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Learning From Bananas: Insights Into Stocks and Bonds as Investments In the world of investing, stocks and bonds often take centre stage. They represent two of the most common types of investments, each offering unique benefits and risks. As an investor, understanding stocks vs. bonds is key to building a diversified portfolio tailored to your financial goals. Just l...

Family Law – it can be a complex and a stressful experience Family law cases can be complex. In addition to the challenges of entering into an agreement that could affect your finances for years to come, you also have to deal with the stress and emotional aspects of legal actions involving your family members. Divorce, child support, and custody cases in Aus...

Inflation surprise as rate of price growth slows in May A sharp fall in consumer prices will take pressure off the Reserve Bank, but persistent growth in rents and services will keep further rate hikes in play. The consumer price index sunk back to 5.6 per cent in the year to May, from 6.8 per cent in April. The result was well below market and most econ...

Labour shortages, high costs hitting manufacturing hard Workforce shortages continue to plague manufacturing businesses, even as the slowing economy and the influx of migrants take the edge off the competitive labour market. The monthly business survey by Westpac and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry released on Tuesday revealed ongoing tig...

Turn Your Passion Into Profit: Starting a Business After Retirement For most people, retirement is a time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of their labour. However, it’s not uncommon for some to realise they cannot afford the retirement lifestyle they envisioned. Boredom can also set in, so you might feel the pressure of ageing simply because there’s no...

Deductions individuals can claim on tax Find out which expenses you can claim as income tax deductions and work out the amount to claim. How to claim deductions How to claim income tax deductions for work-related expenses and other expenses, and record your deductions. Cars, transport and travel Deductions for car, transport and travel ex...

Electrifying call for national ban on gas to new homes Clean energy advocates are calling for practical help to make sure renters, apartment dwellers and poorer households don’t miss out on electrification. Independent MP Allegra Spender on Wednesday urged federal Labor to show courage and ban gas connections to all new homes and set a date for ending...

Helping employers get it right this tax time As tax time approaches, you should start preparing to meet your annual tax and super obligations. We’ve kick-started the process by pulling together a list of key hints to help you keep on top of things: Single Touch Payroll (STP) finalisation: you need to finalise your employees’ STP data by 14...

Business Interruption Insurance: Who Is It For? A crucial though sometimes overlooked safeguard, business interruption insurance provides financial protection for companies facing unexpected disruptions. But who exactly is it for? The short answer: any business that wants to ensure continuity in the face of potential risks and obstacles. Let’s ...

Increase property value with these 5 priority renovations If you’re investing in real estate for resale, you need to know what types of renovations to prioritise. This can help your property create some buzz in the market, with a price you can easily justify to serious buyers. Struggling with what improvements you need to invest in? Worry no more because...

How a testamentary trust can be used for wills and estates The significance of choosing the appropriate structure to make the protection and maintenance of your assets possible cannot be overstated. This is necessary regardless of whether you have acquired your fortune on your own or through inheritance. In this instance, you may want to consider estate and...

ATO latest scam alerts Be wary of emails, phone calls and text messages claiming to be from the ATO. If you think a phone call, SMS, voicemail, email or interaction on social media claiming to be from the ATO is not genuine, do not engage with it. You should either: phone us on 1800 008 540 go to Verify or report a scam t...

Tax office targets working from home deductions The fixed rate method for calculating your deduction for working from home expenses has been revised. The revised fixed rate method is $0.67 per work hour and available from 1 July 2022. The fixed rate method has been revised to: increase the rate per work hour that you can claim when you work from....

PM’s vision for a renewable energy superpower nation Anthony Albanese has urged Australia to grasp the opportunity to become a renewable energy superpower. The prime minister warned the nation could not afford to just wait, watch and react to the clean energy transformation and the growth of the care-and-support economy, or rely on breakthroughs in te...

Property Investing 101: Residential vs. Commercial Real Estate In the realm of property investment, prospective investors often grapple with comparing residential vs commercial real estate. Both offer viable investment opportunities, but they also come with their own unique advantages and drawbacks. Hence, the question of which avenue to pursue requires in-dept...

Four types of commercial insurance your business needs Whether you’re a business owner, supplier, or contractor, commercial insurance is essential to safeguard both your company and staff. With commercial insurance, your business and company assets are protected from certain risks like accidents or damages and the lawsuits that may follow. Of course, ...

Aussies warned against ‘sinister scammers’ at tax time Australians are being urged to remain vigilant for “‘sinister scammers” at tax time, with almost 20, 000 suspicious reports made in the past year. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has already received 19, 843 reports of scams in the 2022-23 financial year. An increase in scam activity is e...

Australia to scrap cheque payments within seven years No more cheques will be cashed after 2030 as the treasurer signs off on an end date for the paper-based payment. The decision to phase out cheques before the end of the decade falls under the federal government’s plan to modernise the nation’s payments system. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Austral...

Race to renewables as households face power bill hikes Australia has a mountain to climb to get to cheaper energy bills, but the federal government is confident its planned transition to renewables will help bring costs down. However, some industry leaders are unconvinced and warn wholesale prices could remain high for at least the next few years. Despi...

Reaction to latest RBA interest rate hike RESPONSES TO LATEST INTEREST RATE RISE * ACOSS deputy chief executive Edwina MacDonald: “Instead of relying on the blunt tool of interest rate hikes, the government should be tackling inflation directly by better regulating the rental market and taking further action to reduce energy and healthcar...

Dealing With Higher Inflation: Strategies to Thrive Amidst Rising Costs The cost of living continues to rise, and many are feeling the pinch. However, there are ways to navigate and adapt to this challenging financial landscape. If you’re looking for practical solutions and workarounds to help you tackle higher inflation head-on, then this article is a good starting p...

10 Essential Winter Home Maintenance Tips While winter in Australia may not be as harsh as in other parts of the world, it’s still essential to keep your home in tip-top shape during the colder months. So, if you need a handy winter home maintenance checklist, this is for you. Use this comprehensive guide to help you prepare your home for...

End of financial year tax tips July 1st is fast approaching, and we all know what that means. Yes, it’s tax time. Unfortunately, filing taxes can be a laborious, frustrating, time-consuming, and somewhat overwhelming process for some of us. However, for others, filing their taxes is a necessary evil that gives them a fantastic ...

Treasury says corporate profits not driving inflation Treasury says excessive corporate profits are not fuelling inflation, except in the mining sector. Weighing in on a recent debate, the department sided with the Reserve Bank of Australia and agreed profits were not significantly driving up consumer prices. Treasury official Sarah Hunter said the dep...

How often you pay super to employees is changing From 1 July 2026, employers will be required to pay their employees’ super at the same time as their salary and wages. Currently, employers are only required to pay their employees’ super entitlements on a quarterly basis. The start date will provide small business employers, super funds, and pa...

Treasury secretary discusses key economic data THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY * The Australian economy expanded by 3.6 per cent in 2022, driven by a post-pandemic rebound in consumer spending * Demand is easing, with global growth set to be the weakest in two decades, outside the GFC and pandemic * In a positive development, China is expected to grow by...

AI use not the ‘Wild West’, company executives warned More than two-thirds of Australian organisations have embraced artificial intelligence but many executives are largely ignorant of existing laws governing their use, according to a new report. Artificial intelligence is fast becoming an essential part of business across all sectors in Australia, but...

What Happens to Gas Stations When the World Goes Electric? | Emily Grubert | [TED Talk Video] What Happens to Gas Stations When the World Goes Electric? | Emily Grubert | [TED Talk Video] May 31, 2023 When the world goes fully electric, what happens to the cars, tools and livelihoods that rely on fossil fuels? Civil engineer and environmental sociologist Emily Grubert visualizes what a clean...

How to create your own gym at home While most people are aware of the importance of regular aerobic exercise, the significance of resistance training (aka weight or strength training) is often overlooked. It’s recommended that adults engage in at least two 20- to 30-minute resistance training sessions per week, besides aerobic acti...

Financial responsibility Financial responsibility refers to the practice of handling money and other assets in a way that is in your (as the owner of the assets) or your family’s best interest. Being financially responsible entails a certain level of proficiency in seeing beyond current wants to meet future needs. However...