We’re all now only too aware of the risk of cybercrime after the well-publicised data hacks of Medibank Private and Optus. Although these crimes involved large organisations, email scams, cyberattacks and online scams also represent a major risk for small businesses, particularly if you don’t have the funds or knowhow to strengthen your digital security. The latest Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Annual Cyber Threat Report warned no-one was immune to cyber threats, with ...

Trusts and the New Super Tax Rules Ensuring you’ve structured your finances tax-effectively is always a concern, but with new tax rules for super on the horizon, many people with large balances are considering alternative vehicles to save for retirement. Unsurprisingly, this has sparked a renewed interest in an old favourite – trusts. Trusts have always been popular in Australia, with the government’s Tax Avoidance Taskforce (Trusts) estimating more than one million&...

As our superannuation balances grow larger, it makes more sense than ever to keep track of the many rules changes that have recently happened or are coming up soon. Australians are investing more in super - almost $151 billion dollars in the year ending March 2023, an increase of 11.3 per cent.i Those extra contributions, plus the rebound in the financial markets, have resulted in super assets of around $3.5 trillion.ii And it is being put to good use. We took out lump sum payments totalli...

How do interest rates affect your investments? Interest rates are an important financial lever for world economies. They affect the cost of borrowing and the return on savings, and it makes them an integral part of the return on many investments. It can also affect the value of the currency, which has a further trickle-down effect on other investments. So, when rates are low they can influence more business investment because it is cheaper to borrow. When rates are high or rising, economic ...

Retirement is a phase of life most of us look forward to. It’s a chance to pursue other interests, travel and maybe do some part-time work or volunteering. Thanks to more than 30 years of compulsory superannuation, we are also retiring with more savings than previous generations and have higher expectations of the lifestyle we wish to enjoy. But that also brings its challenges. According to the government’s Retirement Income Review, the average age of retirement in Australia is ...