In recent months there are many questions that I get asked continually, however the ones that seem to be on everyone’s lips are centred around interest rates, what are they are likely to do and what, as investors should we be doing about them?

 

In this informative and timely piece, recently featured in Your Investment Property magazine, Bill Zheng gives his advice on what to do about the low interest rate debate…

The Federal Government introduced legislation on 24^th September 2007 to allow super funds to borrow under certain conditions. This procedure is commonly referred to as a Warrant but it can be called by any name. There are many places were the warrant documentation can be arranged but primarily they can be drawn up by the bank or your own lawyers. Any eligible asset can be purchased this way.

Read on to find out more...

With people living longer, we are all going to need a lot more money than we imagine. Many have disruptions to working life (like having babies), so just compulsory super is probably not enough to cover the many years we might survive. Australia’s new Simplified Super system will improve payouts and super pensions, but it may not be the answer to our prayers. 

 

In this extract from her book, Sack your financial planner, Jennifer Lancaster considers exactly how much you will need in order to retire comfortably...

Many investors have expressed interest in the refinance in retirement approach to financial independence, which has gained popularity in recent years.

 

This approach sees the investor move to retirement by building a substantial property portfolio and large base of equity.

Read on as Michael explains how to live off borrowings in retirement...

The sad fact is that most financial planners can’t provide you with balanced, impartial and independent financial advice even if they wanted to. That’s a scary statement, I know!

 

In my experience, the people that need financial advice and guidance the most (i.e. people that aren’t financially savvy), are the ones that seem to get “sold” the poorest quality advice. It’s almost like some planners take advantage of the fact that these people are easily bamboozled.

 

That’s why I am so deeply passionate about the need to increase the level of honesty and integrity in the financial planning industry. Read on to find out more...

Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF's) have become an increasingly popular choice of superannuation vehicle because they provide a higher degree of control compared with public offer superannuation offered by banks, industry funds and other providers.

This article discusses how trustees of SMSF's can now gear into property following recent changes to superannuation legislation...

In this insightful article, originally published by Investors Direct, Tim Riley examines the fallout from the overseas credit crisis and how it is impacting on Aussie borrowers.

Read on to find out how to protect yourself...

Multiple interest rate rises, combined with a general increase in the cost of living, have made it more and more difficult to manage household and personal expenses. In Part One of our two part series on how to maintain a successful budget, we offer some ideas about how you can make every dollar stretch that little bit further to meet various day to day costs.

Get you finances in order and make your money go further...

There is no doubt that 2007 marked a watershed for Australian property and the economy. After years of steady and sometimes spectacular growth, the US sub-prime crisis of mid 2007 has had a profound impact on the world's financial markets and the future of the Australian housing market.

But what does it all mean for investors?

Many people are very focused on repaying their home loan. In fact, some people will put off borrowing any other funds (to invest) until their home loan balance is zero. Is that the best thing to do? Or is there some middle ground that may allow you to borrow to invest and repay your home loan?