As financial planners we are aware that each client is different and matching a client’s to a retirement income product is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

The economic impact of the Queensland and Victorian floods is just starting to be counted. The human cost will be immeasurable. We look at some of the possible longer-term economic effects of the floods.|READMORE|

Aged care: what are the options, and how much does it cost?

There are a myriad of aged care options available in Australia, depending on individual needs.

It has been a busy year for Australian tax an super, bot legislative and judicial.  The highlight is undoubtedly the passing of the controversial carbon tax bill into law, which will see a raft of personal tax changes, as well as the introduction of the mineral resources rent tax (MRRT) legislation.  We will briefly cover a review of 2011/12 and the changes to be implemented in the next financial year. 

In this edition we have two articles for Self Managed Super Fund Trustees.  The first is on borrowing to invest within SMSF's with particular focus on property investments, and the second is on using reversionary pensions in an SMSF. |READMORE|

September 2011 is again ‘Blue September’ and we thought it a good time to remind you about the risks of male cancer, and how trauma insurance can provide support if you contract a male cancer.

Pension funds have about 8% of their UK equity holdings in BP. as until the disaster occurred, BP represented about 8% of the FTSE 100 index of leading shares. The effects are widespread......|READMORE|

Will your superannuation provide you with the retirement you want? |READMORE|

Art, wine and stamp collections can form an alternative investment for your Self Managed Superannuation Fund. Find out more about how the new regulations will affect you. |READMORE|

Art, wine and stamp collections can form an alternative investment for your Self Managed Superannuation Fund. Find out more about how the new regulations will affect you. |READMORE|

This article will tell you about comprehensive truck insurance, what it is, who it is for and general features and benefits of this type of insurance policy.

Welcome to the next set of puzzles in our IQ challenges.  The puzzles will be gradually getting harder throughout the series.

There are two options for trusteeship of a Self Managed Superannuation Fund – corporate or individual. We look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each style of trusteeship. |READMORE|

There are two options for trusteeship of a Self Managed Superannuation Fund – corporate or individual. We look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each style of trusteeship. |READMORE|

Effective 1 January 2006, Employers are required to determine the ‘State of Connection’ of each worker and arrange coverage under a Workers Compensation Policy as required in that State.

CTP is a statutory cover which is required under the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 and the Motor Accidents (Lifetime Care and Support) Act 2006.  Some policies provide At Fault Protection - what does that mean?

Attention Company Directors - you could be personally liable! |READMORE|

Attention Company Directors - you could be personally liable! |READMORE|

In a recent edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Money section, there was an excellent article by Lesley Parker on avoiding the pitfalls of a DIY Will.  We have taken some important points from that article for you to consider.

The end of the financial year is fast approaching. It’s time to get the most out of your hard earnt dollars! Here are some tips to maximise your tax position and to help you take advantage of the concessions available to SMSFs. |READMORE|

Why is a country as small as Greece the trigger for a broader regional economic emergency?|READMORE|

The Government continues to face the challenges of an ageing population and ensuring that adequate services are available.  The Government considers that it will still fund a significant proportion of the cost of care, but considers it is appropriate for individuals to contribute to the cost of care, if able to do so.

Figures have shown that the number of car thefts have been decreasing over the years, however in 2011 3 out of 4 car theft claims¹ have involved keys being stolen directly from owner's homes

All of you have probably been reading in the newspapers and hearing on the television about all the doom and gloom in the investment world at present.

Welcome to the first of our IQ puzzle challenges.  There is no prize or benefit for you to complete the puzzles, other than testing yourself!

Want an investment that is free from capital gains tax if you hold it for more than 10 years? Look no further than insurance bonds. |READMORE|

Insurance and superannuation funds go hand in hand – but is that always a good thing for SMSFs? In this article, we look at insurance policies within superannuation funds, as well as some recent rulings and their impact on policies held by SMSFs. |READMORE|

You have protected your assets against loss or damage, but what about protecting your income?

Where are we headed investment-wise over the next decade? While the answer remains anyone’s guess, here are some themes that you are likely to hear more of as the years progress.

Every year or two you should sit down and look at your financial position and see how things are going.  Are you still heading in the direction you want to be going?

There are options to provide for future generations through tax effective structures...........|READMORE|

In our previous newsletter we mentioned the recent articles from Jim & Chris in the Western Sydney Business ACCESS magazine. 

Being involved in a motor vehicle accident, no matter how minor or major the accident is, means that there will probably be involvement of a third party with whom arrangements need to be made to either recover costs from them or pay costs to them. We have put together a summary of what you should do if you have a motor vehicle accident.

If you have purchased an investment property, ensuring that you use every available concession can make a significant difference to your bottom line....|READMORE|

A new regime of government-funded paid parental leave came into force on January 1. As is often the case with government initiatives, the devil is in the detail......|READMORE|

Did you know that you are able to arrange to pay your premiums on a monthly basis by way of insurance premium funding? 

Many Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) trustees consider investing in property, but the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) implications at sale time can be daunting. Here, we discuss the various calculation methods of CGT and use a case study to show the factors that can influence the fund’s taxable outcome. |READMORE|

If you are a home based business owner you should not assume that your home and contents insurance will provide you with adequate cover for your business, and business activities.  Home based businesses usually need the same sort of insurance cover that you would need if you were operating away from home.

Quantitative Easing is the name of a method used by governments to stimulate the economy when interest rates are either at or close to zero. It is viewed as dangerous by many economists.|READMORE|

Over the last few months, Jim & Chris have been writing articles in the Western Sydney Business ACCESS Magazine on issues relating to risk insurance. 

The end of the current financial year is fast approaching, and we wanted to pass on a friendly reminder about what you should think about before 30 June arrives.

Many superannuation funds allow members to nominate a reversionary pension beneficiary when they start a pension. We examine reversionary pensions and their role in a super fund....|READMORE|

With the ever growing number of clients contacting us re their existing self managed super fund (SMSF) or wanting to set up a SMSF, we will be dedicating a separate page to SMSF articles from our next newsletter.

The Australian Taxation Office has clarified its views on when a pension starts and stops. We look at how stopping a pension can affect the tax situation of a fund. |READMORE|

Failure to meet the Sole Purpose Test can have far-reaching implications for a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF). To ensure that your fund complies, understanding the regulation is your first step. |READMORE|

Recently we wrote about the different aspects of holding your insurance cover inside and outside of superannuation.  In this article we will concentrate on insurance within super, and specifically a superannuation death benefit payment, how the payment is treated depending on whether the recipient is a financial dependent or not, and the effect of making – or not making- a beneficiary nomination for your super benefit.    

Our first seminar in our 2010 series will be 'A Sharemarket and World Economic Update', presented by Dr Chris Caton, Chief Economist of BT Financial Group.

We now have our own bar code for our important contact details!

After you cope with the news and your redundancy entitlements are added up, the numbers can look pretty good. However, knowing how long the redundancy money will last is vital, especially if you haven’t secured other work by the time you receive your final payout....|READMORE|

We are now in the last financial quarter of this financial year, and if you have not already started considering your end of financial year matters, now is a good time to start.

With so many things, the details are often what counts in the end. This is no different when it comes to establishing appropriate Total and Permanent Disability insurance. Do you know if you have the right coverage for your needs?.....|READMORE|

For most Australians overseas travel is a wonderful experience.  Unfortuantely, however, every day the DFAT consular officers deal with human tradegies involving death, injury or hospitalisation of Australians abroad.  The following article has been provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  The full information can be found on their webiste at http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/travel_insurance.html.

‘A fool and his money are soon parted’ as the old saying goes. Right? Not necessarily.

The financial scams being promoted these days – especially over the internet – have become as sophisticated as the clients they are attempting to target.

What happens to a self-managed superannuation fund when a trustee dies? Succession planning for a superannuation fund is often overlooked. The penalty for being a non-compliant fund is severe: a potential tax of 46.5% of the fund’s assets. |READMORE|

If a business employs or hires workers on a regular, casual or contract basis, they are considered to be an employer and must have a workers compensation insurance policy.