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Market corrections , market dips, bear markets..... who loves them? Not many...but what if I told you that maybe you should…?

Actually, they’re never called any of the above. They’re always called a crash.

I recently had to go to an eye specialist. The guy I went to was recommended to me as the best in his field.

I showed up at the clinic on time, feeling a little nervous and unsure of what was happening next.

My old soccer coach was a wise man. He had a saying “when in doubt, kick it out”.

He would always say if you’re under stress and someone’s bearing down on you at 100 miles an hour and you need to make a quick decision, if the passing option isn’t clear, if there’s risk of an interception or a miskick – just kick it out.

Superannuation is generally intended to help fund your retirement, but there are instances where you may also be able to withdraw your super savings early, depending on your situation.  

...Without the Bullshit

The Global Financial World has had a lot going on over recent years. Ever since the Global Financial Crisis, interest in the economic situation has peaked among the general public, although it is easy to get lost in the financial jargon.

The key to building wealth is to spend less than you earn, invest appropriately, stick to your plan, and start early.

The SFP founder Bill Bracey features in a TV series - Your Best Interests (www.yourbestinterests.com.au) is about financial advice and the difference it makes to the lives of everyday Australians...

If you have not fully used your concessional cap in a prior financial year, you may be eligible to use these unused carried forward amounts in a later year.

If your income is under a certain threshold, then making personal after-tax super contributions could enable you to qualify for a Government co‑contribution and take advantage of the low tax rate payable in super on investment earnings..

In 2019, the Australian population tipped over 25 million. None of these lovely people have any chance of sustaining a successful investment strategy without the help of an empathetic and tough loving investment adviser.

The word recession and economy have become incredibly popular in the last few months.

Three reasons why Australia may come through this period of global misery better than most countries.

When you find out that your partner is wanting divorce, it’s like a traffic accident, everything goes into a slow motion.

You can see it all unveiling around you, but you just don’t know what to do, or who to talk to. Whether it comes as a sudden shock or more gradually, divorce and separation brings emotional confusion to peoples’ lives and challenging issues to their finances.

If you set yourself money goals at the start of 2019, the upcoming new financial year is a great time to check if you’re on track.

"For many of us, building a sufficient superannuation balance for retirement is likely to be the most important thing we can achieve in our working life.

After all, the quality of your lifestyle in retirement depends largely on how much you contribute to super, and the investment choices you make.

You may be eligible to claim a tax deduction if you make a personal contribution to superannuation. There are some important steps you need to follow carefully and specific timeframes to take action.

If your spouse is a stay-at-home parent, freelancing, studying or out of work, adding to their super could benefit you both financially. 

Splitting super contributions to your spouse’s super account may help to boost their retirement savings and provide a range of other benefits.

Want to help boost your retirement savings while potentially saving on tax? Here are five smart super strategies to consider before the end of the financial year.

Contributing some of your pre-tax salary, wages or a bonus into super could help you to reduce your tax and invest more for your retirement.

Still in the "sweet spot", but expect more volatility ahead - following are the key points:

• Despite the usual worry list, 2017 has been pretty good for investors as global growth and profits accelerated and central banks stayed benign as inflation stayed low.

The NSW Government is rolling out a new package designed to improve housing affordability across the state.

“So little one, what do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s one of the first questions that many of us faced as youngsters, more often than not from a distant relative we couldn’t have recognised in a police line-up.

As retirement comes into view, it’s time to imagine a new you for the post-work age.

What is insurance? - Insurance is a form of protection - a way to protect yourself, your family and the things you own if something goes wrong. It enables you to replace or repair your assets, whether those assets are your belongings or your capacity to earn income.

Well the 2016 Budget has been delivered, so what should we be doing regarding the changes to super?

There are a number of big changes regarding contributions to super, but in short the Government is making it harder to get larger amounts of money into super, thereby making it harder for retirees to take advantage of the tax free status of a Super Pension (known as an Allocated Pension).

If you’ve paid off your home, have a healthy stash of super and take an overseas holiday each year, you’ve made it financially. That’s the view of many Australians according to recent research.

After 28 years of advising clients in the Illawarra and now having more than 1,000 clients in the region, we are very proud to announce the opening of Illawarra Financial Planning’s new main office for the area.

Romance blooms at any age, including as we get older and supposedly wiser about such things of the heart, and head.

What is a budget? A budget is a plan that works out how you will manage your income and expenses.

Maintaining a budget is a powerful way to control your money.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) took the cash rate to a record low of 1% in July, bringing mortgage rates to their lowest level in more than half a century.

Thank you so much for your support for SFP Founder, Bill Bracey’s inaugural TV appearance on the series – Your Best Interests. 

We’ve been overwhelmed with positive feedback with many resonating with Helen’s story about how financial planning has made a difference to your life.

Congratulations to Leigh Morris who screened on Channel 10's Eyewitness News - on Sunday 14th January 2018.

Watch the replay of Leigh's interview and the importance of budgeting and cashflow.

Staying fit is important at any age, but as we get older our bodies change and respond differently to exercise.

Procrastination is no doubt the number one reason why people don’t become successful at achieving what they dream of.

It is caused by the change that needs to happen. And we, humans, don’t like change that much!

Buying your first car, helping the children get a good education, enjoying a rewarding retirement.

Is it really your great Aussie dream?

It happens every year. You’re strolling down the high street of your local beachside town enjoying a long hot summer with the family when a holiday home in the real estate agents’ window catches your eye. 

No one wants to budget. It’s scary, it takes a long time, it would deprive me from…

Now you can put more into super at the concessional rate of tax, starting from the 2019-20 financial year.

From our beaches and outdoor lifestyle to our democracy and cultural diversity, there a lot to feel happy about in Australia.

Whether it’s finances or fitness, spending time on setting your goals can reap rewards.

Below are the average super balances for different age groups in Australia so you can see how your super savings compare.

A healthy super balance can be a key ingredient in being able to live the life we want in retirement. But for many people, retirement is a long way off, and it can be hard to know if your super is on track. If you’ve been asking yourself – how much super should I have at my age? – read on to find out.

and what it means to you?

With nearly one in three people planning to save their tax return, have you considered what you might do with yours?

We’ve all had the feeling. You step off the plane from Bangkok still buzzing, images from your holiday flitting through your mind - the Parthenon, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower. 

Stop taking advice from people that offer it for free.

We’re all guilty of it at some stage in our lives.

As we grow up, land our first job and receive our first pay check, friends, family and colleagues will all chip in to give you their pearls of wisdom. 

Happy end of financial year! Bill Bracey of Sydney Financial Planning provides an economic update for the new financial year (July 2019).

Health... check. Finances... check. Career... check?

Are you happy at work? Do you jump out of bed excited about tackling your next project? Or are you counting down the days until your holidays or retirement? 

I’m a stickler for being organised, for planning ahead, for sytemising and organising. If I sound proud of this, it’s because I am.

For those in people in my life who have to put up with this constant need of mine to pigeon-hole and plan, it’s a source of constant annoyance I’m sure. However, I know I cannot function without this level of order.

Will you be a honeymooner, a go-getter or a relaxer?

The first year of retirement is one of transition in which you will need to adjust to major changes that can bring big rewards.

If presentation isn’t on point, many buyers keep looking, which is an important point to remember for those wanting to sell in the current market.

On 22 March 2020 the Government announced a further package of measures designed to stimulate the economy and assist individuals and businesses with mitigating the negative economic impacts associated with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Tax time is looming, which means it’s time to brush up on your tax minimisation tools.

We’ve provided a few examples below to get you started

It seems that financial stress is keeping every generation up at night, albeit for different reasons.

Confused about salary sacrificing? You’re not alone. Let us clear it up for you.

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value". Of all Albert Einstein’s many quotes, this is one of his most profound.

I ask others what success looks like and of course the concept is different for everyone. Usually, it’s considered in the context of material measures…the biggest house, the newest car or the highest salary. What I also find is that acquiring these types of success usually gives a person satisfaction for a relatively short period.

In 1930, Harold Bell Lasseter claimed that when three decades earlier he rode on horseback from Queensland to the West Australian goldfields, he stumbled across a huge gold reef.

Over the next 80 years, scores of expeditions set off to the region near the border of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, but no-one ever found a sliver of evidence of the socalled Lasseter’s Reef.

The time is now! Embrace the changes and benefit before it’s too late

Are you the type of person who always has to have the latest clothes, smart technology or gym gear?

If you answered yes to this question, you could be a person who likes instant gratification, that is, you like to indulge in instant reward now, rather than exercising self-controli, in return for a potentially greater reward in the future.

If, like many others, your life and money feels a bit like a juggling act - paying bills here and there ... and "Uh oh, forgot about the council rates, guess that one's going on the credit card".

You may be thinking that having some extra cash would solve a lot of your problems.

Christmas isn’t coming, it’s already here! For most of us, December is when the reality of Christmas really kicks in and has us scrambling to get organised.

Many people over 50 are putting their skills and experience to work in their own businesses. 

What is Superannuation and what’s so super about it?

There are four distinct Gift-Giver Personalities represented across generations, genders and geographies in Australia.

Almost $20 billion spent on gifts each year, Australia is a generous nation.

We look at a few statistics on what has happened with the economy so far and insights into what's to come.

Many women dream of a retirement where they can kick back and relax, do whatever they like and be free from the demands of others – actually focusing on caring for themselves.

The common thread shared among Walt Disney, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears goes well beyond entertainment.

What is financial wellness? How you 'feel', is your wellness. How you 'feel' about your money is your financial wellness.

If you’re like three out of four Australians, you may have started the year without a proper budget.ⁱ

Key points

• Successful investing can be really difficult in times of uncertainty like now making it important to stay

Ever looked at a friend who has everything together and thought 'what's their secret?' Here are five habits you can implement to help achieve financial security.

Creative ideas for younger Australians to invest in property

It won’t come as a huge surprise to learn that Australian homes are among the most expensive in the world. In a recent surveyⁱ every Australian town and suburb was rated as ‘seriously’ or ‘severely’ unaffordable. And if you’re in a capital city it’s even worse, with the average Sydney home costing nine times average household income.

but it could have been much worse...

Sydney Financial Planning earns 'Most Trusted Adviser' status for the fourth year in a row!