I met with UBS Investment Bank during a function on Monday, who gave some very interesting insights about the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and their thoughts on interest rate rises.
UBS Economists predict that with the improved business investment outlook in Australia and a positive view on the improving global economy, we can expect the RBA to completely move away from the current 3.25% cash rate to a more 'normal' 4.25% by the end of March next year, rather than gradually raising the cash rates through to the end of 2010 as previously forecasted.
We can also expect the RBA to another hike 50 basis points (0.5%) before Christmas (with the risk of a 50 basis points move in November alone). While unemployment is likely to drift up towards a peak of 6% by the end of June 2010, the labour market should be steadying and fulltime jobs growth recovering. This strengthening will allow the RBA to justify a further 50 basis points increase to reach a still low 4.25% cash rate by the end of March 2010.
Economists at UBS suggest that by September 2010, the RBA will start the next phase of its tightening cycle and we can expect to see further increases towards the end of 2010 taking the cash rate up to around 4.75%, and then rising to 5.5% in 2011.
Make sure you're prepared for the rate rises, either by putting in place a simple budgeting or savings plan or by fixing your home or investment loans to cope with the increase in repayments. Please feel free to email or speak to one of the financial consultants in the office for a finance health check by calling 1300 55 10 45.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Is Lady Luck to blame for your financial woes?
According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Sunsuper of more than 750 people from around Australia, many respondents blamed 'bad luck' for their financial dissatisfaction, while 'good luck' and 'positive thinking' on the other hand, played a big role in the financial happiness stakes.
Of those who said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their finances, 51% stated they were 'not earning enough money.' Approximately 48% said they were dissatisfied with their finances because of poor financial planning, followed by bad luck at 24%. Surprisingly, the two most likely reasons for financial stress, the economic downturn and having too much debt, came in at only 3 and 2 percent respectively.
The survey also found nearly twice as many men as women put their financial frustration down to fate and Gen Y more than any other age group attributed their financial woes to bad fortune, with 30% saying if they were luckier, they would be richer.
Those surveyed who earned under AU$60,000 per annum were also more likely than those who earned more to put the blame at Lady Luck's door.
The survey found that 69% were satisfied with their financial lives because they worked hard, although interestingly, 20% gave 'positive thinking' as a top reason, while 13% attributed it to 'good luck'. Only a quarter listed 'good financial planning' as playing a part in their financial satisfaction.
The survey also found that only 3% of Gen Y who responded attributed their financial fulfillment to their parents, which seems to contradict the notion that under 35s enjoy sponging off mum and dad.
Gen Ys also said they were not satisfied with how their lives were turning out financially, with the survey finding the older you get, the more your financial dissatisfaction grows. Only 15% of Gen Ys said they were financially dissatisfied, in comparison to 27% of Gen Xs and 32% of Baby Boomers.
It's very concerning to learn from this survey that so many people believe that their financial situation is largely out of their hands and that fate or chance plays are part in their financial satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
There are many things people can do to improve their situation and take control of their finances - for example, someething as simple as doing a budget or getting financial advice from a qualified financial planner is a start in the right direction. It does not have to be expensive or complicated and can make all the difference for a stable financial future.
For more information on how a financial planner can help you boost your financial satisfaction (without leaving it to Lady Luck or Lotto), call 1300 55 10 45 to speak to an Intellichoice Financial Adviser.
Of those who said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their finances, 51% stated they were 'not earning enough money.' Approximately 48% said they were dissatisfied with their finances because of poor financial planning, followed by bad luck at 24%. Surprisingly, the two most likely reasons for financial stress, the economic downturn and having too much debt, came in at only 3 and 2 percent respectively.
The survey also found nearly twice as many men as women put their financial frustration down to fate and Gen Y more than any other age group attributed their financial woes to bad fortune, with 30% saying if they were luckier, they would be richer.
Those surveyed who earned under AU$60,000 per annum were also more likely than those who earned more to put the blame at Lady Luck's door.
The survey found that 69% were satisfied with their financial lives because they worked hard, although interestingly, 20% gave 'positive thinking' as a top reason, while 13% attributed it to 'good luck'. Only a quarter listed 'good financial planning' as playing a part in their financial satisfaction.
The survey also found that only 3% of Gen Y who responded attributed their financial fulfillment to their parents, which seems to contradict the notion that under 35s enjoy sponging off mum and dad.
Gen Ys also said they were not satisfied with how their lives were turning out financially, with the survey finding the older you get, the more your financial dissatisfaction grows. Only 15% of Gen Ys said they were financially dissatisfied, in comparison to 27% of Gen Xs and 32% of Baby Boomers.
It's very concerning to learn from this survey that so many people believe that their financial situation is largely out of their hands and that fate or chance plays are part in their financial satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
There are many things people can do to improve their situation and take control of their finances - for example, someething as simple as doing a budget or getting financial advice from a qualified financial planner is a start in the right direction. It does not have to be expensive or complicated and can make all the difference for a stable financial future.
For more information on how a financial planner can help you boost your financial satisfaction (without leaving it to Lady Luck or Lotto), call 1300 55 10 45 to speak to an Intellichoice Financial Adviser.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Aussies follow Brits pushing financial advice aside
According to Guardian executive manager Steve Browning, there is still an alarming amount of people who are not seeking financial advice and taking control of their finances one year into the global financial crisis.
'The British Institute of Financial Planning released a survey this month that showed 80% of the country's population were not satisfied with their financial position but only 5% would seek professional help. Of the rest, most were banking on winning lott.' said Browning.
Here in Australia, it's not much better, wth the recent Suncorp WealthSmart survey finding about 51% of respondents thought seeing a financial adviser was important, but only 12% had actually sought advice.
'The British Institute of Financial Planning released a survey this month that showed 80% of the country's population were not satisfied with their financial position but only 5% would seek professional help. Of the rest, most were banking on winning lott.' said Browning.
Here in Australia, it's not much better, wth the recent Suncorp WealthSmart survey finding about 51% of respondents thought seeing a financial adviser was important, but only 12% had actually sought advice.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Can you afford to retire?
The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has affected superannuation balances across the board. This has left many people questioning their retirement plans.
Have you asked yourself these questions:
1. Can I still afford to retire?
2. Is there anything I can do to build my balance up again?
3. Is superannuation still the best option for me?
Having a financial adviser by your side can help to answer these questions and guide you to make the right choices with your money.
You're invited to come in for a complimentary appointment with one of our financial advisers and discuss how we may be able to help get your retirement plans back on track.
Call 1300 55 10 45 or email us directly for a complimentary review.
Have you asked yourself these questions:
1. Can I still afford to retire?
2. Is there anything I can do to build my balance up again?
3. Is superannuation still the best option for me?
Having a financial adviser by your side can help to answer these questions and guide you to make the right choices with your money.
You're invited to come in for a complimentary appointment with one of our financial advisers and discuss how we may be able to help get your retirement plans back on track.
Call 1300 55 10 45 or email us directly for a complimentary review.
Financial Planning advice at a minimal fee: How we helped James
James came to us to enquire about our financial planning services. He had over the past few years spoken to 5 financial planners. Initially, the planners were excited with the prospect of dealing with a young professional with a high disposable income.
However, James had structured his financial situation to partially reduce his tax liability and more importantly, protect the family assets. This structure appeared complex and daunting to the other advisers and to James’s frustration, no positive outcome was achieved. The advisers would have charged him a huge fee to try to manage his finances or found it too hard and couldn’t help him.
When James came to see Intellichoice, not only were we able to meet his expectations, but the fee was far less than what the other planners were charging.
With minimal cost to James, we have been able to utilise his existing financial structure and further reduce his tax liability. We have also managed to establish an investment portfolio for the long term, whilst also creating a tax effective income stream for his partner.
We will be there with James and his family as they progress through the various life stages and will assist them to achieve their long term financial goals.
To find out more about our minimal fee financial planning service, speak to one of the advisors at 1300 55 10 45 or email us at planning@intellichoicefp.com.au.
Visit www.intellichoice.com.au for more details on our services.
However, James had structured his financial situation to partially reduce his tax liability and more importantly, protect the family assets. This structure appeared complex and daunting to the other advisers and to James’s frustration, no positive outcome was achieved. The advisers would have charged him a huge fee to try to manage his finances or found it too hard and couldn’t help him.
When James came to see Intellichoice, not only were we able to meet his expectations, but the fee was far less than what the other planners were charging.
With minimal cost to James, we have been able to utilise his existing financial structure and further reduce his tax liability. We have also managed to establish an investment portfolio for the long term, whilst also creating a tax effective income stream for his partner.
We will be there with James and his family as they progress through the various life stages and will assist them to achieve their long term financial goals.
To find out more about our minimal fee financial planning service, speak to one of the advisors at 1300 55 10 45 or email us at planning@intellichoicefp.com.au.
Visit www.intellichoice.com.au for more details on our services.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Australian house values breach $400,000
The median value of an Australian house has breached the $400,000 mark for the first time.
According to information recently released by Residex, the median value of a house in Australia reached $408,500 in August 2009, an increase of 2.51% on the figure recorded at the same time last year. Unit values followed a similar trend, with the nationwide median value increasing by 4.34% to $364,000 in the 12 months from August 2008.
In the Northern Territory, unit prices recorded a massive 19.4% increase over the same period while Darwin registered a similarly impressive 15.05%. Perth and Western Australia Country recorded house value falls of 6.21% and 8.33% respectively, while unit prices in Perth dropped by 2.30% and 3.79% in WA Country.
Residex CEO John Edwards said the data suggested confidence was returning to the Australian property market and that residential investments are once again providing buyers with positive gains. Edwards added that further milestones were within reach: "Without doubt, we can be sure that by the end of September [2009] the median value of a property in Sydney will exceed $600,000."
However, he pointed out that in order to purchase a property at that price, buyers with a deposit of $144,000 would need to be able to make monthly repayments of approximately $2,950 per month at current interest rates.
If you are interested in purchasing property in Australia, please contact Intellichoice for more details. We have a wide range of real estate developments all around Australia, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
According to information recently released by Residex, the median value of a house in Australia reached $408,500 in August 2009, an increase of 2.51% on the figure recorded at the same time last year. Unit values followed a similar trend, with the nationwide median value increasing by 4.34% to $364,000 in the 12 months from August 2008.
In the Northern Territory, unit prices recorded a massive 19.4% increase over the same period while Darwin registered a similarly impressive 15.05%. Perth and Western Australia Country recorded house value falls of 6.21% and 8.33% respectively, while unit prices in Perth dropped by 2.30% and 3.79% in WA Country.
Residex CEO John Edwards said the data suggested confidence was returning to the Australian property market and that residential investments are once again providing buyers with positive gains. Edwards added that further milestones were within reach: "Without doubt, we can be sure that by the end of September [2009] the median value of a property in Sydney will exceed $600,000."
However, he pointed out that in order to purchase a property at that price, buyers with a deposit of $144,000 would need to be able to make monthly repayments of approximately $2,950 per month at current interest rates.
If you are interested in purchasing property in Australia, please contact Intellichoice for more details. We have a wide range of real estate developments all around Australia, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tips to safeguard your financial identity
An increasing numbers of Australian home owners are becoming victims of fraud as criminals steal their identity and take out mortgages in their name.
"What we're seeing is organised crime groups taking over the identities of people who own their properties, which are unencumbered, and then masquerading as them and getting loans using the property as security," said Detective Superintendent Colin Dyson of New South Wales Police.
While traditionally fraudsters had to commit many crimes to receive a reasonable amount of money, just one high value mortgage fraud could net over one million dollars.
The criminals obtained identity information by stealing mail, stealing discarded documents from rubbish or stealing details online using keylogging viruses said Dyson. They then used that stolen information to create fake driver’s licenses and Medicare cards to show to prospective lenders.
Below are some tips to help protect your personal information.
Beware of phishers and vishers
Be wary of emails or phone calls that appear to come from your bank – these may be phishing (email) or vishing (phone) scams to get your personal details. Do not give your personal details out!
Don’t post your personal details online
Fraudsters may scour your profile for personal information which they can use to pass themselves off as you. Never put your personal financial information in an email.
Disable pop-ups
Clicking pop-up messages may allow others to download and install a program on your PC to spay on you and steal your identity.
Change your password often
Use a combination of letters, numbers and punctuation and change passwords frequently.
Safe online banking
When you visit secure sites, make sure you always log out. Avoid using public computers for internet banking. Most banks have PC’s in their branches where you can access internet banking securely.
Is the website secure?
If you’re asked to provide personal information online, check that the details in the address bar of the browser start with ‘https’ – the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure.’
Don’t throw out personal information
Fraudsters may go through your rubbish. Destroy account statements and cards to stop them getting hold of your personal information.
Check your credit report
Make sure your name isn’t being used to run up debts. Your credit report contains your personal details and shows credit applications and defaults. You can get a free copy of your credit report from My Credit File (Veda Advantage), Dun and Bradstreet or Tasmanian Collection Service.
"What we're seeing is organised crime groups taking over the identities of people who own their properties, which are unencumbered, and then masquerading as them and getting loans using the property as security," said Detective Superintendent Colin Dyson of New South Wales Police.
While traditionally fraudsters had to commit many crimes to receive a reasonable amount of money, just one high value mortgage fraud could net over one million dollars.
The criminals obtained identity information by stealing mail, stealing discarded documents from rubbish or stealing details online using keylogging viruses said Dyson. They then used that stolen information to create fake driver’s licenses and Medicare cards to show to prospective lenders.
Below are some tips to help protect your personal information.
Beware of phishers and vishers
Be wary of emails or phone calls that appear to come from your bank – these may be phishing (email) or vishing (phone) scams to get your personal details. Do not give your personal details out!
Don’t post your personal details online
Fraudsters may scour your profile for personal information which they can use to pass themselves off as you. Never put your personal financial information in an email.
Disable pop-ups
Clicking pop-up messages may allow others to download and install a program on your PC to spay on you and steal your identity.
Change your password often
Use a combination of letters, numbers and punctuation and change passwords frequently.
Safe online banking
When you visit secure sites, make sure you always log out. Avoid using public computers for internet banking. Most banks have PC’s in their branches where you can access internet banking securely.
Is the website secure?
If you’re asked to provide personal information online, check that the details in the address bar of the browser start with ‘https’ – the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure.’
Don’t throw out personal information
Fraudsters may go through your rubbish. Destroy account statements and cards to stop them getting hold of your personal information.
Check your credit report
Make sure your name isn’t being used to run up debts. Your credit report contains your personal details and shows credit applications and defaults. You can get a free copy of your credit report from My Credit File (Veda Advantage), Dun and Bradstreet or Tasmanian Collection Service.
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