Compound interest and returns are an investor’s best friend
If there is “one thing” investors should know about investing, it’s the power of compound interest or returns. In the ever-rising obsession with short-term developments impacting investment markets around the economy, interest rates, profits, politics, etc, it’s often forgotten about.
Key points
Compound interest is an investor’s best friend but can be a borrower’s worst nightmare.
The higher the return, the earlier and bigger the investment contribution and the longer the period the more it works.
To make the most of it, ensure an adequate exposure to growth assets, contribute early & often to your investment portfolio and turn down the noise around investing.
Taxation, cash flow and the value of good accounting advice
For many business owners, profit is the headline number. But in day-to-day business, cash flow is often what keeps the doors open.
A business can be profitable on paper and still experience financial pressure if customers are slow to pay, tax obligations are underestimated, expenses arrive at the wrong time or too much cash is tied up in stock and equipment.
Your money has a Job: Make it work harder
Most of us work hard for our money. We earn it, save it, spend it and hopefully put some aside for the future. But there comes a point when saving alone may not be enough.
Your money can have a job too.
Wellbeing: Investing in the life you want to live
Wellbeing is one of those things we often take for granted until something feels out of balance.
We can become so focused on work, finances, family responsibilities and the never-ending list of things that need to be done that looking after ourselves quietly slips down the priority list.
Caring for ageing parents: Why planning and advice matter
Caring for an ageing parent can be one of the most important roles you ever take on. It can also become one of the most complicated.
For many families, it doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with helping Mum with shopping, taking Dad to a medical appointment, paying a bill online or checking that everything is okay at home.
Eight weeks of extraordinary: A journey for two
For couples approaching retirement, there is a particular pleasure in travelling while time, curiosity and a little indulgence are all on your side.
Eight weeks is long enough to go beyond the highlights, yet short enough to keep the journey exciting.
Life after work: Finding the right time to retire
For much of our working lives, retirement can feel like a distant destination. Then suddenly, it becomes a very real decision.
Do you retire at 60? 65? 67? Keep working part-time? Finish when the mortgage is paid off? Or wait until your superannuation reaches a certain figure?
Estate planning beyond the will: What happens to your digital life?
Most of us understand the importance of having a Will. It can help determine what happens to our property, investments and possessions and provide greater certainty for the people we leave behind.
But modern estate planning may need to go much further.
Will your digital memories survive? 10 tips for protecting your photos and home videos
We take more photos and videos today than any generation before us.
Birthdays, holidays, weddings, grandchildren, pets, family gatherings and everyday moments are captured almost constantly. Yet there is an interesting contradiction: while we probably have more photographs than our parents and grandparents ever did, there is no guarantee those memories will survive as long.
Life insurance: Protecting the people who matter most
Life insurance is one of those financial topics many people know is important, yet often put off thinking about.
It can be uncomfortable to consider what might happen if you were no longer around, became seriously ill or were unable to work for an extended period.