Blogs by Rhodes Docherty

Mortgage vs Super With interest rates on the rise and investment returns increasingly volatile, Australians with cash to spare may be wondering how to make the most of it. If you have a mortgage, should you make extra repayments or would you be better off in the long run boosting your super?

The answer is, it depends. Your personal circumstances, interest rates, tax and the investment outlook all need to be taken into consideration. What to consider Some of the things you need to weigh up ...

Act now to obtain your Director ID If you are the director of an Australian company, time is running out for you to apply for your ASIC Director Identification Number (Director ID).  All directors of existing companies must apply for their Director ID by 30 November 2022. The quickest way to get your Director ID is to use the ABRS website at abrs.gov.au - you will need your myGov ID app to apply this way.  You will also need certain forms of identification to prove ...

Time is running out to secure your business's domain name   Your business's website domain name ending in .com.au can now change to the simpler .au.   While this new option launched in March 2022, businesses with existing domain names (eg ending in .com.au or .net.au) have had the option of a priority allocation process, to secure their .au domain name.  This priority process ends on 20 September 2022.  If you have not applied for priority access, all .au ...

A super window of opportunity New rules coming into force on July 1 will create opportunities for older Australians to boost their retirement savings and younger Australians to build a home deposit, all within the tax-efficient superannuation system. Using the existing First Home Super Saver Scheme, people can now release up to $50,000 from their super account for a first home deposit, up from $30,000 previously. Another change that will help low-income earners and people who work in the g...

How to manage rising interest rates Rising interest rates are almost always portrayed as bad news, by the media and by politicians of all persuasions. But a rise in rates cuts both ways.  Higher interest rates are a worry for people with home loans and borrowers generally. But they are good news for older Australians who depend on income from bank deposits and young people trying to save for a deposit on their first home. Rising interest rates are also a sign of a growing economy, whi...