MO50 Blog

An Australian blog that provides useful information on retirement planning, superannuation, and the financial world in an easy-to-understand manner.

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Financial Adviser, choosing who is right for you, Money Over 50 Financial Advisers

March 26, 2024

How to choose a financial adviser that is right for you

For many people, getting their finances on track is high on the priority list. But how do you know which financial...

Couple considering finances, financial advice, planning, inflation

March 18, 2024

The silent killer – the effects of inflation and purchasing power

If you held an investment for 15 years, would you prefer it to make nominal returns of 12.5% per annum, or 20.3% per...

Selling your principal place of residence, selling your home, contributions, superannuation

March 18, 2024

Downsizer contributions – tips, tricks and benefits

This week, our listener Alice has sent us a question about downsizer contributions. She is 60 and her partner is 50,...

Couple considering finances, MO50, financial planning, advice

February 27, 2024

Are there ways to pay 0% tax besides an account-based pension?

We have a listener question from Sue today, regarding investments outside of super. Her husband has no taxable income...

Couple considering finances, MO50, financial planner, retirement

February 27, 2024

Your $3.8 million tax-free trust

Many of our listeners say that the amounts we discuss in our podcast episodes are much higher than what they have in...

money, retirement, tax, tax savings, concessional contributions

February 19, 2024

Concessionals and Carry-forwards

A listener recently sent us some questions wanting to know how claiming a tax deduction on a personal contribution to...

happy couple, financial planning, planning for retirement, concessional contributions

April 7, 2023

With structure comes freedom

Do you bristle when you hear the words ‘structure’, ‘budgeting’ or ‘cash flow’? Many people do! But the reality is that...

April 4, 2023

You can compare things but you can’t compare experiences

Studies have shown that it’s more valuable to spend money on experiences than material items. That is, people feel more...

March 31, 2023

You want volatility!

The exclamation mark on the title of this blog is to show just how important volatility really is when it comes to...

March 30, 2023

Moving into cash can cost your kids instead of you

When people get close to retirement, their impulse is to put all their super and investments into term deposits. It’s a...

January 13, 2023

Avocados for $1 from $2 (companies down by 50%)

Usually when the price of an item goes down, we want to stock up on it. When avocados, for example, drop to $1, what do...

January 10, 2023

Thoughtful, considered and delayed spending

Are your spending habits thoughtful, considered and delayed? Or are you an impulse buyer?

January 6, 2023

There is no next thing in retirement

Talking to a friend recently who had paid off a loan not too long ago, Dallas came to a conclusion: no matter how old...

January 3, 2023

You may be doubling up on cash without even knowing

We recently met with two couples at different stages of their working lives. One couple is fully retired and has...

December 30, 2022

The market doesn’t fall, there are just more sellers than buyers

People often talk about a fall or a drop in the sharemarket. But it’s not as simple as that. The market doesn’t really...

December 27, 2022

Get in the habit of looking for good news

When it comes to the history of humanity, it’s easy to get caught up with the negative things like wars, famine and...

December 23, 2022

Retirement fears and how these fears affect your potential plan

According to Nick Murray, a well-known expert in financial advice, people’s financial fears can be categorised into...

December 16, 2022

Protect Yourself at all Times

During a recent boxing match that we watched, we heard the trainer saying, “protect yourself at all times!” This got us...

December 13, 2022

Intermediary monkeys (why you need to evolve with the times)

December 9, 2022

The future is much brighter than we think

This blog is something of a philosophical one, on a topic which is commonly discussed. So often people say the future...

December 6, 2022

Life's too short to drink bad wine

If you like fine wine, then life is just too short not to drink it. We aren’t telling you to hit the wine bars tonight...

December 2, 2022

People are still fearful to invest in companies (even though they play a significant role in your future wealth)

In our initial consult, we’ve noticed some common questions being asked.

December 1, 2022

How to save for retirement without using money

Whenever we discuss preparing for retirement, we are usually talking about people’s money. Making sure assets are paid...

October 25, 2022

You’ll Spend a Quarter of a Million Dollars in the First Three Years of Retirement

Did you know that in the first three years of your retirement you will spend a quarter of a million dollars? It’s true....

October 21, 2022

Poor Health Decisions Versus Poor Financial Decisions

Recently, Dallas was talking to his father-in-law who is a personal injury lawyer like Dallas’s wife. They were...

October 18, 2022

The Importance of Global Companies and Diversity

We often talk about diversification of investments. In our country, we are ‘triple exposed’ to the Australian economy....

October 14, 2022

Do You Have a Financial Adviser or a Portfolio Manager?

Recently, one of our friends got in touch with us saying that they are happy with their current adviser but wanted to...

October 11, 2022

Listener Question: What if You’ve Already Retired and You Don’t Have Enough Money?

Thank you to Gina from Sydney for today’s listener question. She says she loves the way the podcast explains difficult...

October 7, 2022

My $15,000 Car is Still Going and I Haven’t Spent a Cent on it

Just for a brief moment, we’d like you to imagine driving around in your car – the sun on your face, the wind in your...

October 4, 2022

Listener Question: Investing Money Outside of Superannuation

Today’s listener question relates to investing money outside of superannuation. Thanks to Leonie for raising the...

September 30, 2022

How to Convince Your Spouse to See a Financial Adviser

We recently got some feedback from a listener who said she is loving the podcast (thank you!) and is now listening to...

September 9, 2022

Protect Yourself at all Times

During a recent boxing match that we watched, we heard the trainer saying, “protect yourself at all times!” This got us...

September 6, 2022

CBA shares vs Sydney property (over 30 years)

We recently had a meeting with some prospective clients in Sydney who wanted to purchase an investment property. We...

September 2, 2022

Get in the habit of looking for good news (don’t let the constant negative stories affect your retirement plan)

When it comes to the history of humanity, it’s easy to get caught up with the negative things like wars, famine and...

August 30, 2022

Life's too short to drink bad wine

If you like fine wine, then life is just too short not to drink it. We aren’t telling you to hit the wine bars tonight...

August 22, 2022

Getting punched 50% of the time is better than getting punched 100% of the time

Getting punched doesn’t sound very nice at all, does it? We can say with certainty that nobody wants to get punched –...

August 19, 2022

Why do you fear retirement? And how do these fears affect your potential plan?

According to Nick Murray, a well-known expert in financial advice, people’s financial fears can be categorised into...

August 16, 2022

Move the chains

IIf you’re like Michael and follow the American football season, you might know a popular saying: move the chains.

August 12, 2022

The market doesn’t fall, there are just more sellers than buyers

People often talk about a fall or a drop in the sharemarket. But it’s not as simple as that. The market doesn’t really...

August 9, 2022

You may be doubling up on cash without even knowing

We recently met with two couples at different stages of their working lives. One couple is fully retired and has...

August 5, 2022

There is no next thing in retirement

Talking to a friend recently who had paid off a loan not too long ago, Dallas came to a conclusion: no matter how old...

August 2, 2022

Money as atomic energy (the compounding nature of investing)

Michael recently took a solo trip to Magnetic Island to get some work done. He also got some time in to go swimming and...

July 29, 2022

Thoughtful, considered, and delayed spending

Are your spending habits thoughtful, considered, and delayed? Or are you an impulse buyer?

July 26, 2022

Why balanced funds aren’t appropriate for retirees

Balanced funds are very popular. They are mutual funds usually made up of shares and cash components. They are popular...

share market screen from money over 50 financial advisers

July 22, 2022

Beware of people telling you to get out of the share market

As the history books have shown, anytime there is a period of volatility in the share market where it drops...

July 19, 2022

Your money must have a job description

At Money Over 50, we always give our clients’ money a job description. Without this, the money doesn’t have any sense...

July 15, 2022

Large companies can’t be both greedy and risky

On the 9th of March, 2009, we saw the share-market hit rock bottom. The ASX in Australia (the largest 200 companies)...

July 12, 2022

Invest when you have the money, withdraw when you need it

If you have money set aside for investment, when is the best time to actually invest it?

July 8, 2022

Cash is like tinned food, while companies are like a veggie garden

You may have seen or heard of a TV show called Doomsday Preppers. It’s a reality show about groups of people who are...

July 5, 2022

If something cannot go forever, it will stop

Yes, we are going to quote the economist Herbert Stein, who said “if something cannot go forever, it will stop.”...

July 1, 2022

Pain does exist in this dojo

If you’ve seen the movie, The Karate Kid, chances are you’ve heard the quote about the absence of fear and pain. It was...

June 28, 2022

“What do you think about buying BHP shares?” – “I don’t …” – The questions that are actually important

To give a bit of context to this unique title, this is a question we get asked all the time. People text, call, and ask...

June 24, 2022

Why my kids won’t get an inheritance

Does this sound like a controversial topic? Most likely. But we are not here to convince you whether or not you should...

June 20, 2022

Having a healthy diet doesn’t guarantee a long and healthy life

A client called us recently, asking us to guarantee that he wouldn’t run out of money in retirement. He also wanted to...

June 17, 2022

Listener Question: Investing Money Outside of Superannuation

Today’s listener question relates to investing money outside of superannuation. Thanks to Leonie for raising the...

June 14, 2022

The best way to avoid panicking in a downturn is to not panic

In our modern world, it is more and more common to talk about our emotions. Largely, this is a good thing. But there is...

June 10, 2022

McDonalds 75-cent ice cream cones going to cost more in the future

As any good parent would do, last week Dallas bribed his almost-three-year-old with a McDonalds ice cream cone, in...

June 7, 2022

$100k Isn’t Much Anymore Going By Present Day Financial Dynamics

No, we don’t mean $100,000 is a small amount of money. Far from it! But more and more, we hear people talk about it as...

June 3, 2022

A Good Financial Planning Business is Like a Think Tank

Recently, we got thinking about all the different legislation that affects us as well as our clients. Legislation such...

May 12, 2022

FAQ – What if I Don't Agree With What the Adviser Says?

First of all, thank you to all our listeners far and wide! Our audience is growing each week, with new international...

March 30, 2022

Your Bank Doesn’t Care About You and That’s Okay

We recently did a podcast called No-one’s Coming in which we discussed the fact that everyone is responsible for their...

March 28, 2022

The 1% Extras in Saving for Your Retirement

You don’t need to make drastic changes in order to get big results in the future. But people often think they do, and...

March 24, 2022

Test Drive Your Retirement

When people buy a car, they usually spend time considering their decision. They don’t just go and buy the first one...

March 22, 2022

Listener Questions: Life and TPD Insurance Inside Superannuation

Our listener question today comes from Collette, who would like to know more about the benefits and limitations of Life...

March 17, 2022

How to Convince Your Spouse to See a Financial Adviser?

A while ago we had got some feedback from a listener who said she is loving the podcast (thank you!) and is now...

March 15, 2022

Do You Have a Financial Adviser or a Portfolio Manager?

Recently, one of our friends got in touch with us saying that they are happy with their current adviser but wanted to...

March 10, 2022

A Good Financial Planning Business is Like a Think Tank

Recently, we got thinking about all the different legislation that affects us as well as our clients. Legislation such...

March 8, 2022

“$100k Isn’t Much Anymore”

No, we don’t mean $100,000 is a small amount of money. Far from it! But more and more, we hear people talk about it as...

September 16, 2021

Why a Good Financial Adviser is Like a Good Cornerman in Boxing?

To ‘have someone in your corner’ is a common saying that originated in boxing, where the coach or trainer is in the...

September 15, 2021

The Only Numbers That Matter (to Your Retirement Savings)

There are some important numbers you need to know when you’re nearing retirement. In percentage terms, there are three...

September 13, 2021

Every Time You Borrow Money, You Take It From Your Future Self

We sometimes think about our future self as a different person. Of course, we know this is not actually true. But when...

September 9, 2021

The Average 60-Year-Old is Far More Employable Than They Think

There is a bit of a misconception that people in their 60s aren’t employable. But we actually disagree with this. We...

August 31, 2021

If the ATO Doesn't Call You'll Know it's Me

Chances are you’ve heard some of Jimmy Buffett’s classic songs. ‘Margaritaville’ and ‘It’s five o’clock somewhere’ are...

August 26, 2021

What if I'm 45? (Why We Only Work With People Over 50)

We are often asked why we focus on people over 50. This is our niche; we rebranded in 2020 and changed our name to...

August 18, 2021

Why I Am Right About Most Things?

A year ago, Dallas met with some regular clients. This couple – one who is retired and one who is close to retiring –...

July 26, 2021

How to Avoid Getting Robbed by Your Financial Adviser

The world of finance sometimes comes with a big elephant in the room – is your adviser trustworthy? Unfortunately, we...

July 23, 2021

We Take Care of it All, While You Can Enjoy Your Financial Freedom

Please excuse us for this title – but we are hoping to paint a picture in your head. The thing is, nobody wants to go...

July 21, 2021

The “Hard Work, Good Work” Matrix

Today, we look at the interplay between hard work and good work. We have a saying here at Money Over 50: with your hard...

July 20, 2021

How To Turn $700,000 into $2 Million ?

Many of our new clients come to us with around $700,000 in assets and about ten years left of their working lives....

July 19, 2021

Income You Can Draw From an Extra $100,000 in Retirement Savings?

Many people think of their retirement savings as being one ‘bucket of money’. But how much is enough? As a very rough...

July 15, 2021

Why You Probably Need 1.1 Cars in Retirement and What to do About it

Who remembers the ad from 1994 about the average family having 2.3 children? It may be stretching the memory a little,...

July 15, 2021

Why You Shouldn’t Fix Interest Rates

If you own property, at some stage you’ve probably had to decide between variable and fixed interest rates. Today we...

July 13, 2021

Why Your House is More Like a Car Than a Super Fund

Towards retirement, we always discuss assets and liabilities with our clients. Many of them talk about their house as...

June 25, 2021

Brown M&Ms – Why the Little Things are Important

Today we discuss an urban legend that is actually true – the story of Van Halen and their brown M&Ms ritual.

June 24, 2021

Living on the Age Pension is Better Than Being a King 500 Years Ago

Having a hot shower is just one of the many luxuries we enjoy in the modern world. But hot water systems are a...

June 9, 2021

Who Should Set Up Their Own Business in Semi-Retirement (Part 2)

In the previous blog we discussed the benefits of becoming self-employed during semi-retirement. Taking this step suits...

June 8, 2021

Why You Should Set Up Your Own Business in Semi-Retirement

We decided to record a three-part series about setting up your own business in semi-retirement, because we have seen it...

May 31, 2021

No-one is Raking Up Cash and Setting Fire to it

Michael at Money Over 50 wants to be remembered for two quotes when he dies. When you retire, your money has to get...

May 28, 2021

Getting a Good Return is Not a Good Retirement Goal

During an initial consultation, we always ask our clients what their goals are. It can take some time to really work...

May 26, 2021

The Difference Between a Good Accountant and a Good Financial Adviser

Recently, Michael caught up with a friend who works as an accountant. A long discussion about the two professions got...

May 21, 2021

Setting Up Investments for The Grandkids

We often have clients who want to put aside some money for their grandkids as an investment. The aim is for this cash...

May 20, 2021

The Dodge Ram Index (How Overconfidence Leads to Overspending)

Imagine you are driving your 1999 Toyota Corolla and you pull up at the traffic lights next to a brand new Dodge Ram....

May 18, 2021

Either Save Money or Stop Stressing About It!

It goes without saying that there is a fairly broad spectrum when it comes to financial knowledge, just as there is a...

May 17, 2021

Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares For Retirees

Have you ever watched Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares? It’s actually one of Michael’s favourite shows, and he sees...

April 30, 2021

Money Spent is Kinetic Energy, Money Saved is Potential Energy

Money is a lot like energy – it is simply shifted. It’s like an energy source. Money doesn’t care whether you spend it...

April 29, 2021

3 Things That You Need to Do, We Just Don’t Know What They Are Yet!

When Dallas was younger, he was a keen martial arts student. After each fight, his coach would give him a Post-It note...

April 27, 2021

Do or Do Not, There Is No Try

There is a classic saying that comes from one of our favourite characters, Yoda, in the Star Wars series. The wise old...

April 15, 2021

You’re Right Where You Want to Be…

Michael’s son had his first day of school this year. In the week leading up to it, he was incredibly anxious about his...

April 15, 2021

Goals, Then Plan, Then Portfolio

Whenever we tell people we’re financial advisers, the first question we get asked is ‘what is a good investment?’ or...

April 14, 2021

Owning Vs Lending

Since the dawn of time, companies have been able to borrow money in order to add value to a product or service, then...

March 29, 2021

Does Thinking About Money Hurt Your Head?

When Michael was at the tile shop looking for renovation ideas and being asked to choose between an assortment of...

March 25, 2021

Bolting It All Together – In Retirement

In the previous podcast we discussed ‘bolting it all together’ while you are still working – meaning getting everything...

March 23, 2021

Bolting it all together - While you're working

We often discuss owning the great companies of Australia and the world and how it benefits you in retirement. Today, we...

March 19, 2021

Biases – Why We Get Caught up With the Crowd

So why is it exactly that we get caught up with ‘the crowd’? We are surrounded by people in our everyday lives –...

March 17, 2021

Owning the Great Companies at the Push of a Button

It can be difficult to own a money-generating asset – historically speaking, too. You can’t drive past a successful...

March 15, 2021

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Tax Deductions

We find that tax deductions are often the least understood area of finance. People often spend money simply because...

March 5, 2021

5 Retirement Rules of Thumb

In this blog we look at how much money you’ll need to retire, and what you need to do to get there assuming you have...

March 2, 2021

Why We Believe Fake News

In the third instalment of our biases series, we are asking: why do we believe fake news? Why do we believe stories or...

March 1, 2021

Why the Best Financial Advisers Need Their Own Financial Adviser

Everyone knows Roger Federer is one of the best tennis players of all time. But he still has a tennis coach! It’s the...

February 21, 2021

Why It’s Not Enough to Have Your Balance Go Up Every Year

Most people have some money saved for their retirement. Whether this is in superannuation or across other investments,...

February 19, 2021

Why Would I Want Share Prices to Go Up?

People put a lot of focus on the price of assets; specifically the price of shares.

February 18, 2021

Biases – Why We Struggle to Fix Our Mistakes

Why is it so hard to fix our mistakes? Sometimes, decisions are not black and white – especially when it comes to our...

February 17, 2021

We Never Know Why Company Share Prices Fluctuate, Only That They Will

Everyone knows that company share prices go up and down – that’s a fact. What we don’t know is why they do – that is,...

February 15, 2021

What if My Super Drops by 30% When I Retire?

This is a pretty common question we get from our clients. It’s an understandable fear, given that market volatility is...

February 12, 2021

We want personalisation, not choice

We’re going to get a little philosophical here and make this statement: people in the modern world want lots of choice...

February 10, 2021

Biases: Why We Make Mistakes

This is the first in a 4-part series about human biases. Human beings are funny creatures who do some strange things,...

February 10, 2021

Listener Question: Building a Separate Two-Bedroom Cottage

This week, we have a listener question from Linda. Linda and her husband live on the Sunshine Coast and are 5 years...

February 8, 2021

The Shocking Risk of Term Deposits

Think about term deposits. What words or phrases come to mind? How do people often describe them? Safe. Secure....

February 8, 2021

The Facts of The Last 30 Years

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts: one of Dallas’s favourite sayings of...

February 5, 2021

Find Money and Automate

We often encourage our clients to find ‘extra’ money to go towards their investments. This doesn’t have to be huge – a...

February 4, 2021

Federal Budget 2020 tax cuts : $100 a week for you

In our 88th podcast, we made a statement about how you can turn $100 a week into $100,000 over 10 years by making...

February 3, 2021

Simplicity is best

So, today’s blog is called ‘simplicity is best’, because we think this also goes for financial strategies. The simpler,...

February 2, 2021

No-one's coming

When it comes to your retirement, your finances and your business: no-one’s coming to your rescue. In other words, all...

February 1, 2021

The difference between gold, property, and companies

Are price and value the same? Actually, price and value are very different. Take ‘the hamburger test’ as an example –...

January 29, 2021

Retirement Planning Risks – Sequencing Risk

Sequencing risk is when the order and timing of your investment returns are unfavourable. This risk is hidden to some...

January 25, 2021

Retirement Planning Risks: Business Risk

As author and financial adviser Nick Murray says: you should never have so much money invested in something that you...

January 22, 2021

Junk Bonds Masquerading as Term Deposits

Junk bonds are frequently advertised as “an attractive alternative to term deposits”. But junk bonds do not guarantee...

January 20, 2021

The give-up, get-back ratio

So, what is ‘the give-up, get-back ratio’? Another way to phrase it is: what can I give up today to get back something...

January 15, 2021

Why depreciation is a real expense, not just a tax deduction

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. An oldie but a goodie – especially when it comes to tax deductions. Often you...

January 13, 2021

Listener Questions: Selling property now vs at retirement

First of all, thank you to Mike for listening to our podcast, and for sending us your question. We really enjoyed...

January 12, 2021

Protect your purchasing power, not your principal

One of the biggest fears our clients have is that despite working hard to save their desired $1.5 million for...

January 11, 2021

Diversity leads to better decision-making

We recently attended a 3-day business course about diversity and how it affects decision-making. But before we explain...

January 11, 2021

Retirement risk - Liquidity risk

Being liquid describes how quickly someone is able to get to their cash. When we talk about the risk to liquidity, we...

January 8, 2021

FAQ – Are you corporately owned?

We continue with our frequently asked questions today, and this is a fairly timely question as we recently got a new...

January 7, 2021

FAQ – Are they going to sell me a product they get a kickback from?

This is a question we get asked a lot. When we talk about ‘product’, we mean any product or service that we recommend...

January 5, 2021

Retirement risk: Market risk

Like any kind of risk associated with money, thinking about volatility can be daunting. But what we always say is that...

January 5, 2021

Why elections don't affect companies' value in the long term

The US election took over the news for months near the end of last year. Big events such as this often go hand-in-hand...

November 30, 2020

Profit First – Part 2: Logistics

In the previous blog, we looked at the ‘profit first’ theory which is the same as ‘paying yourself first’. This means...

November 26, 2020

Profit First - Part 1: Theory

In this blog, we discuss one of the theories from a book called Profit First by Michael Michalowicz. We decided to base...

November 24, 2020

Investing in one company is like a day at the races

In this blog, we look at investing in one company as opposed to diversifying your portfolio by spreading your...

November 19, 2020

How to give money to your kids

How should you give money to your kids? So, if you’ve made the decision to help them out, the question now is how to go...

November 16, 2020

When to give money to your kids

Often, our clients tell us stories about how they used to get by on very small amounts of money when they were younger,...

November 12, 2020

99 Episodes – A look back, a new name and a birthday for Money Over 50

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed recording the podcasts each week and we want to take this opportunity to thank all our...

November 5, 2020

Listener Questions – Small Business Tips and Traps

We received another listener question today, from a small business owner called Kerry. Kerry is in her early 60s and,...

November 2, 2020

“No” is a complete sentence

What do we mean by that? We mean that people in general have difficulty saying “no” to events. And not only that, they...

October 29, 2020

The highest and lowest possible outcome for your retirement

What do all of our clients have in common? They all want the best outcome for their retirement. Everyone does - they...

October 27, 2020

FAQ – Who are our clients?

Another great frequently asked question – who exactly are our clients? Some think that we look after people with a high...

October 23, 2020

New name, same team.

We are celebrating 10 years in business with a new name; Money Over 50!

October 13, 2020

Financial planning without financial doing

We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again: financial planning without financial doing is pointless.

October 9, 2020

When to sack the coach

How do you know when to sack the coach? Of course, when we say ‘coach’, we mean financial adviser. Our job can, in a...

October 7, 2020

No Boundaries

At Lighthouse Financial, we have no boundaries. Sounds dodgy, doesn’t it? It’s not, we promise. What we mean is that we...

October 5, 2020

How to turn $100 into $100,000

That title got your attention, didn’t it? You’re either pessimistic, or keen to learn how. Well, it’s actually not that...

September 28, 2020

Why retirees should consider renting again

When people think about renting versus buying a home, financial comparisons are usually made. But there are also some...

September 21, 2020

Retirement planning is a series of sprints, not a marathon

When running a few km's, the whole time you think about how far left you have to go until you're done. When you are...

September 14, 2020

What to do after making a mistake

There's not a person on this planet who hasn't made a mistake in their life before, especially when talking about...

September 8, 2020

5 legal loopholes to take advantage of

A large part of what we do is taking the time to understand the legislation involved in the financials of Australians...

August 28, 2020

No such thing as no risk

If you’re in your 50’s, you have probably thought that the closer you are to retirement the more you should be invested...

August 21, 2020

What scares you about retirement?

Retirement sounds great, no more work, and the freedom to do whatever you want. But why do we sometimes fear what is...

August 14, 2020

What is a Financial Planner?

The term “financial planner” is broad one, as there are many different areas a planner can specialise in, much like a...

July 24, 2020

You can’t take away risk, you can only shift it

When people discuss superannuation and/or retirement planning, the topic of risk is often brought up in conversation.

July 15, 2020

Hand up vs Handout

Providing hand outs to your adult children is not going to teach them the valuable lessons they need to stand on their...

June 1, 2020

How to avoid a 17% inheritance tax

A big part of a financial planner's role is to minimise the tax you pay as much as possible, this even includes the tax...

May 25, 2020

Fear of loss vs. Fear of missing out

As an investor, you’ll have experienced a fear of losing money and/or a fear of missing out on potential gains.

May 18, 2020

Cash is king

The old-fashioned method of payment of cash has become a thing of the past for most people. But cash can be used as a...

May 11, 2020

Planning for a Semi-retirement Here is What You Need To Consider

One of the key things involved with retirement planning is finding out what the clients retirement goals are. Usually,...

May 4, 2020

3 ways that people lose money in shares

A lot of new clients who come to meet Lighthouse Financial Advisers get worried when they hear that they will be...

April 27, 2020

Why you should make personal contributions to super?

Most people understand that if you want to make before-tax contributions to your super, you can salary sacrifice via...

April 20, 2020

“When things settle down” and what that really means

“Should we get out now and come back in when things settle down?” is a question that usually finds its way into...

April 13, 2020

The wrong people to have around you – financially

With most things in life, the people you choose to surround yourself with have a large impact and influence on your...

April 5, 2020

Why volatility isn’t a sign you did something wrong?

When we see our superannuation, balance rise and fall due to volatility, we as humans instinctively think that there’s...

March 30, 2020

5 reasons couples argue over money

When discussing money in a relationship, it's not rare for arguments or disagreements to occur... We're only human....

March 26, 2020

Business as usual (the new temporary usual): COVID-19 pandemic

We are currently in a time of global uncertainty; we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant drop...

March 16, 2020

3 immediate changes you can make

There are a fair few strategies that we’ll be able to use immediately with most of our new clients to help achieve...

March 9, 2020

Is renting ‘dead money’ an opportunity to increase your savings ?

Most people have heard the saying ‘rent is dead money’. To some degree, it sort of is. Your cash will go in the pocket...

March 2, 2020

Why a 10% drop in the share market shouldn't be a surprise

The week of 28 February 2020 the ASX200 had dropped by around 10%. This has taken many people by surprise. But should...

March 1, 2020

Should you move all your super into cash when you retire?

There is a common belief that in retirement you should have moved all your super into cash and defensive assets (such...

February 24, 2020

“My house is my Super.”

You’ve spent what seems like a lifetime getting your dream home, and retirement is creeping up fast. You have put the...

February 17, 2020

Making the most of the new decade – Real-life case study

Most people come in to see us about 10 years from retirement and are usually very surprised on what can be achieved if...

February 2, 2020

FAQ - What information do I need?

Making the leap to see a financial adviser can be a daunting process, especially knowing that you need to lay all your...

January 29, 2020

Avoiding these vehicle myths can benefit your retirement.

Most people need a car, it is a necessity that gives us the freedom of getting from A to B. Eventually, you’re going to...

January 20, 2020

FAQ - Are we locked in forever?

There is no lock-in contract.

January 1, 2020

FAQ - What are your fees?

We charge a percentage-based fee of 1% of your retirement savings balance per year on an on-going basis. For the first...

December 20, 2019

Active management VS Index management

An active fund manager selects the companies and sectors they believe are going to outperform a common index. For...

December 18, 2019

A good financial adviser is like a...

What is a financial planner? It’s the most common question I’m asked. If you ask Wikipedia, a financial planner is ‘a...

October 28, 2019

My business is my super.

Building a successful business doesn’t happen overnight. A successful business is a product of dedication, sacrifice,...

October 13, 2019

What is your 'investing time horizon'?

This has always struck me as a question that doesn’t make sense. In theory if a financial adviser asks their client...

September 30, 2019

Is your information already factored into the price?

Often people invest based on a prediction the price of their chosen asset will eventually rise. This must be the case,...

September 16, 2019

How to increase your age pension.

Tax. It’s an unavoidable aspect of working. Most people pay a lot of tax in their working life and don’t receive much...

September 2, 2019

Taking leave as a lump sum vs income.

Most people have another ‘asset’ up their sleeve leading up to retirement; their leave entitlements. In some cases, you...

August 19, 2019

Why people in their 50’s are stuck in the middle.

I’ve just had my first child just before I turn 30. My father was 30 when I was born and his father was 30 when he had...

August 5, 2019

Kids these days.

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that...

July 22, 2019

What we can and can’t do.

It is important to understand what we, as financial advisers, are able and willing to do, and what we are not able to...

July 8, 2019

Retirement Planning Risks (part III).

The last article in this series covers the remaining major risks that can affect planning for retirement. We have...

June 24, 2019

Retirement Planning Risks (part II).

Following on from Part I, let’s look at some of the other major risks when planning for retirement.

June 10, 2019

Retirement Planning Risks (part I).

When planning for retirement, everyone can agree that it makes sense to minimise risk. It sounds like one of those...

May 27, 2019

How to not run out of money.

My parents have always said to me, they plan to spend their last dollar on the day they die. Before I was their...

May 13, 2019

Asset A or Asset B?

Let’s assume for a moment you are aged 55 and meeting with a financial adviser for the first time. You plan to retire...

April 29, 2019

Financial adviser vs stockbroker, which one do you need?

Often when I tell people I’m a financial adviser they ask me ‘what do you think the share market will do this year’ or...

April 15, 2019

How to get paid $14,801 for a week's work.

Picture your retirement. You might see yourself spending time with the grandkids. Perhaps picking up a neglected hobby....

March 26, 2019

The biggest destroyer of retirement savings.

Most people intellectually understand inflation, but not emotionally. I often hear people say they received a pay rise...