Why obtaining quality financial advice will become more difficult

Most people would say that finding a good financial advisor has always been a difficult task. Ten years ago, most financial planners received commissions for remuneration, so clients had to navigate endless conflicts of interest. Thankfully, investment commissions no longer exist. The challenge is now finding an advisor with well-rounded experience. Commissions are banned – …

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The RBA has made some BIG mistakes!

If Australia slips into a recession, it will mostly likely be the RBA’s fault. It has completely botched the management of interest rates to the detriment of borrowers, the economy, and the bond market. Here’s why…   In its defence Firstly, in the RBA’s defence, is has been navigating uncharted territory over the past 2.5 …

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2022 super returns: Whilst industry super fund is best?

2022 super returns: Superannuation returns for the 2021/22 financial year were mostly negative. However, we shouldn’t forget that the previous 18-month period (i.e., mid-2020 to the end of calendar year 2021) was stellar, so we must keep a longer-term perspective. And the winner is… The table below sets out investment returns for the largest 8 …

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Important changes to Queensland land tax

Update: on 30/9/22 the Queensland government confirmed that it had decided to not implement the changes discussed below. Queensland announced changes to land tax in its state budget in February 2022. On 12 July 2022, it released more detail regarding how these changes will be implemented (see here).  Queensland land tax to rise substantially for interstate …

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Investment-grade apartments: Review of and future investment returns

The video below is a recording of a webinar conducted by Jarrod McCabe and Jordan Telfer from Wakelin Property Advisory and Stuart Wemyss on 27 July 2022. The presentation reviews apartment performance, particularly in Melbourne. It includes a discussion of the factors that have contributed towards most recent performance and highlights the improvements that investors should consider …

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How to maximise investment property tax deductions

You must invest in residential property primarily to benefit from the power of compounding capital growth. Any tax benefits (negative gearing) are merely a positive consequence of this investment, not the reason for it. That said, of course it makes sense to maximise your taxation deductions wherever possible. Make it easy for yourself Maintaining accurate …

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Why did apartments miss out on the recent property boom?

It’s been well documented that property prices rose significantly over the course of 2020 and 2021. According to the Real Estate Institute of Australia, median house prices in eastern capital cities rose between 30% to 40% over those 2 years. However, unfortunately apartments underperformed compared to houses in a big way. I wanted to discuss …

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Beware: existing customers always pay higher interest rates

Banks will usually offer higher interest rate discounts to new customers to win their business. But, of course, the banks never offer these higher discounts to existing customers, unless they ask for them. Whilst this has always been the case, it is noteworthy that interest rate discounts have increased substantially over the past 10 years. …

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Economics 101: 7 key principles you should know

An understanding of basic economic principles will set you in good stead to understand financial commentary, and political rhetoric and make your own assessment of economic risks and opportunities. That is not to suggest you need to become an economic expert but understanding some basic principles will go a long way.   The foundation of …

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