Noel Whittaker's Blog
By Noel Whittaker
“What kind of superannuation fund should I have?” is a question I am often asked. There is no simple answer because, like choosing a home loan, you need one that is right for your particular situation. Naturally, fees are an important consideration, but I believe that transparency of fees is often a more important issue …
The continual movement of the goal posts may put you off contributing to super, but the fact remains that superannuation remains a major tool for anybody trying to build wealth. One of the best strategies is salary sacrifice whereby a pre-tax sum is contributed to super instead of being taken in hand. Suppose a person …
Many still don’t understand the implications of making the wrong estate planning choices, or even worse not having a will at all. The first thing to look out for is that certain assets do not pass to the beneficiary in terms of the will. These include assets held as joint tenants, insurance bonds where there …
A slight rise in the age pension rates, and some small changes to the deeming rates, mean that many pensioners will be slightly better off. Also some retirees who did not qualify for an age pension because they were over the asset test cut-off point may start to qualify because the cut-off points have increased …
As we enter a new financial year it’s timely to think about the role of cash in your investment portfolio. It is a fundamental principle that you should spread your funds over three areas – cash, property and shares – but how much you should have in each of these areas depends on your goals …