Author Archives: Scott Quinlan

Retirement planning is crucial for ensuring a secure and comfortable future. It helps you manage your finances, maintain your lifestyle, and achieve your retirement goals. Without a solid plan, you might face financial uncertainty and stress during your retirement years. Several factors uniquely shape retirement planning in Australia: Purpose of This Guide This guide is […]

Inflation is the gradual rise in prices for goods and services, which decreases the purchasing power of money. For retirees, this means that their fixed incomes, such as pensions or savings, will buy less over time as prices increase. This can lead to a reduced standard of living, especially since costs like healthcare often rise […]

Research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a significant shift in homeownership patterns among Australians approaching retirement. Between 1990 and 2015, the percentage of 55-64-year-olds who owned their homes outright dropped from 70% to 47%. At the same time, the proportion of those with mortgage debt increased from 12% to 31%, with the remainder […]

Investment & Economic Snapshot July 2024 Highlights Selected market returns (%), July 2024 Key market and economic developments in July 2024 Financial markets The technology sector cools as small caps rally The MSCI World Index (AUD) gained 4.1% in July, in a volatile month for global equity markets. Australian and US equities reached new all-time […]

Changes to legislation may allow super fund members to contribute more than the standard concessional contribution cap of $30,000 per annum. This is known as the carry-forward concessional contribution rule (also known as the catch-up concessional rule). It may allow super fund members to utilise any unused amounts of their concessional contribution cap from previous […]

For most Australians who want to retire early, the youngest age you will be able to access all your superannuation benefits is at age 60. However, if you wanted to retire sooner than age 60, what would you need to do? Some people may have heard of the FIRE movement, which stands for Financial Independence […]

So, you have decided to retire, and now you need to pick your retirement date. What is the best month to retire? Should I retire at the end of the financial year, at the end of the calendar year, or on my birthday? Will it change the amount of tax I pay? Based on the […]

For many people, the financial situation of just keeping your head above water while paying off the mortgage and raising children is something that will keep the thought of retirement a distant thought. You are sure that you will have plenty of time to plan for this in the future. But once you reach the […]

Key market and macroeconomic developments FY 2023/2024 Jul 2023 The US Federal Reserve (Fed) increased rates by a further 25 basis points, citing concerns about inflation and tight labour markets for its decision. US and Australian Government bond yields rose throughout the month. Global financial markets improved, with most major financial assets generating solid returns […]

As the tax year concludes and many individuals prepare their personal income tax return, we start to realise how much income tax we pay to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). When you factor in GST and Excise Taxes, the total tax burden can be surprising. Once you realise how much tax you paid last financial […]