A range of superannuation changes that came into effect on 1 July 2026, are reinforcing the role of super as one of the most tax-effective investment structures available. For many investors, it’s not simply that super remains attractive but that the rules continue to change. Understanding these changes can help ensure your strategy takes advantage...

There is something deeply hopeful about the fact that we are living longer than previous generations. Advances in medicine, safer living conditions and better healthcare have given many of us more time than our grandparents could have imagined.  But alongside that good news is a quieter reality that deserves attention.  Researchers now talk about the...

If the time has come to consider a move into residential aged care, you and your family are likely to be faced with significant financial decisions. If you have a self-managed super fund (SMSF), there can be an extra layer of complexity. The good news is that planning ahead and financial advice can provide choices...

If you’re starting to explore residential aged care for yourself or someone you love, you’ve probably noticed that accommodation costs can seem quite daunting. In fact, the average room price in Australia is now around $570,000, with significant increases over the past 18 months. The good news is that you may not need to find...

Every month, Ursula Boorman’s Focus magazine column, Need2Know, helps readers achieve clarity and confidence in their financial future. Every year, around this time, I find myself wishing clients a ‘happy new financial year’. I get some funny looks. But I genuinely think 1 July deserves more credit than it gets. We mark birthdays. We mark...

Tax time is just around the corner, so now is the time to get ahead and find out what strategies may be available to you before 30 June. Time for a portfolio review A good first step is to review your investment strategy. With recent market volatility, things may have shifted and your risk tolerance...

The income assumptions many have carried into retirement are being tested in the current economic climate. “It’s easy to feel uncertain when markets are volatile or the headlines seem overwhelming. In my experience, having a well-considered plan and someone to guide you through the decisions can provide enormous peace of mind. Often it’s not about...

When an older person needs aged care, decisions are often made quickly. Families may be stressed and worried, and the financial choices involved can have long-term consequences that are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to undo.  Yet many Australians are navigating aged care with incomplete, confusing, or simply wrong information. “Aged care decisions are often made...

For many, the goal of investing is about creating wealth for a comfortable financial future, as well as a legacy that supports your children and grandchildren for decades to come. But one of the greatest risks to that legacy can be the challenge of dealing with sudden wealth. When adult children inherit large sums or...