Articles

It's a natural desire to want to protect your child from harm and keep them healthy.  Unfortunately, on average over 65,000 children each year are admitted to hospital.  I would guess that for most parents they would have thought "it would never happen to them".

Most parents only have one wish when it comes to the health of their child – "don't worry about cost, make my child better!"

Child Cover insurance has a vital role in the "make my child better" outcome of the lives of sick and injured children.

Insurance is about managing risks so when it comes to insurance, the old adage, 'better safe than sorry' rings true.

Research conducted by ING Australia has found that Australians are overwhelmingly optimistic about their financial future. This optimism is a key driver behind Australia being the most underinsured of any developed country.

Many Australians simply don’t have enough insurance, and some have none at all. It’s a worrying thought when you consider the following statistics:

First Home Saver Accounts can be a simple and tax effective way for Australians to save for their first home through a combination of Government contributions and low taxes.

The government will contribute 17% of the account holder's personal contributions for the financial year. For the 2009/10 financial year, contribution threshold is $5,000 and the government can make a maximum contribution of $850. For the 2010/11 financial year, the threshold goes up to $5,500 and maximum government contribution increases to $935.

Educating your children is a major expense — the sooner you start saving for it the better.

Parents often go faint when they see the cost of school and university fees — just how much depends on the schools and universities they choose. Australian parents spend, on average, $50,000 on education and childcare for each child.

The Australian sharemarket bounced back in July, with the All Ordinaries Index increasing 4.2% to close at 4,507.4 points.  Improved confidence and a positive US reporting season drove all markets higher. 

The Dow Jones Index closed up 3.2%, the FTSE gained 6.9%, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.6% and the Hang Seng increased 4.5% for the month. 

The first monthly fall in house prices in 17 months in June has signalled aggressive interest rate increases over the last year have successfully cooled off what had emerged as a source of instability in the economy.

The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Home Value Index fell a seasonally-adjusted 0.7% in June versus May, but rose a seasonally-adjusted 0.1% in the second quarter from the first quarter. From a year earlier, capital city house prices were a seasonally-adjusted 10.5% higher, according to the report.

One of the most common questions asked of a financial adviser is what is best; property or shares?

The truth is that there are benefits and disadvantages to investing in both property and shares.  As always, it is important not to over commit yourself, have a level of diversification and ensure that an investment fits within your overall wealth creation strategy.

Commencing a family is a major lifestyle milestone.  As such, it is important to ensure that you can enjoy this time with your new family and not worry about your finances.  This article explains 5 financial tips to help you prepare for a new baby.

1. Practise Living on a Single Income

The recent passing of legislation for Paid Parental Leave is seen by many as a win for those thinking of starting a family.  However, it is important to consider whether you are better off taking the Baby Bonus rather than the new Paid Parental Leave.

By taking paid parental leave, eligible Australians will forfeit the baby bonus, family tax benefit Part B and the dependent spouse offset. Industry modelling puts the average additional benefit at only $1000 to $2000 – and shows in some cases it could be to your detriment.

Having a baby can be expensive.  This article highlights the various government family benefit payments available to ensure you receive all the payments and financial assistance you are entitled to.

1. Paid Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave comes into effect 1 January 2011 and will pay either the employed mother or the father the equivalent of the minimum wage (about $570 a week) for 18 weeks as long as their income does not exceed $150,000 a year.