Budget for Success

Keen to save more and make a big dent in your mortgage?

By budgeting better, you can reach your goals sooner. Here is a guide to get your New Year started in the right direction.

1. Record your expenses

Carry a notebook around with you for a month and write down everything that you spend money on and the amount. Don’t forget daily coffees, magazines, eating out, etc. Record it all.

This will show you how much you’re spending and may prompt you to realise how much you spend on non-essential items.

2. Calculate your income and expenses

Calculate how much income you make after tax every month and write this figure down. There are a number of good budgeting tools available on the internet to help you easily track your expenses. If you can’t find one, just use a notepad.

Divide your expenses into those that are essential (for example, groceries, bills and transport costs) and those that are non essential (for example takeaway food, entertainment and indulgent purchases) and calculate how much these cost you each month. For example, if your quarterly electricity bill is usually $450, you will need to divide this figure by three to get monthly cost of $150.

When this is done, subtract your expenses from your monthly income. This will show you whether you are spending beyond your means or whether you have some cash to spare.

3. Change your spending habits

To free up some cash to make extra repayments on your home loan or achieve or financial goals, you will need to scrutinise how much you are spending and work towards reducing this amount.

The non-essential expenses column is the first place to start cutting back, If you are spending a lot on takeaway food, start eating at home more often and pack your lunch to take to work.

If your petrol costs are high, consider taking public transport or walking if possible. Perhaps you could invest in a bicycle so you save money and gain a health benefit at the same time.

4. Stick to your budget

Once you have allocated a budget to each of your expenses, stick to it. If you have budgeted to spend $60 a month on eating out, make sure you don’t spend any more.

It will take discipline, but by following your budget you could cut thousands of dollars interest off your loan and pay your mortgage off much sooner.

Savings Tips

Here are some savings tips to help you on your way:

• Have an easy access cash account for everyday needs with a debit card attached
• Save a fixed amount of money every pay in a separate account
• Save your pay rises, bonuses or special payments or tax refund
• Put your change into a savings jar at the end of each day
• Pay your mortgage fortnightly and pay an extra 5-10 per cent on your mortgage every month
• Budget a specific amount for leisure, mortgage repayments and personal expenses
• Make extra superannuation contributions from your pre-tax salary otherwise known as salary sacrificing.

Time for Super

The average Australian spends 2,555 hours a year sleeping and around 910 hours a year watching television.

So shouldn’t we be spending more than half an hour a year thinking about our super?

When the average Australian sets out to buy a car, they may spend weeks weighing up their options. Buying a house sometimes takes months, or even years, of searching, planning and saving.

Even smaller financial purchases such as stereo, DVD player or computer take more than a couple of hours of shopping around.

And yet recent research revealed that the majority of people spend less than 30 minutes a year thinking about what is usually the biggest investment they have after their home - their super.
So what’s to think about?

Many people think of superannuation as a “set and forget” part of their lives - their employer sets it up and puts money into it on their behalf and it’s not something they have terribly much control over. However, this is something of a misconception.

Even though your employer contributes money to your fund, superannuation is still your savings for your retirement. You are still able to control things such as which investment option your money is invested in and how much you contribute yourself.

It’s therefore worth taking the time to find out about your options within your super fund and thinking about how you can make them work for you.
Are you in the right investment option?

Most funds offer different investment options so you can choose the one that most closely meets your needs and retirement objectives.

If you haven’t already made a choice then your money is normally invested in the default or balanced option.. This may turn out to be right for you, but you’ll need to spend some time finding out about it and comparing it with other options on offer before you decide.

To help make a considered decision, look at:

• How comfortable you are with receiving returns that are different to what you expected
• How long you have until retirement
• Whether you need to see financial advice.

Once you are happy with the option you have selected, make a note to review it at least once a year to see if it still meets your needs.

Will you have enough?

That’s a big question. First you need to work out how much will be enough to live the life you want in retirement. Whether you’ll have that amount depends on how much super you have now, how much is being contributed to your account, the fees being charged, the returns on your super and how long you have until you retire.

There are calculators on many of the big funds’ websites that can help you to work this out.

How do you contribute more?

If you think that you won’t have enough, you can help make your super grow by adding to the contributions your employer makes. You can do this from before-tax income (salary sacrifice) or from after-tax income. A benefit of making after-tax contributions to your super is that, if you are eligible, the Government may give you a helping hand by making a co-contribution. To find out more about the co-contribution, visit www.ato.gov.au/super.

Do you have more than one super fund?

If you have more than one super fund, consider consolidating them all into one account. This can also help to grow your super because you’ll only be paying one set of fees and insurance premiums.

Before you go ahead check the exit fees, any extra benefits and the insurance arrangements of the funds you’ll be rolling out of. Sometimes the fees can be so high that it may be best to leave your money where it is. Also, your insurance arrangements may cease, or provide a different type of cover.

If you think you have more than one super account but you’re not sure how to track them down, try www.unclaimedsuper.com.au or the Tax Office’s SuperSeeker at www.ato.gov.au/super.

Do you have insurance through your super fund?

Chances are that, unless you specifically said no to insurance when you joined the fund, you will have at least minimum disability income protection and death insurance. But is it enough to meet your needs?

The first step is to find out what cover you have now and then think about whether the amount of benefit that may be paid would cover all the expenses you need it to. Although taking out insurance through you super fund is generally cheaper than purchasing it directly, keep in mind that the premiums for insurance through your super fund come out of your super account so increasing your premiums will impact on your super balance.

What other benefits does your fund offer?

Many superannuation funds offer access to other products and services, including financial products you can use long before you retire. These products may include low cost banking products, managed funds with no entry or exit fees, financial planning services and discount health insurance.

Aussies lose track of a third of their cash - every week!

A survey commissioned by Visa shows Australians cannot account for $59 cash a week (that's $3,068 per person a year) - more than double the international average in the survey.

Where does the cash go?
In Australia, consumers who lost track of their cash said they were more likely to "mystery spend" (meaning spending cash they can't account for) while purchasing food and groceries (44%), socialising (40%), leisure shopping (38%), buying snacks (30%), or dining out (24%).


It's easier to keep track of where you're spending your money if you have a budget.

Australians attitude to debt and savings - a recent survey

A recent survey conducted by RaboDirect has found the following stats:

• About 74% of respondents believe paying off their debt is the best way to save money
• One in five credit card holders worry about not paying off their bill in full each month, yet one in six are happy to make purchases knowing they cannot pay for it in the interest free-period.
• About one third of survey respondents consider their financial situation has worsened in the last year and have taken steps as a result. They have cut back on luxuries, such as dining, entertainment and holidays, and some have also considered their day-to-day shopping habits.
• The survey also found that 28% of Australians say their savings would only last two months if they lost their job
• Just over one in ten (13%) have no savings at all. This paints a worrying picture at a time of the year when the job market traditionally slows down.
• Low interest transaction accounts are the most popular home for ‘savings’ with 46% of regular savers putting money in their transaction account (representing 41% of total savings in last six months). This is despite the fact that interest paid on these accounts is negligible and often eaten away by fees

Below are some tips for better financial management:

• Set a budget and revisit it regularly and adjust as necessary to match personal/financial needs or changes to your finances. eg got married, started a family or got a new job
• Spend less than you earn!
• Pay off your most expensive, non deductible debt, first eg credit cards
• Regularly check that your financial products (such as your mortgage loan, transaction and savings account, insurance, credit cards etc.) suit your needs and offer the best value
• Have your salary paid directly into a high interest savings account rather than leaving money idle in a low-interest bearing account
• Seek help early if things get out of hand - speak to a financial advisor for more help

Savers can save $330 by switching

Savings account holders can save up to $330 by switching to a better account. According to consumer group Choice, nearly 80% of Australians had not considered switching banks in the last two years.

Choice's Better Banking campaign director Richard Lloyd said "that's what the major banks rely on, they rely on lots of Australian consumers staying where they are and that's when you get hit by high fees, poor interest rates and unfair terms." What we're saying today is `consumers don't wait for the government's reform package ... if you take simple steps now you can give yourself an early Christmas present'.''

Mr Lloyd continued by saying that smaller banking sector players were usually those offering the best deals and consumers should not be nervous about moving to smaller finance institutions as they were regulated in the same way as banks. Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said: "I'd encourage every Australian family to check out the range of products on offer and compare them to the big banks.''

Two thirds of Australian's don't have enough money

Almost two thirds of Australians think they do not have enough money. According to an online poll published in News Limited newspapers, approximately 61% of respondents said they were not happy with their finances. Approximatley 35% of survey respondents said they were happy with their financial situation, while 4% said they are not sure.

If you would like help saving or budgeting, speak to one of the financial planners at Intellichoice on 1300 55 10 45.

How to get the best from your super

We know superannuation can seem boring, but putting good strategies in place now could make a big difference to your future. And getting your super sorted doesn't need to be time consuming or hard work. Here are some quick and easy tips to help get you on your way.

1. Find lost super
Did you know that there's more than $13 billion of lost super in Australia? That's a lot of money and there's a chance some of it's yours. It's easy to search for your money via SuperSeeker, the Australian Taxation Office's (ATO) online search tool. After all, if you lost a $100 note, you'd spend at least a few minutes looking for it, so why not spend a little time finding your lost super? Go to www.ato.gov.au and follow the links to SuperSeeker to search for your lost super.

2. Consolidate yoru super and save on fees
And once you've found any lost super, don't burden yourself with multiple fees and bundles of paperwork by having several super funds. It makes sense to roll it all into one super fund. Fewer fees and less paperwork!

3. Exercise your right to choose
So now that you have all your super in one place, make sure you choose where it's invested. Super funds nowadays have many different investment options that members can choose from. So no matter what stage of life you're at or what your investment goals are, your super fund will have an investment option that's right for you. Alternatively, speak to your financial adviser for professional help and they'll be able to assist you in deciding on an investment option that suits your needs.

4. Make the most of profesional advisers with the right expertise
After you've done all this, and if you'd still like an extra helping hand getting your super sorted, why not use the professional services of a financial adviser from Intellichioce? For a completely low fee, our team of qualified financial planners can help you grow your wealth and help you get on track to a comfortable financial future. Call 1300 55 10 45 for an obligation free financial meeting with one of our financial advisers.

5. Ensure you're insured
Life insurance is unlikely to be a big priority if you don't have a family, but what would happen if you couldn't work due to injury? You probably have insurance cover as part of your super, but you should check that it's enough. It's also worth noting that income protection premiums are generally cheaper if taken out through your super, but again, make sure that it's enough and meets your requirements.

For financial advice on superannuation or insurance, speak to a financial planner at Intellichoice today on 1300 55 10 45 or visit www.intellichoice.com.au for details on the various services offered.