want answered first and the one most adviser websites avoid. The avoidance is understandable […]
What Does a Financial Adviser Actually Do?
A financial adviser helps you decide what to do with your money across superannuation, investments, tax structure, insurance and estate planning, then documents that advice in a Statement of Advice. In Australia they must hold or operate under an Australian Financial Services Licence, meet education standards set by law, and act in your best interests. […]
7 Financial Planning Strategies for More Reliable Retirement Income
Stepping away from full-time work means leaving behind the comfort of a predictable fortnightly pay cycle. The challenge is no longer accumulating assets, but generating a steady income from your life savings. You need a system that can withstand share market drops, absorb the rising cost of living, and fund your lifestyle for decades. A […]
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost in Australia?
Ask what a financial advisor costs and the usual answer is a vague “it depends”. That is little help when you are trying to budget. You want a number you can work with. Here is the honest version. The price rests on one simple thing: how much help you want once your plan is written. […]
Common Retirement Planning Mistakes
Planning for retirement is a process we all like to postpone. The main reason for this – no one likes the idea of getting old. Yes, retirement planning is often avoided because it forces us to ponder the later stages when our independence starts to disappear, and we are no longer able to work to […]