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Humans are naturally overconfident. We overestimate our own ability compared to others. One of the most often quoted studies showed that 93% of drivers rated themselves better than the median. We also know that men usually rate themselves as better drivers than women. However, the data shows the opposite. Men are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident. Men also pay more for car insurance.
Do you have a partner in life? Are they on the same page as you financially? Do you like having a separate bank account just for you, or does everything go into a big melting pot? Great financial planning should consider the nuance of how money works within different relationships. Many couples have separate finances but still want to plan for a successful financial future together.
Division 293 tax is an additional tax on super contributions for higher-income earners. For first-time recipients of a Div. 293 notice from the ATO, it can come as a surprise. Super contributions such as employer contributions and salary sacrifice are taxed within your super fund at 15%. Introduced in July 2012, Div. 293 tax is an additional 15% tax for individuals with income greater than $250,000 a year. The tax is payable in addition to the standard 15% contributions tax and rather than being paid automatically by your super fund, most people learn of their Div 293 tax liability after receiving a bill from the ATO.
As we enter a new financial year, people may find that they have inadvertently exceeded their concessional super contribution limits. We discuss what to consider if you find yourself in this situation. Excess concessional contributions occur when an individual exceeds their contributions cap for the year. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) assesses two key sources of information to determine if this limit has been surpassed: super contributions reported by your super fund and deduction for personal contributions stated in your tax return.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has proposed that from 1 July 2025, taxation on earnings from superannuation balances above $3 million will double to 30%. The new policy is expected to raise about $2 billion a year. As always, the devil is in the detail. Initially framed as a simple increase to the existing 15% tax on super fund earnings, the Treasury Consultation Paper makes it clear that this is unequivocally a new tax and will be levied against individuals in a similar way to Div. 293 tax levied on super contributions for higher income earners.
Houses are expensive. For younger people purchasing their first home, raising a deposit can seem like an ever-growing mountain to climb. On the other hand, parents that have been in the housing market for years know the benefits of homeownership for financial security and family stability. This leads many parents to explore options for assisting their adult children to buy their first home (or even upgrade).
Global bond markets have suffered significant losses since last year’s peak, as central banks worldwide tighten monetary policy to combat rising inflation. We don’t normally associate bond funds with negative returns but many of these investments are currently showing negative returns for the past 6-months.

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I recently gave a speech to the Unley Rotary Club on Cybersecurity and awareness of financial scams; the audience had some fantastic follow up questions and many more than I expected. The interesting outcome for me from that presentation was the audience’s sheer diversity of understanding of what scams exist, how they affect people and what someone can do to avoid those risks. Some were genuinely shocked, others apathetic; It won’t happen to me, I’m not affected as I don’t use Facebook, what can I really do to stop it…?
Millions of Australians have (or are about to) receive their first pay packet for the 2024-25 financial year, and it should contain some extra cash. Thanks to the federal government’s “Stage 3” changes to individual tax rates and thresholds, all 13.6 million Australian taxpayers will benefit from income tax cuts that started on 1 July 2024.
As we transition from the working world into retirement, our financial perspectives undergo significant shifts. While we’re working, we have the reassurance of regular pay. This allows us to plan, save for one-off costs, and even extend our retirement timeline if something goes wrong. However, once we retire, the flow of a salary stops and we often face anxiety over the pool of money for retirement not being enough. Understanding the cognitive biases that affect us during these stages can help manage these transitions more effectively.