Reflection

May 2022 Put the World At Your Feet

We said it last year and we did not think we would need to say again this year, but thank goodness 2021 is almost at an end! Thank you for your support and may 2022 bring everything you and your loved ones could want.

Should there be strings attached to the bank of Mum and Dad?

The extraordinary growth in the price of housing in Australia leaves new home buyers increasingly reliant on the ‘bank of Mum and Dad’ to get a foothold in the property market. Six figure cash gifts are increasingly being reported. The movement of money from one person to another often raises questions about the safest way for that money to be transferred.

Bouncing Back from Covid

Continuing on with the covid theme, this week we discuss something that we are hearing anecdotally about life after Covid restrictions in general and, for the unlucky ones among us, lockdowns in particular. Many people are simply struggling to get their mojo back.

Making Good Decisions in a Pandemic

A lot of people are making a lot of big decisions right now. People should take their time. It can be risky to make a permanent decision when you are faced with a temporary situation.

What is a testamentary trust?

Testamentary trusts are one way for people to ensure that their assets are well managed after they die. Read on to learn more about this important aspect of estate planning.

What’s all this about Inflation?

You might be hearing quite a bit about inflation lately. So, what is it and do we need to be worried?

100 Taxpayers Walk into a Bar…

Every year the Australian Tax Office releases it’s own version of it’s ‘Hottest 100.’ Well, not really. What the ATO actually does is ask us to imagine that there are only 100 taxpayers in Australia – and then give us a profile of what that 100 people look like, according to their tax returns. This helps us put our taxpaying efforts in perspective.

Housing’s Tug of War

This week, we saw another version of the tug of war at play in Australia’s residential property market. APRA is trying to pull prices in one direction while other arms of Government strive for the opposite result. Time will tell whose arms are stronger, but people wanting to buy homes should be barracking for APRA. A win for APRA would save people years of hard work.

Help with HELP

For most Australians, University is not free. That said, few Australians pay their Uni fees upfront. Most pay them via a loan scheme. This loan must be repaid when your income reaches a certain level. But a question sometimes arises: should you repay the debt sooner?

The Movie Sucks. Should You Head for the Exit?

You have paid $100 for gold class movie tickets. About a third of the way through, you realise that this is the worst film you have ever seen. Do you leave now or do you stay until the bitter end? Your answer might have big implications for your financial future.