What tightened lending means for property buyers

Written by Ronald Pratap on June 13, 2019. Posted in credit, Debt, Federal budget, financial freedom, Financial Services, interest, invest, Investors, Mortgage, Risk Management, self-employed, Wealth Management

Sure, tightened lending means home loans are becoming harder for some to get, but it’s not all bad news for Property Buyers.

That’s because there’s also reduced competition from investors, housing prices are falling, and clearance rates are too, making it much more of a buyer’s market than in years gone by.

So let’s take a look at a few simple steps you can take to improve your chances of obtaining finance in the tighter lending environment. Armed with these tips you could be better equipped to take advantage of the weakened housing market.

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ETF’s vs Managed Funds vs Shares

Written by Ronald Pratap on May 20, 2019. Posted in credit, Debt, financial freedom, Financial Services, invest, Investors, learn, retirement, Tax, Uncategorized, Wealth Management

ETF’s? Managed Funds? Direct Shares? Hybrid Funds? Corporate bonds? What does it all mean? There are a number of investments available to everyday Australians, however trying to figure out what is right for you and your investment goals becomes a challenge if you don’t know all your options. In this article we focus on alternative investments to your traditional options such as cash and Property.

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What the Federal budget means for you

Written by Ronald Pratap on May 10, 2019. Posted in Debt, Federal budget, Financial Services, Insurance, learn, Mortgage, News, Politics, self-employed, Superannuation, Tax, Wealth Management

With a federal election approaching us shortly, the 2019/2020 Federal Budget aims to deliver tax cuts to low and middle income workers and small businesses, superannuation tweaks for older Australians, and energy assistance payments.

Keep in mind that a number of the below policies depend on the Coalition government winning re-election in May – although Labor has announced bipartisan support for some of the listed me policy recommendations.

But here’s what this year’s Federal Budget essentially means for you and your family.

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5 steps to make income tax easier

Written by Ronald Pratap on May 6, 2019. Posted in Federal budget, financial freedom, Financial Services, Insurance, invest, Investors, learn, retirement, Risk Management, self managed superannuation fund, self-employed, Superannuation, Tax, Uncategorized, Wealth Management

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Protecting Your Super Legislation and Mailout

Written by Ronald Pratap on May 2, 2019. Posted in Debt, Financial Services, health, Insurance, life insurance, Risk Management, self-employed, Superannuation, Wealth Management

 Protecting Your Super package

Recently, the Federal Government introduced the Protecting Your Super legislation, designed (in theory) to ensure that members of Super funds(particularly those with low balances) are not paying for insurance cover that they do not know about or premiums that inappropriately diminish their retirement savings over time.

The biggest risk is that people who don’t hold Life insurance benefits elsewhere and don’t respond will lose the only insurance cover they have.

Applying for the cover again once this is cancelled will result in a application process in most circumstances which could become an issue if you have pre-existing medical problems.

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How much does Aged Care cost?

Written by Ronald Pratap on March 11, 2019. Posted in age pension, Debt, estate planning, Federal budget, health, News, retirement, self managed superannuation fund, Superannuation, Wealth Management

Few of us think beyond the opportunity to travel and do all those things we’ve been putting off until we have more time and fewer responsibilities before we even think about moving into Aged Care for ourselves or loved ones. But as the population ages, it’s a possibility that few of us can ignore and based on discussions with clients about themselves or their family members a number do not know how much Aged care will cost them.

Over 3.6 million Australians, or 16 per cent of the population, are currently aged 65 and over.ⁱThis is projected to grow to 22 per cent by 2061, or more than one in five.ⁱⁱ We’re also living longer as the average Australian can expect to live into their 80sⁱⁱⁱ, and many of us will live beyond 90.^iv

That means more of us will need some form of aged care late in life. And as pressure grows on aged care service providers to cater for more people, the costs may rise.

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