What are some signs of early, but undiagnosed memory issues? Medicine and money are probably two of the most obvious. Unfortunately, they can be lagging indicators because they may not be immediately apparent in real time.

It’s hard to go a week without hearing about a new scam on the news, but if we’re lucky we don’t usually encounter one ourselves. Recently that changed, as one of our staff members experienced a close call with his credit card.

Usually this question means estate planning, wills, funeral costs and wishes etc. But there can be one important thing that’s overlooked. A catalogue of information including all the accounts, all the passwords, subscriptions and pin codes. How everything is paid for. How are quirks or emergency issues are dealt with around your house?

Charts are a staple of finance and investing. You can tell a lot of different stories with a chart. One of the longtime favourite charts of (some) financial advisers has been the “if you missed the best days chart”.

Generational wealth involves passing down assets like cash, property, businesses, and other valuables to the next generation. Done right, it ensures financial security and opens doors for your children, grandchildren and successors. But it’s not without its pitfalls. Generational wealth can perpetuate inequalities, sap motivation, and spark family conflicts.

Q2 2024 was a more subdued quarter than some seen recently, with flat to negative returns in many asset classes. Global markets saw small gains with artificial intelligence again providing a strong lead, although a strengthening Australian dollar clipped returns for unhedged investors.

What can we learn right now from the USA? Ignore the huff and puff in the media. The US President remains just one variable in a constantly changing world. America will survive another presidential election.

We’re almost there for another year, but here are a few things to remember before the 30th of June.

A few years back, entrepreneurial guru Tim Ferriss, had the author and documentary maker Sebastian Junger on his podcast. Junger, who has taken plenty of risks in his career, including spending substantial amounts of time embedded with US soldiers in Afghanistan, was asked by Ferris what advice a 70-year-old Junger would offer to his current self. This is what he said.

If you’re a business owner, you've no doubt got your hands full managing day-to-day operations. But when it comes to funding your growth, asset finance can be a real game-changer. Here's a quick checklist to make sure you've got the essentials down pat.

Over recent years, the stock markets in both Australia and the United States have rebounded to reach unprecedented heights. This journey has been marked by significant volatility, beginning with a drastic downturn in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw global markets plunge by approximately 40%.

Q4 was a very positive end to the year, and despite the gloomy outlook many had for 2023 it was a fruitful one for investors who maintained a bias towards growth in their portfolios. Inflation continued to moderate in the US, while economic growth held up, continuing to defy any recession forecasts.

When it comes to money and investing, we’re not always as rational as we think we are – which is why there’s a whole field of study that explains our sometimes-strange behaviour. Where do you, as an investor, fit in? Insight into the theory and findings of behavioural finance may help you answer this question.

Understanding which life stage you are in and how that correlates to your wealth creation, budgeting, business and family is imperative to be able to plan well for tomorrow and being able to live confidently today. In this video you will learn about each different stage of life and how to maximise your opportunities.

This week we thought we’d address that fast approaching date on the 25th of December with a tips list. If the festive season usually leaves you out of pocket and feeling like you spent more time and money battling the crowds than relaxing with friends and loved ones, why not simplify things this year? 

Over the last few years, almost every insurance cost has escalated significantly. Car insurances, house cover, public liability – you name it, and the price has gone up. So too have people’s personal insurances such as life and trauma cover. Anyone’s insurance plan should be something that can be easily afforded and therefore able to be maintained over a long period of time, if required.

A study in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2010, called ‘Believe Me I Have No Idea What I’m Talking About’, found as long as an information source is certain of themselves, they don’t need to have credibility to be considered persuasive.

In Q3, global economic data was mixed. There were positives from the world’s largest economy, depending on how you view positive economic data! In this case, the ongoing resilience shown by the US was combined with another bout of energy inflation, leading to concerns inflation may take longer to move back into the preferred range of the Federal Reserve. This has led to concerns that interest rates, while expected to be nearing their peak, may linger around their current level for longer.

Australia is on the cusp of an inheritance boom. In fact, we’re already riding the early waves of it driven in part by the Baby Boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) who have begun leaving behind large inheritances to their children.

Retirement planning will always primarily focus on money. The financial resources we have and the returns they generate will be the fuel of life when we no longer have employment. However, money is only half the battle. The other half will be what to do with ourselves.