A client who runs his own dry cleaning business came to see me last week. Barry was in a bit of a state. He told me it had suddenly dawned on him he was getting closer to retirement and had been reading all these stories in the paper about how much a person needed to...

Most of us will live in two or three family homes during our lives. You might find that over this time needs change as does your capacity to meet those needs. So when the time comes for a change; is buying a new home a good idea, or is spending money on the existing...

A popular series of books originally published over a twenty-year period was the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ series. As the name suggested, the reader could actually decide what the characters did at key moments in the story. They could choose (to a certain extent)...

Imagine you were no longer able to look after your financial affairs, or, less dramatically, simply found it an increasing burden to manage your money. How easy would it be for a trusted family member to step in and help you?   There are many reasons why you...

For many people, reducing the mortgage as fast as possible is a wise strategy to use on the path to financial security. But if you think outside the square there are some options that might be available which involve maintaining or even increasing your level of debt...

Many self-employed people view the sale of their business as their retirement fund – their superannuation. So just like ensuring superannuation investments are being well managed, business owners need to plan ahead to ensure their business can continue to provide a...

Many parents I speak to would love to help their kids buy their own home. (Usually, so they can have more privacy without a home filled with Millennials!) With housing costs normally out of reach for most young adults, staying home until they might be able to afford a...

Owning your home has long been considered the Australian dream, but the changing property market is helping to ensure that it remains just that for many young people. Even with initiatives such as the First Home Owner Grant scheme, housing ownership remains...

Self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) open up a whole new world of investment opportunities for your retirement savings, including direct property. But what if you simply don't have enough money in super to buy an asset outright?   Traditionally, you may have...

Residential aged care is playing an increasing role in helping many older Australians enjoy comfortable and carefree lives. However, one of the tasks for anyone assisting an elderly relative with the move into aged care is to investigate the various fees and charges,...