Money Magazine

One of our most downloaded podcast episodes on Friends With Money was the one about retirement titled “Can I retire now?” In this episode we explored the age-old question of exactly how much money you need in retirement. Depending on the research you

EDITORIAL Founder & editorial adviser Paul Clitheroe Editor-in-chief Michelle Baltazar (02) 8234 7500 michelle.baltazar@moneymag.com.au Art director Ann Loveday Designer David Matthews Senior sub-editors Bob Christensen, Debra Duncan Senior writers S

Contributing writer Whenever there was a significant task ahead my father would say “just do it little by little”. His advice resonated later when I discovered drip feeding spare cash into wealth creation works wonders. I’m a great fan of super and i

The bucket list trip for any investor has to be the Berkshire Hathaway annual general meeting. I went five years ago, thinking it would be the last, but in May this year we had our latest instalment and the guys didn’t disappoint, even though Charlie

It’s fair dinkum time for employers to realise the true value of older workers in the workplace. The latest report by the Australian HR Institute and Australian Human Rights Commission proves that fewer employers set age limits on job candidates, and

FRIENDS WITH MONEY #98: TAX TIME Guest: Mark Chapman Hosted by: Tom Watson It’s that time of year again, when you have to get together all your records and receipts. There’s no doubt tax time can be stressful but the more organised you are the easier

If you own a rental property, you need to be particularly careful not to understate your income or overclaim your expenses when you complete your 2023 tax return. The ATO is backing up its existing compliance focus on rental properties by entering in

Australians who gamble online will no longer be able to fund their bets using a credit card under a newly proposed ban put forward by the federal government. According to the government, Australians are estimated to lose around $25 billion to legal g

As if life wasn’t tough enough for renters right now, according to the consumer group CHOICE more than two in five renters have been pressured to use so-called “rent tech” - third-party rental platforms when they apply for a lease. According to CHOIC

It’s been more than 30 years since Freddie Mercury passed away, but interest in the lead vocalist of British rock band Queen has never waned. Fans now have a chance to own some of Mercury’s prized possessions, with auction house Sotheby’s announcing

The champagne corks must have been popping at ResMed’s head office in April when it reported currency-adjusted revenue up 31% to $US1.1 billion ($1.7 billion). Growth was spread across all major segments, including devices, masks and software. Its co

Describes catching and tagging sharks as a job that now he can only really do himself. “We can’t farm it out to any of our students because of OH&S issues. It’s like the old Space Cowboys mo vie where the old bastards are brought out of retirement Ge

QIn early 2021, my partner and I bought a home for $850,000, despite the valuation coming in at $790,000. We needed a place as soon as possible, as we had moved interstate and had a baby in tow. Sleep-deprived and overwhelmed by all of the change in

2019 Xanadu ‘Circa 77’ Shiraz $22 Xanadu continues to impress, with Glenn Goodall leading the team of one of Margaret River’s finest wineries. The shiraz has long played second fiddle to cabernet, but its quality has dramatically improved in recent y

What is it? The annual fundraising campaign is run by the Salvation Army to help people in severe financial crisis. Its longestablished doorknock appeal took place on May 20 and 21 but donations can still be made online. Where your money goes? Last y

Well, Rowina, you are the second person who has dropped me an email this month about a house that needs much work. (See Ask Paul, page 27). I know I should not chuckle, but your comment that it “just drains the life out of me” will ring true for many

THE SWEET SPOT If you worry that your superannuation savings are inadequate, you’re not alone. Around 65% of Australians retire with less than $250,000 in superannuation. If you’re one of them, however, you could be pleasantly surprised and find you

The definition of retirement is evolving. Work rules have been relaxed around the age pension and retirees can earn more and still qualify for the full or part age pension. “We’re seeing members work longer and more members return to the workforce,”

Australians are retiring with more debt and increasingly with mortgages. Joshua Funder, Household Capital’s chief executive officer, says more than 30% of retirees have a mortgage. One strategy for them is to access the equity in their home to pay of

Aspiring first-time home buyers who are locked out of the property market will get a second shot at their dream, thanks to new laws coming into effect next month. Starting on July 1, the eligibility criteria for the government’s three-pronged Home Gu

No generation has money matters honed to perfection. Superannuation tends to be a weak spot for gen Z, with low levels of engagement, though Scott Pantlin doesn’t see a problem with this. “in my opinion, super is not something they need to focus on r

Owen Craven says one of the reasons he talks proudly about his family’s positive surrogacy experience is to inspire and educate others, as well as to highlight some aspects of the flawed legal framework that surrounds surrogacy. “While under Australi

The alarm goes off. 5am. It’s cold and I can hear it raining outside. My shoes are laid out, I know where my running gear is, but a decision still needs to be made. To get up, or not to get up, that is the question. If I hadn’t made a morning habit,

With the end of the financial year fast approaching, small businesses can take steps to save on tax. Here are some last-minute tips to trim your 2022-23 bill. The starting point for ensuring you’re reducing the tax liability for your small business i

The question of whether to buy before you sell your home, or vice versa, doesn’t come with a simple answer. It could depend on the prevailing market conditions: common wisdom is to sell first in a buyer’s market and buy first in a seller’ market. Bey

Some managed funds no longer declare investment fees and instead refer to indirect cost ratios (ICR). They use this term because these charges may not be paid directly by you to the managed fund, but indirectly because the investment manager’s fee is

Drawing pension payments from your balanced or growth fund during a market correction means you will be locking in asset losses. You can avoid this by having a bucket strategy. “If you had started your retirement income stream the day before the GFC

John Maroney’s labradoodles are restless. The puppies are agitating to get outside and wreak havoc on the lawn again. He apologises in advance in case our interview is interrupted. “They give us a good run for our money,” he says affectionately. Maro

Home ownership will give you choices that may improve your financial situation and well being in retirement. But remember, you super is counted in the age pension assets test. Key advantages of ownership are: “Most people in middle Australia probably

Seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance (before fees and expenses) of the Solactive Battery Value-Chain Index. ACDC invests in companies throughout the lithium cycle, including mining, refineme

Money is the language of business. Okay, well, accounting is technically the language of business, but money is its alphabet. And, so, it should stand to reason that if your business is money itself, you’re in a pretty good industry. On balance, I th

If you weren’t born in 1955, there was no way that you could be Bill Gates or Steve Jobs building an operating system. You had to be born at the right time to slot into the computer age. I was born six years too late in 1961. I remember having the op

Source: Rainmaker Information. Data sourced February 28, 2023. *Numbers stated here depict averages, other than the Rank column, which is the total number of funds in the category. For any queries on these tables, please contact info@rainmaker.com.au

What’s it like to win Olympic gold? It was, not surprisingly, an amazing experience, particularly given that it happened at a home Games. We came to the Games as world champions knowing that if we performed well we would have a strong chance of compe