When disaster strikes, the last thing you want to discover is that your insurance doesn’t stretch far enough. What is home underinsurance? Underinsurance means your insurance won’t cover the full cost to rebuild, repair or replace what you’ve lost. It's important to get the right amount of...
As the end of the financial year (EOFY) approaches, investors often focus on topping up super, maximising deductions, prepaying interest or reviewing portfolios. While these are all valuable activities, there are some less obvious tasks that can have a big impact on your tax position,...
Managing your financial situation always involves tension between how you live your life now and preparing for your future – whatever that looks like. The worry about not getting the balance right and making unnecessary sacrifices now – or not having enough money for the things...
Background There's a rise in criminals calling, emailing or messaging people and pretending to be from the bank so that they can steal your money. The scammers ask you for personal or financial information or to transfer funds or to give them a one-time security code over...
Understanding cash flow Understanding cash flow can be the difference between a solid long-term investment and a costly mistake, writes Michael Sloan. So do your research – and get good advice before you buy. What is negative cash flow? Oftentimes investment properties generate negative cash flow. That means,...
Deciding when to retire is a big decision and even more difficult if you are concerned about your retirement income. The average age of Australia’s 4.2 million retirees is 56.9 years but many people leave it a little later to finish work with most intending to...
Periods of high volatility have forever been part of investing. But even seasoned investors might feel tempted to retreat to “safe” assets like cash during these times. While this approach may help you sleep better at night, it’s unlikely to be good for your financial well-being. Here’s...
Here's a wild truth I've come to accept in my mid-30s: being an adult is mostly Googling how to do basic life stuff and hoping no one notices you're winging it. So much of your 20s is spent trying to keep your houseplants alive, navigating dodgy...
Most Australians are only vaguely aware – or completely unaware – of the fact that credit-reporting agencies monitor their financial transactions. While most Australians don’t give much thought to what’s on their credit report, the credit score that’s based on the contents of that report can...
While it seems we all like to think we are clever enough to outwit a scam, Australians collectively lost more than 480 million to scams last year. Every year scammers get more sophisticated in the methods they use to part us with our money – or...
He is also an accomplished presenter and educator
Co-authoring the popular investment book, Property vs Shares.