Inflation is here. While it took some time to fully show up in the official figures and be acknowledged by learned economic scholars, us mere mortals who engage with increasing prices throughout the economy on a day-to-day basis long knew something was up. Whether it be the price of a supermarket sausage increasing by 20%, paying thousands extra for a car, or another dollar on a cup of coffee, we knew what was happening.
Read MoreThere was one major theme from Q1, being the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the human implications are the foremost concern, the outbreak of war offered a sharp reminder of how interconnected the world is today, and how quickly the implications of a military conflict feed back into financial markets.
Read MoreWith a federal election just around the corner, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s delivery of the 2022 Federal Budget was met with some skepticism around long-term economic growth versus short-term re-election initiatives. A huge focus was on easing the cost of living pressures through tax cuts, one-off stimulus pay-outs, and excises – particularly given the lower forecasted wage growth with respect to inflation.
Read MoreRecent conflict between Russia and Ukraine is an important reminder that geopolitical risk is a part of investing in global markets. Navigating geopolitical events requires significant consideration and a sound investment strategy that will serve as an “all weather” approach.
Read MoreOn 10 February 2022, Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Superannuation Outcomes For Australians and Helping Australian Businesses Invest) Bill 2021 passed both houses and will become law once the Governor General gives it Royal Assent. The Bill contained six measures, five of which were super related. We’ve summarised these measures below which will come into effect from 1 July 2022.
Read MoreAside from the incendiary media coverage, experienced investors are worth listening to, in their totality, but never be overawed by the terms “billionaire” or “legend”. Keep perspective, no matter how persuasive someone seems, history will show they don’t always get it right. Someone may be able speak at length and seem convincing because they’ve seen everything; except the future!
Read MoreThe major themes from Q3, namely labour and supply shortages, shipping bottlenecks and inflation, all flowed into Q4, but they were joined by a new contender for investor attention: the Omicron Covid variant. Despite Omicron being more contagious, some countries resolved to push on through the wave of infections, while others reintroduced restrictions to try and reduce the spread. As data from Q3 filtered out during Q4, it showed economic growth was slowing, but 2021 sees several major economies on track to record their strongest GDP growth in more than thirty years. Finally, some central banks have stepped up to combat inflation with interest rate rises coming fast in emerging markets.
Read MoreWe’re going back to basics this week and looking at all things “SMSF.” As the name suggests, a self-managed super fund (or SMSF) is a private superannuation fund that individuals manage themselves. It is established for the sole purpose of providing financial benefits to members in their retirement, & to protect & provide for their loved ones following their death. One of the biggest benefits of SMSFs is that they give their members complete control & flexibility over how they choose to invest their funds.
Read MoreMany New Year’s resolutions include money. Saving more, spending less,
& increasing earnings are common goals for the New Year. Getting started can be a daunting task, & many are intimidated to do so - but you don’t have to be a sophisticated investor to manage your finances well. Here are 7 simple steps that will make a significant improvement to your finances this year.
Read MoreWe would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for all your support throughout what has been a very trying year.
We hope the festive season is one of peace, joy and happiness with your friends and family. We look forward to working with you in the year ahead, and wish you all the best for 2022.
Read MoreIt’s one of the most vexing finance questions there is. While it seems like a straightforward one, it’s really a question that only invites further questions. Not about the money, but about the person or persons who are retiring. There will never be a one-size-fits-all pot of money. Primarily because of how many different variables come into play.
Read MoreWe are often asked to advise around the issue of how to pass the ownership of a main residence in your Will. There are certainly some things to consider when it comes to passing on what is usually a major asset for most people.
Read MoreChristmas is traditionally a time of giving – including employers showing gratitude towards staff for a job well done. However, Christmas parties and gifts can attract the attention of the ATO.
Read MoreThe frustration with inflation is it’s basically a stealth tax. And while we keep hearing the word “transitory” that’s also a stealthy word. Quite often when prices increase, they don’t necessarily decrease again. They are baked in. That’s not transitory. Petrol/oil being the most notable exception where prices do decrease after an increase. Inflation may slow down, which is what is implied by transitory, but if your wages don’t keep up with those initial rises then you are going backwards.
Read MoreAcross our broad client base, we are fortunate to have a number of very successful long term business owners. Over time, we’ve been able to observe some of their investment processes, both good and bad. In this article we have compiled a snapshot of those observations.
Read MoreEnsuring that employee superannuation is correctly dealt with can be extremely confusing for many small businesses. One important new change to be aware of is that which has recently been put in place by the ATO. The ATO has made an adjustment with the 'choice of fund' rules which means you might need to do something extra when a new employee starts to work for you.
Read MoreWe are living through some challenging times on many fronts and as always, global political and social events inevitably make their presence felt in the financial markets. This is our wrap up of Q3, 2021.
Read MoreThe eternal investment question – “do I invest my money all at once or do I invest smaller amounts at predetermined intervals?” Otherwise known as lump sum investing vs. dollar cost averaging, or in other cases: wading vs. plunging.
What’s the best option? Before that, what’s behind the question in the first place? Fear and uncertainty. Fear of making a financial mistake because of uncertainty about the future. Both losing money and making a mistake can make us feel a little silly, but we need to acknowledge uncertainty is merely life we haven’t yet lived and there are no right or wrong decisions about things we couldn’t see.
We are hiring. The Assistant Accountant will be responsible for overseeing the preparation and lodgement of a large number of business activity statements for our clients. In addition, the team member will be responsible for initial contact with our clients around this regular touch point, answering client employment queries along with client's internal accounting questions.
Read MoreIn recent years, the relationship between Casual Employees and Employers has come under the microscope, in particular the right to leave entitlements and conversion to full time status. For many employees despite working regular and consistent hours over a long period of time, they are still classified as casual employees without the security or benefits of a permanent employee. In light of this, the Fair Work Act 2009 has been updated and the amendments came into effect on 27th March 2021.
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