People of a certain age will remember former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld describing ‘knowns and unknowns’ way back in 2002. Rumsfeld copped some criticism for what seemed to be a mangling of the English language. But in actual fact, his sentences make perfect sense. And they apply to finance just as well as they apply to global politics.
Recent estimates claim that the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ is Australia’s ninth largest lender. Given the state of house prices, this comes as no surprise. Most parents want to help their kids, especially with something as important as buying a home. But it is important that things be done correctly. There is such a thing as ‘the wrong way to help’ when it comes to one generation trying to help another.
If you live near where we live, then for the past month or so you would have seen local homes being ‘decorated’ with fake cobwebs, skulls and crossbones and carved out pumpkins. Personally, we think the best use for a pumpkin is a nice thick soup. But maybe Halloween can serve another useful purpose for you this year.
The best advice anyone ever gave us was to plan our next holiday while still enjoying the current one. There are a bunch of reasons for this. But the main one is that we make the best decisions when we are relaxed and happy.
Australia has a generous benefit system, ranging from unemployment benefits to aged and disability pensions. But the cash that the Government provides is not the only way they help. Payment recipients can also claim some additional extras which can also make life a lot easier. And the best news is that sometimes you only need to qualify for a small Government payment in order to access these added extras.
Every time we tap or swipe to make an electronic payment, or send a direct debit, there is someone who knows exactly what we have spent our money on. That someone is, of course, our bank. What they can tell us about our overall spending is fascinating.
Twice a year, Commonwealth benefits are automatically adjusted. In the current high inflation environment, this month’s adjustments are quite substantial.
What’s the ideal age to retire? We came across some intriguing research recently that shows that people’s ideal retirement age changes as they get closer to actually retiring. And, perhaps surprisingly, the closer we get to leaving work, the more we want to keep working!
You can generate super savings in two ways: contributions and investment earnings. While you work, investment earnings are really important. Once you retire, earnings become even more important.
Working Australians contribute money into super each year. It may be tempting to think that these contributions make up the bulk of your retirement savings. But, for most people, that’s not how it works. There’s a super secret and we want to let you in on it.
