Investment portfolios may seem like a relatively simple concept to understand. For some, the idea is simply buying some investments and ‘bang’, you have a portfolio. While this may be technically true, it’s a bit like building a cubby house…
Estate planning is a difficult topic for a lot of people to deal with, and the terminology used can be just as complex to understand. Here, we put some meaning behind some common estate planning words and phrases. Beneficiary –…
How much should we be saving and investing and what’s a good rule of thumb? I thought I would have a little fun and quickly show you what a 30 year old might consider saving as a proportion of their…
In an attempt to stimulate economic growth the Reserve Bank of Australia has slashed interest rates at an accelerated rate. With news headlines covering the prospect of negative interest rates, what does it mean? Who benefits and who loses? The…
Generally speaking it is only possible to access your superannuation when you retire and are over your preservation age (which is between 55 and 60 depending on when you were born). You may also be able to access some of…
Recently, Mat from Five Sources, a good friend of Steve May Financial Services, brought to my attention a publication by the Australian Human Rights Commission entitled “Your Rights at Retirement”. As a financial planner I often talk with people about…
Did you know it is scientifically proven that it takes 66 days to create a new habit. Stating the obvious it’s not an overnight process. If you want to change a behaviour it’s important to know the time frame and…
A common story I hear is about homeowners who have recently refinanced their home loan. They’re feeling financially savvy for wrapping up their maxed-out credit card and personal car loan into the mortgage, at a rate of 4%, as opposed…
We’ve all seen media reports about ordinary Australians losing their entire savings after responding to a phone, email or mail offer that was impossible to resist. While some people may be naïve, scammers are also getting smarter. Financial stings have…
Once upon a time Australians got to age 65, stopped working, retired, did a trip or two and hoped they lived past their mid 70’s. Those days are gone. Many of the 3.6 million Australians who have already retired are…
