What if you opted to give a present that could help shape the financial future for yourself or your loved ones? Before you make that transfer or sign over an asset, it’s important to consider the opportunities, risks and rules that come with financial gifts to ensure you avoid any unexpected surprises along the way. 1. Investing for family Imagine you make an initial investment of $1,000 in a long term, high return investment. Each year you add an additional $1,000. After 10

Estate planning is one of those tasks almost everyone means to get to, yet many only face it during a crisis. Families often describe the same moment. A parent dies, the surviving spouse and children open a cupboard or a laptop, and suddenly they are trying to reconstruct a life from scattered paperwork, half remembered details and password guesses. Grieving and guessing at the same time. We all want to protect the people we love, yet estate planning rarely feels urgent. Beha

You've spent your entire adult life working and now it’s time to kick back and do more of the things that interest you – whether perfecting your golf handicap, travelling the world or spending time with the grandkids, retirement is a time for an entirely new lifestyle. 1. Set up a spending plan It takes 12 to 18 months for new spending patterns to become established, so take the time to consider how your expenses are likely to change in retirement. Some things such as electri

Getting on top of your finances is one of the most common new year's resolutions Australians make. But only 12% of us achieve our goal. Here's how to be one of them. More than one in two Australians (52%) plan to get on top of their finances each year, according to research from the Federal government's Moneysmart website # . Popular goals include creating or updating a budget (43%), investing more (37%) and paying off debt (33%). But only about one in eight (12%) stick to th

The assets that make up your estate may include property, bank accounts, investments and superannuation. How your estate will be distributed after your death will depend on who you nominate to be beneficiaries in your Will. That is, your estate minus your superannuation – unless you have specifically nominated your estate to be the beneficiary of your superannuation. In that case, your Will can determine how your estate will be split. But if you haven’t nominated a beneficiar

In Australia, we’re pretty big on borrowing money. According to figures published by Finder in 2024, Australia takes the number three spot, after Switzerland and the Netherlands in the top five countries with the highest levels of household debt. So, if you’re in debt, you’re certainly not alone in owing money. Mortgage debt is the number one contributor to household debt, followed by personal loans, credit cards and student loans. Quick stats – average Australian debt levels

Australians are living longer than ever before due to a combination of factors including improved healthcare, better living conditions and over all better quality of life. With this longevity comes the challenge of ensuring financial security throughout a longer retirement. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that life expectancy at birth is now 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females 1 . Despite the increases in these averages, many Australians

Living off the income from investments is a dream for many Australians. Along the way, passive income can help cover school fees, fund holidays or pay for life’s little luxuries. Whether you're just starting out or looking to diversify, here are three ways to invest for passive income, for different levels of risk appetite, investment experience and investment timeframes. 1. Dividend investing Investing in companies that pay dividends is one of the most popular ways to genera

Supporting your adult children or grandchildren in purchasing their first property can be a fulfilling way to help them achieve financial...

Sharemarkets continued to make headlines in the 2024-25 financial year but the best performers for investors seeking high returns...

For many Australians, lifestyle choices are often seen as rewards for hard work. The big house. The new car. The overseas holidays. The...

It’s not unusual to be worried about running out of money when you stop working. A recent survey of Perpetual members found that 37 per...

We're all familiar with the concept of super. It's that portion of our salary that employers are required to contribute to a super fund...

Unsure how your relationship status affects your taxes? We’ve made it simple with our couples’ guide to tax. If you’re newly married,...

Managing debt can often feel overwhelming but there are several strategies you can implement to make the process more manageable and even...

#1: Set clear retirement goals The very first step in retirement planning is to define what you want your retirement to look like. When...

Imagine an extra $500 landing in your super fund, courtesy of the government, simply for being proactive about your financial future. If...

Turning 30 is often accompanied by a degree of increased financial responsibility. It’s an important milestone that generally means you...

There are over seven million lost and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) super accounts with a total value of $17.8 billion* – a share of...

Generally, you can, but there may be other things to consider. When you access your super at retirement, depending on your age and...