Insights

Diversification is an investment strategy that lowers your portfolio’s risk and helps you get more stable returns. You diversify by investing your money across different asset classes — such as shares, property, bonds and private equity. Then you diversify across the different options within each asset class. For example, if you buy shares, you buy … Read more

If you own a rental property or holiday home, work out if your rental arrangements are for an investment or a business. Common rental arrangements Common rental arrangements include where you: rent part of the property (rent out a room) rent the property for part of the year have a domestic arrangement with family members … Read more

If you’re age 60 or over, own your home and need to access money, releasing equity from your home may be an option. There is risk involved and a long-term financial impact. Get independent financial or legal advice before you go ahead. How home equity release works ‘Equity’ is the value of your home, less … Read more

Check the income to declare, when to report a loss, and deductions you can claim for managed investment trusts. Types of managed investment trusts Managed investment trusts include: cash management trusts money market trusts mortgage trusts unit trusts managed funds, such as a property trust, share trust, equity trust, growth trust, imputation trust or balanced … Read more

Life is pretty frantic, and it is common to feel like it’s a struggle to keep up the pace. In fact, feeling exhausted is so common that it has its own acronym, TATT, which stands for “tired all the time”. While it’s somewhat comforting to know you’re not alone, it’s certainly not a nice feeling, … Read more

Why invest in property? What makes this such a popular option? You can earn rental income plus benefit from capital growth. What’s different for investors vs. homeowners? Stamp duty If you’re an investor you’ll also pay stamp duty, which varies, depending on your state. This is based on your property’s purchase price and is often … Read more

Monitor how your shares are performing compared to similar companies or the market overall. Stay up-to-date with company, economic and market changes. This gives you a better chance of acting quickly to take advantage of opportunities or to avoid losses. Set alerts to track share performance Economic and market changes can impact a company’s earnings. … Read more

Lenders use your credit score (or credit rating) to decide whether to give you credit or lend you money. Knowing this can help you negotiate better deals, or understand why a lender rejected you. Your credit score is based on personal and financial information about you that’s kept in your credit report. You can access … Read more

What is a salary sacrifice arrangement? Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to contribute a certain amount of your pre-tax salary or potential bonus into your super. The aim is to potentially reduce your tax and boost your super balance at the same time. The word sacrifice doesn’t really make this strategy sound … Read more

From Proverbs to John Lennon, many people have said it – and the last nine months have been a reminder of its truth: life happens when you are making other plans. While investors were worrying about the recession that sharply rising interest rates would surely lead to, fretting about the cost of living and waiting … Read more

Your superannuation investment grows through: your employer’s compulsory super guarantee contributions (concessional contributions) any voluntary contributions out of your pre-tax income, such as salary sacrifice and personal contributions you’re allowed as an income tax deduction (concessional contributions) any government super contributions you’re eligible for any voluntary contributions you or your spouse make out of after-tax income sources (non-concessional contributions). Your pre-tax income contributions … Read more