Growing up in Home Hill, a small country town in North Queensland, being a part of ‘the community’ was something I was very much familiar with. The notion that everyone knew everyone, or knew of everyone, is a distinct experience that is difficult to replicate in larger cities.
In 2014 I moved to Brisbane, and to a whole different experience.
I have learned, however, that community still exists in the city, but often in different forms.Continue reading
For many of us, being within a crowd is a safe place to be. We’ve all surely uttered ‘I don’t know, go with the crowd’ at some point or another.
There is something comforting about safety in numbers. You usually are in familiar company when amongst a crowd. You are ‘all in the same boat’.Continue reading
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have continued in popularity, growing in numbers over the past several years. In June 2014 there were 520,000 SMSFs. These numbers increased to just under 600,000 in March 2019.
Whether or not a SMSF is the right superannuation set-up for you comes down to what you are wanting from your super and your capacity to manage your fund on a regular basis.
There are advantages and disadvantages in managing your own super and, depending on your circumstances, these can weigh more heavily on you than the next person.Continue reading
Durable competitive advantage is something I like to see in stocks. Also referred to as a moat among investors, durable competitive advantage refers to a business’ ability to maintain its competitiveness over the competition and successfully protect its long-term profits and market share.
The reason this advantage is often called a moat is because it protects the business from external forces, much like a moat protects a medieval castle and those inside it from outside invaders. The wider the moat, the larger and more sustainable the competitive advantage of the firm.Continue reading
On January 3, 2009, the first bitcoins were created.
Ten years on the terms ‘bitcoin’ and ‘cryptocurrency’ are widely known. ‘How to buy bitcoin’ was the third most searched for ‘How to…’ phrase in Google in 2018. Indeed, there have certainly been miraculous stories of cryptocurrency catapulting individuals into millionaire status, however my perspective on this is that these are few and far between.
Crypto investments rarely end well.Continue reading
On 1 July, the RBA announced a record low cash rate of 1%, which brings mortgage rates to their lowest level in over half a century. The low rate also means your deposits in the bank will be earning less interest. Trying to secure a new term deposit over 2% is almost impossible.
Currently, the investment markets are predicting an 80% chance that the 1% rate will be cut to 0.75% at the next RBA meeting in October.
So, what do low interest rates mean for you and your financial goals?Continue reading
We are used to thinking about the value of investment as measured by financial return. However, investing with an eye to environmental or social issues and ethical considerations has become more prominent.
Ethical investing has emerged as a response to investors’ will to combine ethical with financial considerations in investment decisions. It gives the individual the power to allocate capital toward companies whose practices and values align with their personal beliefs.
For many Australians, purchasing a home is one of the biggest – and scariest – financial decisions they will make.
Previously I discussed considerations regarding how much to save and home loan approval criteria. In part 2 I look at how to select the best home loan that suits your personal circumstances.
For most Australians, choosing to purchase a home is one of the biggest financial decisions they will make. Home loans are an essential force in the real estate market, with few individuals able to afford a home without a mortgage.
Are you thinking about taking out a new home loan but have no idea where to start? Let’s go through some of the basics you should know before signing on the dotted line.
