Market analysts often talk about bull markets (i.e. when share prices are rising strongly) and bear markets (i.e. when share prices are falling, and more importantly, when they’re at risk of falling even further). It may come as no surprise that since the end of the Global Financial Crisis (March 2009) our market has typically
Key Australian and global economic indicators
The current low interest rate environment has led many income focused investors to look for assets which produce a higher level of yield than cash. Often these investors have chosen Australian shares which pay strong dividends and have franking credits attached. However, the events of the past month have been a timely reminder that dividends
Key Australian and Global Economic Indicators as at January 2016
In what has been perhaps the most discussed and debated interest rate decision of all time, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) increased their Federal Funds target interest rate range by 0.25% to 0.25-0.5% at their December meeting. This is the first rate move since the Fed reduced its target rate range to a historic low
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) takes into consideration not only the financial returns of a company but the social impact it makes. This can involve various levels of social responsibility from sustainability themed investing, negative screening (avoiding certain types of companies, for example, alcohol, gaming and tobacco) to best practice in relation to environmental, social
Choosing your investment options within superannuation How you manage your money within superannuation over the long term can make a big difference to your final balance. For some people, superannuation will be their largest pool of wealth so the decisions you make today should not be taken lightly. Most super funds have a number of
What does it mean to salary sacrifice? When you salary sacrifice into superannuation, you are making an agreement with your employer to direct a specified amount of your salary into your superannuation account as opposed to taking it through your salary. As this payment is made before tax it does not attract your marginal
When deciding about insurance the best place to start is by looking at your superannuation fund first. Once you know what level of insurance cover you have within your superannuation you can look at your options from there. Your superannuation fund can provide three types of insurance: Life insurance (death cover) which pays a lump
A concessional contributions cap is the amount you can pay (tax effectively) into your super in any given year. About concessional contributions caps Concessional contributions include the compulsory 9.5% super payments made by your employer, any additional super payments made by your employer (above 9.5%) and any additional payments you salary sacrifice from your salary.
