Beware of property spruikers: How to spot a property fad 

Property spruikers

I define a property spruiker is someone who promotes or recommends property investments that are unlikely to achieve adequate returns, primarily to serve their own financial interests rather than the investor’s.   As with most things, the nuance matters. Most professionals in the property industry are paid a commission when a property is purchased, so there’s …

Read more

Strap yourself in for some tax reform – here are some suggestions  

Tax reform

The Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has publicly acknowledged that both state and federal budgets are under unsustainable pressure. He’s been clear that achieving budget sustainability cannot be done without both raising taxes and cutting spending. Chalmers has also spoken about the need to reduce our reliance on income taxes.  Australia absolutely needs tax reform – …

Read more

Keep your powder dry: Sometimes it good to invest less  

Invest less

Investment markets are rarely in perfect balance. There’s almost always something that feels off – asset classes that look overvalued, others that are out of favour, some delivering above-average returns and others lagging behind. That’s what I would call a normal market. Markets are never fully rational all the time.  That said, there are periods …

Read more

Employee share schemes (ESS): How to use them to build personal wealth 

Tax and Wealth Building Strategies

Over the last decade, we have seen an increasing number of clients benefit greatly from employee share schemes. These programs can be complex, particularly for those less familiar with financial matters. As such, they require careful financial planning and taxation liability management.   What are they and how do they work?   Employees may be granted shares …

Read more

What are the best, safe, income-style investment options?  

investment

The Australian share market is valued at approximately $2.9 trillion. In comparison, the country’s bond market is worth more than half that amount, yet it remains relatively unknown to many investors. This includes bonds issued by the federal government, state and semi-government entities, as well as listed corporations.  This blog provides an overview of the …

Read more

How much wealth is enough?   

wealth

My personal philosophy on wealth building is simple: invest slightly more than necessary to comfortably achieve my financial and lifestyle goals, but no more than that!   None of us know how long we have left on this planet, so I think it’s essential to maximise enjoyment today or at least enjoy the wealth-building journey as …

Read more