Australian retirees face accelerating price pressures

Australian retirees face accelerating price pressures

Couples now need nearly $70,000 per year to achieve a comfortable retirement, while singles need around $50,000 according to an analysis from the ASFA Retirement Standard. . The latest report shows that the cost of funding a comfortable retirement has increase by 7.5...
Bank closures, market volatility call for perspective

Bank closures, market volatility call for perspective

Amid sudden bank closures, we explain our risk management approach and remind investors to focus on what they can control. . Recent financial market volatility has been widely attributed to a pair of U.S. regional bank closures and to speculation that central banks...
Protect your business from cyber threats.

Protect your business from cyber threats.

Computer hacking has been around for as long as there have been computers.  Once it used to be computer geeks showing the world how smart they were.  Now it's become very serious with almost any person, company or Government at risk from these criminal...
Weighing up cash deposits

Weighing up cash deposits

Cash in a deposit account doesn't necessarily equate to safety. That's why many investors are shifting to fixed interest securities. . By any measurement, $2.8 trillion is a lot of money. Expressed another way, it’s $2,800 billion. And it’s also the amount...
Devil in the detail on super changes

Devil in the detail on super changes

Proposed changes to superannuation have the potential to reshape the retirement landscape. The objective of super remains the missing ingredient in the mix.   . At its most fundamental, successful investing is about getting the balance right between risk and reward....
More women take up SMSF as others look for advice

More women take up SMSF as others look for advice

A new report from AUSIEX shows that in 2022, new SMSF trading accounts were relying more on advice, were increasingly female and favoured a distinct mix of asset classes, securities and sectors. . The report, SMSFs Under Advice, is a comparative analysis of the...
More SMSF members accessing funds without meeting conditions: ATO

More SMSF members accessing funds without meeting conditions: ATO

The ATO said it is seeing a rise in behaviours which indicate SMSF members may be accessing their funds before meeting the conditions of release. . “For instance, there has been an increase in the number of SMSFs not lodging their annual returns and in the reporting...
Inflation edges lower while GDP grows but slows

Inflation edges lower while GDP grows but slows

  The latest figures from the ABS reveal economic growth last year and show inflation coming off its peak.     GDP growth slowed for the second consecutive quarter to just 0.5 per cent according to ABS figures for December, which was down on the previous period and...
One in seven SMSF directors yet to apply for ID

One in seven SMSF directors yet to apply for ID

  Around 100,000 SMSF directors still need to apply for their director ID despite the deadline passing two months ago.  Extensions are available for legitimate reasons.     Speaking at the SMSF Association National Conference, ATO deputy commissioner, superannuation...