No doubt you are aware of the Labor Party policy that if elected at the next federal election they will no longer permit unused franking credits to be refunded to taxpayers and self-managed super funds (SMSF’s) in pension phase.  You may also be aware an exemption has been provided to Age Pension recipients.

The planning for retirement for many SMSF’s was done so on the premise that excess franking credits would be received to supplement investment earnings the fund’s assets generated.  This effectively would result in the return on equities paying fully franked dividends to be increased by 30% or the amount of company tax that was paid on that profit the company has decided to distribute to you.

Many of our client’s portfolios hold shares in CBA (Commonwealth Bank) which has a current yield of 5.95%.  The dividends CBA pays are 100% franked which means the true yield to a taxpayer entitled to receive a refund of those franking credit becomes 8.5% (5.95% / 70% * 100%).  A rather compelling reason to hold CBA in this low-interest rate environment some might argue…but that’s for another time…

Let’s assume you have a 2 member SMSF that is in full pension phase and you are not eligible for the Age Pension.  Let’s also assume the SMSF’s portfolio receives $30,000 of fully franked dividend income which once grossed up for franking results in a total dollar return of $42,857.  An additional amount of $12,857 or 30% of the total return has been received due to the refunding of the franking credits.  Under Labor’s policy, the $12,857 will be lost!!

One interesting change in the SMSF landscape happens on 1 July 2019.  From that date, the membership rules of an SMSF change in that the number of members permitted will increase from 4 to 6.  What does this have to do with my SMSF losing my franking credits I hear you say? Well, a lot!!

A strategy worth considering is increasing the number of members in your fund to include those in accumulation phase because the earnings attributable to their member accounts will be taxed at the rate of 15%.  The advantage of this strategy is; rather than lose an entitlement to receive those franking credits altogether, they can be offset against the tax raised against the income attributable to the members in accumulation phase.

A further advantage of adding members in accumulation mode into the SMSF is their taxable contributions are not pro-rated.  This means the contributions tax of 15% levied on those concessional/taxable contributions can be also be soaked up by franking credits to mitigate the net tax position.As you can see for the hypothetical example above, by including members into the SMSF who are in accumulation mode, part of the franking credits can be used to reduce any potential tax liability to nil.  Whilst this is not as advantageous as receiving a full refund of those excess franking credits there is a minor advantage gained in reducing the amount of tax the SMSF pays overall.

As the great Kerry Packer said at the House of Representatives Select Committee on Print Media way back in November 1991:

“I pay whatever tax I am required to pay under the law, not a penny more, not a penny less…if anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax they want their heads read because as a government I can tell you you’re not spending it that well that we should be donating extra.”

Please note this article only provides general advice, it has not taken your personal or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored financial advice, please contact us today. One of our advisers would be delighted to speak with you.

“$16m Goldsky fund ‘Ponzi Scheme’ ensnares high-profile sports stars” – this was the headline of the weekend Courier Mail.

What it is about us that makes us risk our hard-earned cash when someone sells us a good story?

There have been any number of so-called Ponzi schemes uncovered over the years and we haven’t seen the last of them.  A Ponzi scheme is a type of fraud that pays profits to its investors from funds invested by newer investors. The ‘success’ of a Ponzi scheme relies on a continued flow of funds into the scheme and little in the way of withdrawal requests. There is often no underlying investment made in spite of the reporting that is provided to investors.

These schemes are usually operated by people who excel at sales, people with the gift of the gab and a great personality, who are able to convince people to invest with them and then convince the investors that the investment is performing outstandingly well – until it crashes. Someone eventually twigs that things aren’t as they should be, with the result that a lot of people lose a lot of money.

Why would anyone invest in one of these things, or at least invest in something that could be less than what it purports to be?

We are suckers for the ‘get rich quick’ type of line that these operators will use and that level of greed will make us – for greed is what it is, will make us take the risk.

A simple portfolio of good quality ASX-listed shares that will appreciate over time and produce a sustainable income just doesn’t cut it when compared to the promises made by our dodgy operators.

Remember the old fable about the tortoise and the hare? This is equally true of investing. Here at The Investment Collective, we subscribe to the theory that a properly constructed portfolio of shares, fixed interest and International managed funds will achieve your objectives over time – safely. This type of portfolio will also give you transparency so that you know what you own, you know what you are invested in and you know the type of income that it will generate for you.

Why would anyone think that the ‘get rich quick brigade’ have a better idea?

Call The Investment Collective if you would like further information on how to invest safely and transparently.

Please note this article provides general advice, it has not taken your personal or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored financial advice, please contact us today.

What if I run out of money?

“I read in the paper on the weekend that more and more retirees are actually running out of money. I am really worried that this will happen to me.”

There are many factors involved in answering the implied question. We know that:

• Life expectancy for our population is rising every year – we are living longer.
• Centrelink thresholds have changed and therefore excluded many retirees from receiving a benefit payment.
• Interest rates are at all-time lows.

We know the stockmarket is volatile and we are only 10 years on from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) that had a major impact on wealth. We are still nervous about putting our money into this environment because of the risk of losing it.

So instead of that, we are putting our money into the bank.  Did you know that the average term deposit rate since 2004 (all terms, all institutions: source RBA) is 3.45%?

Looking at an average Balanced portfolio of investments, the annual compounded return since inception in 2004 has been 6.62%.  This period includes the GFC-affected years.

This means that if you had invested $50,000 into a Balanced portfolio of investments, reinvested dividends and other earnings, and did not take anything out of it apart from portfolio management fees, you would now be sitting on about $126,000.

If you had taken the same amount and invested it in a Term Deposit at the same time, drawing nothing and not paying any management fees on it, you would now have just under $81,000.

Tell me which of those clients is going to run out of money first if they began drawing a payment from it?

We forget that one of the greatest risks we can take is that our money is simply not earning enough to allow it to support the lifestyle we desire. They have replaced what they see as investment risk with risk of another kind – the risk of running out of money.

There is no question in my mind that we should be properly investing our money in a portfolio that best suits our risk tolerance, rather than sitting it in a term deposit, if we wish to mitigate the risk of running out of money.

Please note that this article provides general advice and has not taken your personal or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

Christmas is fast approaching. It will not be long until Santa is saddling up his reindeer and heading to town.

The festive season gives us all a chance to reflect on the year that was, spend valuable time with our loved ones and allow us to re-charge the batteries before doing it all again!  It is also a time that is associated with spending money and a lot of it!

Here are five quick and easy steps to help you put in place your Christmas budget and make this year a debt free Christmas.

1.   Make a list of everyone to whom you would like to give a gift to

This will provide you with focus.

2.   Figure out how much you can afford to spend

This calculation is relatively simple. How much money can you save between now and December 25^th? How much of this are you willing to dedicate towards gifts? This figure must be an amount you save in cold hard cash and not the dreaded credit card.

If the number is low, that is okay. Remember, Christmas is not about financially crippling yourself just so you can feel good about giving someone an expensive gift.

3.   Prioritise

Refer back to your list you made in Step 1.

Now you are going to make it a shorter list. Life is about prioritisation.

Separate your list into three groups – paid gift, made gift and no gift.

Since you now know how much you can afford (Step 2), this will give you a better idea of how many people can be on the paid gift list. Knowing your time available, you can limit your made gift list. The others – no gift.

4.   Allocate accordingly and complete

Paid gift – next to each name on your paid gift list subscribes a monetary amount. Be sure that total does not exceed that number you came up with in Step 2. If you had planned to spend $100 on your partner, stick to it. Do not decide at the last minute that you would really like to get them that iPad they wanted, or those new diamond earrings. Stick to the plan!

Made gift – if you are arty and creative make something. Customized cards or Christmas tree decorations are simple yet effective ideas. If you are good in the kitchen, why not bake something? Christmas puddings, gingerbread and other treats are a good idea for close friends, neighbours and work colleagues.

No gift – sometimes the simple things in life mean the most to some. A personalised handwritten card, email or simply just picking up the phone and having a conversation with a family member or friend are great ways or sharing the festive spirit as well as being cost-effective.

5.   Make it work

Do not spend more than you budgeted. You have a plan now stick to it! Discipline is key. Remember you can have a giving spirit without having a negative bank balance.

Don’t forget the reason for the season.

The above is provided as general advice only. It does not take into your personal circumstances or financial goals. If you would like to discuss further the opportunities involved with budgeting and having a financial plan, call to book an appointment with one of our talented financial advisers today!

Christmas is a time to be savvy!

The November and December months are a time when our wallets are an endless money pit, credit cards are in high demand as we try to keep up with the Joneses. The next few months of unconscious spending can set us up with a significant financial burden well into the New Year.

What can you do to avoid the Christmas expense blues?

1. Create a list

Get organised and make a list of all the people you need to buy presents for. Creating a list allows you to jot down some ideas and start looking online where you can find a bargain. Purchasing multiple gifts from one retail site will reduce your cost of postage.

2. Create a budget

This could be for each gift or the total amount you want to spend on all the gifts you want to buy. A budget will prevent you from buying gifts you don’t need or spending more than you want to.

3. Gift an experience

The manufacturing of cheap, quickly disposable trends are cluttering our lives and sending us broke with a mirage of happiness. Experiencing nature or organising an adventure will create a memorable journey that will last a lifetime.

These simple tips and suggestions will help you avoid overspending, which you’ll reap rewards for well into the New Year.

Please note this article only provides general advice and has not taken your personal or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored financial advice, please contact us today. One of our advisers would be delighted to speak to you.

Recently, I did something I haven’t done in 40 years. I went back to my old high school – Mazenod College in Mulgrave, Melbourne. I’d received an invitation from the ‘Mazenod Old Collegians Association’ to join a tour of the school. For the most part, I had fond memories of my years at Mazenod College and decided it was about time I went back and have a look at how it had changed.

And boy had it changed! I was truly amazed at the range of facilities now in place at the school. An enormous indoor basketball stadium stood on the spot where there once stood a yellow portable classroom which our class occupied for a couple of dreary months during the winter of 1974. Gone was the uneven, muddy footy field, replaced by immaculate looking synthetic grass. Apparently it ‘only cost $1 million’…gulp! There was a state of the art library, including a 300 seat theatre complex. There was even a building dedicated to providing students with cooking classes, which looked like a set from MasterChef.

I asked, Sean, our tour guide (an ‘old boy’ himself) whether the curriculum itself had also changed. Sean proceeded to rattle off a range of subjects. ’Is Financial Planning 101 on the curriculum, Sean?’, I asked. Sean looked at me, paused for a few seconds and replied, ‘well no, not as such, but we do offer Accounting’.

That was my cue. I stepped onto my ‘soapbox’ and shared with him my experience of 20 years in financial planning. That many, many people are essentially ‘illiterate’ when it comes to their own financial planning. They leave school with a trade or a profession, but not the first clue about managing their own money and taking responsibility for achieving their financial goals. And the problem can be sourced back to their education. Many school curriculums include worthwhile and useful subjects (and quite a few useless ones). However, to my mind, we’re providing our children with a disservice if we don’t provide them with the knowledge and tools to manage their own money. Many people, after they’ve left school, recognise the gap and seek to redress it. And some of those find their way to financial planners, like The Investment Collective where the focus if not only on establishing a personalised financial plan and reviewing it on a regular basis but bringing people up ‘the learning curve’ in their understanding of personal finance and investments

Sean was pretty interested in all of this and asked me whether I’d be interested in speaking to some of the students on Financial Planning 101. ‘Absolutely’ I replied.

If you would like to learn more about personal financial planning or any of our other services, please contact us today.

With the holiday season nearly upon us, are you taking care of your business?

The holidays can be a very busy, stressful time for both employers and employees, but happy employees can ease the stress for employers. As employees ourselves, we can state unequivocally that we like to plan for our holiday season. Some forward planning can ease the situation for all involved.

Whilst handling the payroll functions for companies, the main questions we have been asked at this time of year are:

• What will be the closure dates?
• How much leave will I need available?
• When will the pay runs be conducted during this period?
• Who, if anyone, will be working/on call?

For casual employees, the leave option is not available, so let them know their rosters for this period as far in advance as possible to allow time for them to create a budget.

Let employees know if they are on the backup list to be called in if someone is unavailable to work during this period. This helps relieve confusion about who is required to work.

By letting your employees know of the above-mentioned information well in advance, they can plan and therefore be prepared, less stressed and ultimately more productive. This can help make the holiday season a more enjoyable time for everyone.

Cheers,

The Bookkeeping Team

Please note that the above is provided as general advice and has not taken your personal, financial or business circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today. One of our advisers or bookkeepers would be delighted to

Aged Care Who Cares? by Rachel Lane & Noel Whittaker

★★★★★

Book Review by Jodie Stewart

Plot

With the growth of the ageing population, aged care advice is needed today more than ever. The complexity surrounding aged care means it can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing for you and your loved ones. Aged Care Who Cares? is a guide for people looking to secure the best possible outcome for aged care. The information contained in the book helps you choose an option that not only meets your financial needs and objectives but also considers your emotional wellbeing.

Review

Aged Care Who Cares? is broken up into 4 different sections:

Care at Home, Retirement Communities, Residential Aged Care and Funding your Care.

Given around 75% of care provided is done so at home, I’ve decided to concentrate this review on Section 1, Care at Home.

Home Care Packages:

I found this to be the most interesting topic which probably stems from my own experience with aged care. My grandmother (70) still works full time and is only just beginning to consider retirement now. At present, she has no interest in moving into a retirement village or aged care facility and wants to stay in the family home as long as possible. Lane and Whittaker discuss the different types of home care available and the merit of each. These include; Home Care Packages (HCP), Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) / Community Nursing and Private Care.

My grandmother’s doctor recently referred her for an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) which is key to accessing most government-funded aged care services. The purpose of an ACAT assessment is to determine the level of care you need. The assessor will speak to you about your day to day activities, the things you are comfortable doing yourself and things you may need assistance with. ACAT assessments remain valid indefinitely unless a time restriction has been applied to it. As with any government service, there is a waiting period to receive an ACAT assessment. If you are lucky, you will be assessed relatively quickly; however, if it is during the season of Aged Care (typically November to April) the wait period can be quite extensive. During these months, family come to visit. They see the change or detrition in their loved ones and take action to get them assistance. This then creates a surge in the need for ACAT assessments and the waiting begins.

As highlighted by Lane and Whittaker, there are four levels of Home Care Packages. Level 1 offers support to people with basic care needs, while level 4 offers support to people with high care needs. Although my dear nan has been assessed and ACAT have determined her level of care required, she now needs to join the National Prioritisation Queue with over 100,000 other Australians who need home care. The queue basically works on a ‘get what you’re given’ basis. You can opt for a lower level package while waiting for your approved package level. That is, if you are assessed to be a Level 4, which is the highest Level of Care and a Level 1 Care Package is available next, you will be assigned a Level 1 Package. Think of it like having a broken leg in the emergency department. You wait and wait to receive some relief but all the nurse can offer you is a Panadol. You take it because that is all that is on offer. You still have a broken leg and you still aren’t getting the care you need. That is the unfortunate position 40,000 consumers are in.

Granny Flats:

I was surprised to learn that granny flat arrangements aren’t as straightforward as people think. What springs to mind is a small flat or self-contained unit built on your children’s property but that isn’t always the case. In the eyes of Centrelink, a granny flat interest or right is where you pay for the right to live in a specific home for life. You can’t be a legal owner of that home and it is not part of your estate when you die. So, a granny flat arrangement is any kind of dwelling such as a room or living area in an existing home, not just those typically referred to as granny flats.

Lane and Whittaker touch on a few key considerations when entering into a granny flat arrangement.

Generally speaking, the amount you pay for a granny flat right or life interest should be market value. This payment can be the exchange of assets, money or both assets and money.

For example, you could transfer:

• Ownership of your home but keep a lifelong right to live there or in another private property
• Assets, including money, in return for a lifelong right to live in a home

Centrelink has deemed that if you pay less than $207,000 under your granny flat arrangement then you are not a homeowner. You will receive rent assistance, but the granny flat will count towards your assets under the asset test. If you paid more than $207,000 you are a homeowner, no rent assistance is afforded but the asset is exempt from asset tests.

It is important to ensure that you do not pay too much or too little when entering into a granny flat arrangement. If you pay too much, you can invoke Centrelink’s gifting rules where you give away an asset without getting something of at least equal value in return. The extra amount you have paid for the granny flat then becomes a deprived asset which impacts on your entitlements.

Recommendation

Aged care can be very tricky to navigate but Lane and Whittaker have done well to simplify it as much as possible. There are a number of options available to retirees, each with their own complexities. I recommend this book for those who wish to explore Aged Care options for themselves or loved ones.

Please note that this article provides general advice and has not taken into consideration your personal or financial circumstances. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today. One of our advisers would be delighted to speak to you.

One in five Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year.* As the awareness of mental health conditions increases, so do the claims for life insurance. Mental health is fast becoming one of the highest claimed conditions for Income Protection and Total & Permanent Disablement. As a result of this, insurance companies are looking to put exclusions or loadings (additional premiums) on life policies for clients who have a history of this condition.

Some of my clients have expressed their concerns about mental health exclusions saying they’re a doubled edged sword. Clients feel as they’re being punished for seeking treatment from their GP but weren’t aware of the impact it would have on obtaining life insurance in the future. Keep in mind that not all mental health disclosures will be treated the same.

Case Study 1: Jess sought treatment from a psychologist when her father died. She attended six sessions as per her mental health treatment plan provided by her GP. She is now applying for cover 5 years later.

Outcome: The likelihood of Jess obtaining a mental health exclusion is slim as this would be considered a ‘life event’ and she has not received further treatment for any other mental illness conditions.

Case Study 2: Daniel experienced some anxiety at age 19 when he was attending university. Daniel spoke to his GP and was referred to a mental health treatment plan however he did not attend these sessions. At age 31 Daniel spoke to his GP again about suffering depression after receiving a redundancy at work and was again referred to a mental health treatment plan and this time he attended his sessions. Daniel is now 33 and is applying for cover.

Outcome: Due to Daniel’s history of mental illness (anxiety and depression) and given the short period since his last episode, it is likely the insurance company would apply a mental health exclusion. There may be room to renegotiate these terms in 3-5 years if Daniel’s mental health continues to stay well, however, this would be at the discretion of the insurance company.

To some, this may seem unfair but insurance companies are aware that over 50% of people diagnosed with depression may relapse into a depressive state and it is most likely to return within three years of the first episode.^

If you’ve suffered from mental health problems in the past and are looking to obtain life insurance, you should keep in mind the following:

• Make sure you disclose all mental health issues. You have a legal obligation when applying for cover to disclose all health conditions, you would be in a far worse position if you don’t disclose this condition.
• Know exactly what you’re covered for. If the insurance company decides to put a loading or exclusion on the policy, make sure you have a good understanding of what this means.

Above all, speak with your adviser. Advisers have the advantage of having a relationship with the insurance company’s and can, therefore, assist you in receiving the most favourable terms.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from any mental health issues, please speak to your GP or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Please note that this article provides general advice, and has not taken into consideration your personal or financial circumstances. If you would like more tailored advice regarding life insurance or any of our financial services, please contact us today. One of our advisers would be delighted to assist you.

You’ve no doubt heard the news that 3 of the ‘big 4’ banks have increased their variable home loan rates.  Westpac was the first to increase their rates, despite the RBA keeping rates on hold at 1.5% since August 2016.  Westpac announced on 30^th August that their variable home loan rates will increase by 0.14% effective 19^th September due to the increase of costs to source funding on the wholesale markets.

The major banks have been making the usual noises about absorbing these higher funding costs in the hope that they would ease over time, and the need to pass on these costs to customers.

ANZ and Commonwealth Bank followed suit on 6^th September by announcing that their variable home loan rates will also increase.  ANZ will increase its variable home loan interest rates by 0.16% effective 27^th September in both owner occupier and investment mortgages.  However, ANZ will exclude customers in drought declared areas of regional Australia.  CBA will increase its rates by 0.15% from 4^th October.

The headline rates for Westpac, ANZ, and CBA are as follows:

WBC

Standard variable Owner occupier Principal and Interest rate to increase to 5.38% p.a.

Standard variable Owner occupier Interest only rate to increase to 5.97% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Principal & Interest rate to increase to 5.93% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Interest only rate to increase to 6.44% p.a.

ANZ

Standard variable Owner occupier Principal and Interest rate to increase to 5.36% p.a.

Standard variable Owner occupier Interest only rate to increase to 5.91% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Principal & Interest rate to increase to 5.96% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Interest only rate to increase to 6.42% p.a.

CBA

Standard variable Owner occupier Principal and Interest rate to increase to 5.37% p.a.

Standard variable Owner occupier Interest only rate to increase to 5.92% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Principal & Interest rate to increase to 5.95% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Interest only rate to increase to 6.39% p.a.

NAB is yet to increase their rates, but many industry experts suggest that it is only a matter of time.

If you, or your friends or family have a home loan via one of the major banks, it would be well and truly worth the time spent to review your arrangements to ensure that the loan offers a competitive rate with low fees.

Banks traditionally rely on “inertia” in the event of raising home loan rates.  It is estimated that approximately 80% of home loan customers won’t do anything and will continue to pay the higher repayments.  This is simply a ‘Lazy Tax.’  For example, the ANZ rate increases will add about $40 a month to a $400,000 home loan.

Just to provide an indication of the rates available via some of our lenders, here are some comparisons for you to consider:

Standard variable Owner occupier Principal and Interest rate 3.68% p.a.

Standard variable Owner occupier Interest only rate 3.99% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Principal & Interest rate 3.97% p.a.

Standard variable Residential Investment Interest only rate 4.29% p.a.

These reduced rates could save you THOUSANDS of dollars over the life of your home loan.

Please contact us today for a confidential, cost and obligation free discussion about your home loan.  We would also be happy for you to refer your family or friends so we can also assist them to locate a cost-effective home loan which suits their needs.

Please note that this article provides general advice, it has not taken into consideration your personal or financial circumstances. If you would like more tailored advice relating to mortgage broking or other financial services, please contact us today.