In the past, the transition to retirement has been viewed solely as an economic event. As a result, the focus of retirement planning has primarily been on building a nest egg. In The Late-Start Investor, author John Wasik recommends discarding this obsolete view in favor of a “flexible life plan that provides for financial, vocational, […]
Retirement will trigger changes in every area of your life. As you anticipate and prepare for this stage of life, you are likely to look forward to certain changes and to dread others. In fact, it is not uncommon for individuals to experience many ambivalent feelings towards retirement because of the significant transitions they anticipate. […]
INTRODUCTION Most people ask themselves this question at some point in their working life (hopefully, relatively early). With the continued shift toward defined contribution plans, future retirees are being asked to take on more responsibility for their retirement outcomes than in the past. So the question is of vital importance. But do we have a […]
Here’s a roundup of some of the key proposals put forward in last night’s Federal Budget. We take a look at how they might affect your financial goals — whether you’re starting out in your working life, building a career, having a family, or moving toward or living in retirement. Remember, at this stage these […]
The Federal Budget Analysis prepared by the MLC Technical team, part of GWM Adviser Services Limited, appears below. 3 May 2016 Treasurer Scott Morrison has handed down his first Federal Budget—the Coalition Government’s third. The winners are low and middle income earners and small business owners. There are significant changes to superannuation that could warrant further discussion with […]
Financial planners are familiar with alpha and beta as drivers of long-term investment portfolio returns; but now there’s a third letter to add to the lexicon – gamma – and according to Morningstar, it’s the value created that can be directly attributed to sound financial planning. Portfolios optimised using five techniques identified by David Blanchett, […]
Australians are likely to live longer and could spend more than 30 years financially dependent on super, investments and the age pension. In 2010-11, the average retirement age was 53.3 years, 57.9 for men and 49.6 for women, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Today’s 65-year-old man has a life expectancy of 84 and a woman 87, according to official data. Taking into account medical […]
While all the talk in this last sitting week of parliament before the September election has been on the Labor leadership, there have been other things going on in Canberra. A number of the proposed changes to superannuation have passed into legislation and we have summarised these below. Higher concessional contributions cap The concessional contributions […]
One week after Budget 2013, here is an easy to read summary of the proposed changes, courtesy of our friends at Colonial First State. If you have any queries regarding any of these changes, feel free to contact us to discuss further. Introduction Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has handed down his sixth budget which confirms a range […]
Finally, we have an announcement from the Government after weeks of speculation concerning changes to super. We have read the press release and a few early reports and thought this was a good summary. 15% Tax on Earnings over $100,000 The government have announced a restriction on the tax concessions available in pension phase. From […]