Dollars and Making Sense

If you're getting payments from Services Australia, its part of your responsibilities to let them know when things change.  It may surprise you, but the government don't monitor everything you do, and no, they can't read your minds either.  We welcome back Justin Bott, Community Information Officer to assist in explaining what needs to be done to ensure you continue to get the right ra...

What is the $3m super cap all about?  We welcome back Stuart Sheary, subject matter expert from IFPA ( www.ifpa.com.au ) to help explain all the proposed changes that are being legislated later this year when parliarment resits.  Is the sky falling down, or are we right to be concerned.  Is this just a negotiating strategy to ask for a lot and then settle on a something more acceptable.  Stuart an...

Now is the time to be preparing for your tax returns and if you're receiving a government payment of any sort, we have Justin Bott from Services Australia to explain what needs to be done.  There are certain things you can do to make those tasks easier which includes the government website and some easy calculator tools. Tune in to find out a great freeby offer to help those who might struggle...

In our final installment on life cover inside superannuation, Natasha Panagis from IFPA elaborates on the detail of temporary incapacity and how that varies with the other types of life cover in previous episodes.  There are tax benefits and tips & traps to be aware of, tune in to find out why this form of cover is increasingly important for those needing to ensure continuity of earnings.  Thi...

Go woke, go broke?  Maybe not, we meet Ray Kan from  Daintree Wealth , an experienced financial planner that specialises in ethical investing and has a track record to show that doing the right thing can pay off, just as well as making other choices.  Even though many industries today are legal, we may not always be comfortable putting our long term faith and investments in those fields.  Ray disc...

Its back to basics time.  We're joined this week with Queen Chilenga from Money Fitness Hub based in Kalgoorlie, WA.  Queen specialises in social work and supporting people in financial stress and those in need of the basics.  Its not always about millions, sometimes its simply about making ends meet, and many in the community struggle with the basics.  We work through some of the challenges o...

We continue our series on life insurance in superannuation with Natasha Panagis from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia (ifpa.com.au) as she joins us for part 3 of a 4 part series on life insurance cover inside superannuation.  Today we're discussing TPD, temporary & permanent disability cover.  The big conundrum of any versus own occupation cover and what is and is not...

We welcome a new presenter to the show, Kerry Said from Wealth Creation Advisors.  Kerry is a 30 year industry veteran who specialises in SMSFs and working with clients to achieve their financial goals.  Constructing a long term investment portfolio can be relatively simply if you follow some basic steps.  Six of them in fact! And we're covering them off in today's show, check out the blog...

We continue our series on life insurance in superannuation with Natasha Panagis from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia (ifpa.com.au) as she joins us for part 2 of a 4 part series on life insurance cover inside superannuation.  Today we're discussing terminal illness cover and what constitutes correct conditions of release for APRA funds as well as SMSFs.  What are the impli...

Natasha Panagis from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia (ifpa.com.au) joins us for part 1 of a 4 part series on life insurance cover inside superannuation.  Today we're discussing life insurance, beneficiaries and the difference between super beneficiaries and tax beneficiaries.  Pros and cons of taking life insurance within the super environment, all on Dollars & Making...

Justin Bott, Information Officer from Services Australia joins us again in discussing 4 very important documents you need to consider for Estate Planning.  Now we usually don't like to discuss dying, however by planning better, we gift our family and friends with the knowledge and understanding of what we want done not only when we pass away in a Will, but also if we become incapacitated in so...

Justin Bott, Information Office from Services Australia (Centrelink) joins us again to work through free money.  Yes, "free money", money that is yours but you've either forgotten to claim it, or forgotten about it.  We cover off easy ones like lost superannuation sitting in too many accounts that you've lost track of, through to old banks accounts, investments you no longer thou...

Philippa Hunt joins us for 2025s first recorded session and its very topical as the massive intergenerational transfer of wealth is underway, and women with property transactions will be the ones most likely in the front of the wave of money hitting the trenches.  All is not well as we discover as Philippa, a fully qualified financial planner and physcoligist explains.  There are many facets to co...

Justin Bott from Services Australia here again to illuminate us on a government concession card that is widely misunderstood, and as a result, widely not used.  The Concession Health Card is widely available to all taxpayers irrespectively of age and in many cases with very generous limits.  Tune in to be surprised and how you need to apply for this card.  One of the many services available to all...

Home owners looking to move onto their next place have a unique opportunity to top up their super balances.  This week we welcome a new contributor from IFPA (Institute of Financial Professionals Australia), Stuart Sheary, tech specialist and we're deep diving into Downsizer Contributions to superannuation.  If you own your own home, and need a neat way to bring your retirement balance closer to y...

What is the difference between Preservation Age and Retirement Age?  When can I access my super to draw a pension, and as I approach my retirement, are there ways to boost the super balance of myself and my spouse?  Natasha Panagis of the Institute of Financial Professionals Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ), superannuation subject matter expert illuminates us on what are the proven and effective ways...

We welcome back Peter Johnston, Executive Director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals ( www.aiofp.net.au ) and given the association's annual conference in Canberra at the end of November, it is topical to discuss the upcoming election cycle, and what's going to matter to politician and members alike.  With superannuation, advice fees and taxes on unrealised gains on...

Natasha Panagis, subject matter expert on all matters superannuation joins us to work through key differences between Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), and APRA super funds (industry, govt, pvt).  There are many advantages and disadvantages to running your own show, and we also delve into "wrap accounts", a handy way to sit between a self managed option and a fully regulated fund.  Hear it best fr...

Justin Bott from Services Australia joins us this week to help all of us get up to speed on Pension Income Tests and the Work Bonus.  You'll be quite surprised how much income you can actually make before it starts impacting your Age Pension.  The new Work Bonus also provides a great incentive for those who have reached retirement, yet still wish to work.  Check it out on Dollars & Making Sens...

Ever thought of retiring early?  What are your options and what are the best structures to consider?  Michelle Griffiths from TAG Financial is back with us to discuss the options surrounding an early retirement and the best tax structures to consider.  These include investment company structures as well as family trusts.  There are many benefits as well as potential traps so listen and there's som...

Most of us have a good idea what our superannuation is for.  Today, we're welcoming a new guest to our show, Michelle Griffiths from TAG Financial Services, a financial planner and chartered accountant.  There are many misconceptions in the marketplace about what super is and is NOT for.  This unfortunately includes too many politicians who've decided that the nation's retirement piggy bank is too...

For many contemplating remarrying, the thought of losing assets or long-held family properties is too much to countenance.  Prenuptual Agreements are often talked about in movies, so today we continue our discussion with Ian McLeod from RP Emery Legal Documents about how these binding financial agreements work.  A discussion that clears up some old myths and provides some clarity in an often misun...

Getting divorced or separating from your de facto?  Tune in to find out how to make this happen in a non-inflammatory manner.  These are agreements you strike after you've decided to separate.  We welcome Ian McLeod from financialagreements.com.au to work through how this is done, and how the process works.  A warm discussion that opens and dispels some myths around what happens when you've had en...

With a looming federal election within the next 6-9 months, there is agitation in Canberra and we welcome Peter Johnston, executive director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals to discuss their national conference later this year to be held in Canberra.  There are a number of key initiatives to be wrangled and fought for, and having the ear of elected officials in mar...

Simon Madden, AFL legend and business specialist speaker returns to continue our discussion about men's mental health.  This includes Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual that covers what you do, what you think, what you feel and what you believe.  They are all interconnected and what you can do to improve all of them - both in and out of the workplace.  The linkage between them is import...