Insights
What are RADs and DAPs when someone moves to a residential aged care facility?
When transitioning to residential care, an individual may be required to pay an accommodation cost known as a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), depending on their assessable assets and income. The RAD price is set by the aged care facility and can vary according...
February 2021 Insights
It’s February, the kids are back at school and the nation is getting back to business. It’s still not business as usual, but with the vaccine rollout about to begin there is a growing sense of optimism. There was a sense of relief on the global economic front in...
Lessons from 2020 to secure a bright future
It was a year most of us would like to forget. And yet, some of the toughest lessons of 2020 had a silver lining. We weathered bushfires, floods, a pandemic that’s not over yet and a recession that is. Through it all we emerged a stronger community. Many of us also...
Soaring to success in 2021
The start of a new year is a great time to reassess where you are in life, your career or business - decide what you want to achieve and put some strategies in place to work towards achieving even your most ambitious goals. The start of this new year is a little...
Retrain your staff with the tax man’s help
For many business owners, fear of incurring a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) bill has kept them from retraining and re-skilling their employees to perform different roles or activities within the business. But a new exemption announced by the government as part of last...
January 2021 Insights
Happy New Year! As 2021 gets underway, we hope you and your families enjoy a safe, happy and prosperous year ahead. While we are not out of the woods yet, there is cause for optimism. December was a busy month on the economic calendar. Global equity markets surged on...
Tax-effective ways to boost your super
After a year when the average superannuation balance fell slightly or, at best, moved sideways, the summer holidays could be a good opportunity to think about ways to rebuild your savings while being mindful of tax. With the Reserve Bank reducing interest rates to...
How do gifts affect age care fees and the age pension?
It isn’t uncommon for parents to want to help their children or other family members financially through a gift of cash. But did you know that providing a financial gift can affect your age pension and aged care costs? If this is something you are considering, it is...
What the US election means for investors
Democrat Joe Biden is pressing ahead with preparations to take the reins as the next President of the United States. Despite legal challenges and recounts, the early signs are that markets are responding positively. In fact, the US sharemarket hit record highs in the...
‘Tis the season for wise spending decisions
The traditional festive holiday season is likely to be a little different this year, but one thing is likely to remain the same – the temptation to spend and the post-Christmas budget hangover. Last year Australians spent about $1000 each for Christmas on presents,...
December 2020
December and summer are finally here, along with a renewed sense of optimism that strict lockdown measures will ease by Christmas. It’s been a tough year, but once again Australians have proved extremely resilient. We wish all our clients and their families a relaxed...
Are you the (personality) type to easily achieve balance?
Checking emails late into the night, reaching for your phone before you’ve even had breakfast to start your working day, the ‘lunch break’ that involves a Zoom meeting - the lines between our work lives and our personal lives have never been blurrier. While there are...