As retirement is approaching, it's natural to reassess your financial strategies, ensuring a comfortable and stress-free retirement. For many, investment properties have been a cornerstone of wealth accumulation, but as retirement looms, it's prudent to review their role in your overall financial plan.

Being a single woman comes with its unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to managing finances. Whether you’re single by choice, divorce, or loss, taking control of your financial wellbeing is essential. In this blog, we’ll explore practical advice tailored specifically for single women to achieve financial independence and security.

The last 3 years in markets have been a challenging time, first came COVID and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Household consumption is the primary force behind economic growth and it’s been experiencing a difficult combination of soaring mortgage rates, increased living expenses and persistent inflation. Together, these things are causing a decrease in disposable income. These strains are likely to persist for a while yet and are causing the short-term fluctuations you might be seeing in your portfolios, depending on your level of share exposure.

When retirement is on the horizon, things often start to get a bit easier financially. Your mortgage might be paid off or almost paid off, and you have no more school fees to worry about. Plus, if you're earning a healthy income, it's the perfect opportunity to ramp up your savings for the future. But, as most of us are all too aware, women often end up with less in their super accounts compared to men, and on top of that, they tend to live longer. These factors can really mess up your retirement plans.

Australia has just rolled out some new rules for buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services. Basically, BNPL providers now have to follow stricter guidelines and do background checks before handing out these loans. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will be keeping a close eye on companies like Afterpay and Zip Co, making sure they're playing by the consumer credit rules.