The events in Greece over the past few weeks have been building like a pressure cooker for many years now. Greece’s failure to meet the International Monetary Fund repayment of 1.6 Billion Euros last week was expected given the recent discussions in Europe, and the calling by the Greek Prime Minister of a national referendum
Last month we discussed the fact that interest rates in Australia are now at an all-time low of 2.25%, and are expected to stay low for the medium term. Overall this change is positive for mortgage holders and businesses, yet a negative for retirees relying on interest income. The main drivers for further rate cuts
Welcome to Harvest’s first Investment Newsletter for 2015. We hope you enjoyed your break and have returned to work refreshed and ready to go! In this newsletter, we’ll be summarising market movements over December whilst concentrating mainly on how calendar year 2014 finished up and most importantly, how we think markets in 2015 are likely
Did you know that not having a nominated beneficiary on your super can mean that in the event of your death the funds from your super can be delayed, paid to the state government or allocated in a way that was not intended? This causes unnecessary stress for loved ones in a time that is
The March 1, 2014 deadline is almost here and if you were born on or before 19 September, 1944 (males) and 1 January, 1946 (females), then the information contained here could be worth a lot of money to you (up to $47,242.50 !!) Background The Pension Bonus Scheme (PBS) was a Federal Government initiative designed to
Commentary “Mixed is perhaps the best way to describe the 2012 investment year. The world’s major economies and economic blocs all had their issues to deal with. Some overcame these issues well while others struggled. With the 2012 U.S. Presidential election victory behind him, Barack Obama will go into 2013 with a major focus on
Regardless of your age or whether you have accumulated a large or a smaller amount of assets over your life, it is important to have an up-to-date Will. In doing so, you ensure that should you pass away, your assets will be distributed in the way that you would have intended. How a Will works: If
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has reported that over the last few years, thousands of Australians have been the victim of frauds totalling $113 million. Below are several key strategies that you can employ to protect your investments against fraud: 1. Don't speak to cold callers: Many fraudsters will initiate contact with targets through
Global equity markets continued to be volatile in June 2012. Markets were generally up for the month after a negative month in May 2012. Some key developments influencing markets at the moment include: Fears related to the euro-zone’s debt crisis, eased in June as the pro-austerity party’s victory in the Greek election allayed the fears of
Australian House prices enjoyed a very strong boom over the last 20 years (with some moderation during the Global Financial Crisis [GFC]). But despite the fears during the GFC, house prices have not fallen sharply like those in the US and other parts of the world. Some key statistics on Australian house prices at the moment
