Dollars and Making Sense

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...

Justin Bott from Services Australia (Centrelink) is with us again to explain the changes to age pension as the indexation rate changes the payments on 20 September for all recipients.  There is much to consider and we learn in today's show there are substantial benefits to claim even if you are earning a reasonable amount of income.  Assets are big on our discussion, so whether you are retired...

We welcome back Philippa Hunt from Wise Girls Money Academy on the unsavory topic of women, divorce and finances. It is indeed a sad fact in Australia domestic violence is happening all too frequently, and hand in hand with this violence comes financial abuse that in most situations land poorly on women. From financial hardship, loss of assets, access to housing and ongoing support, we discuss wit...

George Haramis, CEO and founder of moneyGPS joins us this week to parse the difference between fintech, roboadvice and AI.  And while you might be thinking AI is going to solve the world's problems, that ain't necessarily so in the space of personal financial advice. Tune in to understand the key differences and why the human touch will continue to remain all important when thinking about...

The new financial year is upon us, and we're chatting with Natasha Panagis of the Institute of Financial Professionals Australia, resident subject matter expert on all matters Superannuation.  APRA super funds are out trying to educate their clients on what's in super including insurances, returns and contribution rules.  Are we really getting "qualified advisors", or more of the...

Paul Mather of FBT Solutions joins us again to continue our discussions about Fringe Benefits Tax and how Salary Packaging might impact your take home pay.  There are a number of considerations when including vehicles, meals, gym memberships, airport lounge memberships into a salary offering.  We also work out the difference between a meal being sustenance rather than entertainment.  Dollars &...

We welcome Paul Mather, principal of FBT Solutions to discuss Fringe Benefits Tax.  What is FBT, and how long has it been around?  What the common misconceptions surrounding FBT, avoidance and the dreaded Tax Office audit?  Paul is an industry expert of over 25 years experience and a member of the ATO consultative panel on FBT since 2005.  We discuss the basics as well as common mistakes small bus...

Andrew Inwood, CEO of Coredata is no stranger to data and statistics and today, we're teasing out some devil in the detail regarding a recent presentation about "looking for alpha", and what exactly means.  The wealth of information at Andrew's fingertips is worth a listen as we ponder the difference between alpha & beta investing, active & passive management, and where t...

Apologies for this week's Dad joke, but we have Katrina McPhee, Chief of Staff of Aware Super, Australia's 3rd largest super fund on the show to chat to us about super and performance.  The key is not focusing on the short game, that's the trick, your super is a long term play, whether you are 25, 45, 65 or 85 for that matter.  Kat is with us today to help educate all of us about the g...

Maria Nati, a recently trained new presenter on Radio Northern Beaches joins us this week on Dollars and Making Sense to discuss "Wellness & Finance".  Finding balance, and how the pursuit of wellness, as well as finance, should be done with passion and vigour.  We also discuss Maria's new radio show that is all about something, and nothing at the same time!  Jerry eat your heart...

What do crypto investors look like, and do they invest differently to the rest of the market?  What challenges does the Advice Industry face in trying to service this asset class?  This week we welcome Anna Vennonen, Research Consultant from Coredata to discuss some research conducted in the area of Cryptocurrency and how the Australian Advice Industry is or is not keeping pace with this fast evol...

We welcome back Glenn Butcher, CEO of FundWA to continue our discussions about Venture Capital.  This episode we focus on the sharp end of the process and start talking about Term Sheets, Pitch Events and how we get our money back - yes, Exit Strategies.  A valuable insight into how founders find investment capital, and how investors reap the benefits of being early adopters and keep faith in thei...

The bank of Mum & Dad is increasingly playing a major part of house purchases today, but many Centrelink payment recipients fail to appreciate the impact helping their kids out might have on the their pension payments.  Justin Bott from Services Australia visits us again to illuminate on this area that is still widely misunderstood.  Find out the difference between "gifting" and &quo...

We welcome back Justin Bott, Media Info Officer from Services Australia to chat about end of year obligations if you receive government payments.  Do you have to fill in a tax return?  What are the implications of not doing so?  Justin provides an excellent review and some great takeaways for those who are wondering if they need to fill in a tax return this year or not?  Dollars & Making Sense...