Limited cash flow and equity mean many first-time property investors feel the need to chase down a bargain to enter the market. But, like most things in life, you usually get what you pay for, which – in the case of property – can mean unrealised returns or even losses. While there’s nothing wrong with paying less in the hope of making more, investors need to understand when a cheap property is truly a bargain and when they could be selling (or rather buying) themselves short.
School’s almost out for summer, with most teenagers probably planning to do as little as possible except sleep in, hang out and spend mum’s and dad’s money. But the Christmas holidays are an ideal time for kids to pick up a part-time job and hopefully learn a little about life along the way.
It seems Australians’ love affair with renovating continues to blossom. We forked out more than $28 billion on refurbishments last financial year, with that figure set to jump further over the next three, according to the Housing Industry Association.
For many Australians retirement is an opportunity to down-size their homes and simplify their lives. For more than 138,000 retirees*, that means opting for life in a retirement village.
Spring has sprung and home buyers are emerging from hibernation. That’s the theory, but the reality is home buyers are on the hunt all year round for the right property at the right price. The economic cycle and how you present your property will have a far greater impact than the weather on how soon it sells and how much it fetches
In March this year Australian workers had more than $1.8 trillion stored away in superannuation funds, in part thanks to a system that generally requires employers to pay a contribution on employees’ behalf. From July 1, this required employer contribution jumped .25% to 9.5%.*
For many wage and salary earners who benefit from these compulsory super contributions, super is often something they think about once a year when their statement arrives in the mail. But we could all benefit from paying more attention to what are essentially our future funds.
According to MoneySmart Week, a not-for-profit movement set up to boost our financial literacy, one of the best ways to get a better handle on your superannuation is to consolidate your super accounts. We’re part of a group that is proud to be a key supporter of MoneySmart Week (September 1-7) set up to encourage Australians to take simple steps to make their money work harder and go further, now and well into the future. Here’s our guide to building a better financial future by consolidating your super funds.
Many buyers struggling to find the right home are going back to the drawing board and building rather than buying an existing home.
Your home is likely to be the biggest purchase you make, so it’s something you want to get right. Mistakes can be stressful and costly. Here are the biggest ones buyers make and some tips to help you avoid them.
More than 80 per cent of Australians have insurance for their car but fewer than one third of us have income protection insurance1 to protect our livelihoods should the worst happen. While the odds of a bingle are higher – once every seven years on average – being waylaid by injury or sickness for a lengthy period is not as unlikely as you may think. In fact, a staggering 60 per cent of Australians will be off work due to serious injury or sickness for more than a month at least once in their working lives, according to a 2012 Rice Warner report on underinsurance.
Summer once again highlighted the extremities of our harsh Australian weather. In addition to Dorothea Mackellar’s “droughts and flooding rains”, communities too often contend with bushfires, cyclones and severe storms; stark reminders of the need for adequate home insurance cover.
