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
Being prepared at each stage of your property purchase can help to ensure everything runs smoothly, saving you a lot of time and stress. By now we have already discussed building your deposit, getting all the assistance available to you if you are a first home buyer and knowing how much you can borrow.
A large number of Australia’s population are approaching retirement age and looking for an income stream to fund their retirement. By law retirees aged between 65 and 74 need to drawdown a minimum of 5% of the value of their pension investments each year. Unfortunately, a conservative investment portfolio will generally provide a return below
The first step in working out how much you can borrow is to determine your financial situation. This involves working out your net income, expenses and other commitments. It is important to make your budget realistic, and to include all your expenses. It is not worth understating your expenses and commitments as it may
The Australian share market has experienced a very difficult period since March 2015. We have summarised some of the key impacts on Australian shares, looking at the macro level and micro level factors that are playing a part. Macro level factors Earnings growth: Over the next two years there is an expectation that the Australian
Global and Australian economic indicators for the month of September, 2015.
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
Interest rate announcement - July 2018 Today the Reserve Bank of Australia met to review the official cash rate. After last cutting rates in August 2016, the RBA have again decided to keep the cash rate on hold at 1.50% this month. Inflation remains low at 1.9% pa. Whether you’re after lower repayments
