The changes Concessional contributions to superannuation are taxed at 15%.  The most common concessional contributions are those made to comply with the superannuation guarantee (SG), those made as part of a “salary sacrifice” arrangement or personal contributions where an individual claims a tax deduction (typically for those who are self-employed). From 1 July 2012 the […]

The Kimberley More than any other region in Australia, the Kimberley allows you to examine the origins of the Australian continent. The oldest rocks in the Kimberley were formed some 2000 million years ago and virtually all Kimberley rocks are more than 400 million years old. The Kimberley is unique because, unlike most other areas […]

Patagonia by motorbike Over the last few years there has been a boom in motorcycle adventures travel.  Perhaps it started with the Long Way Round movie featuring Ewan McGregor and Charley Borman in 2004.  Now there are companies that can help you set up your own bike, plan a trip or even organise a whole […]

One of the impacts of globalisation has been the massive increase in currency trading.  According to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), trading worldwide averages US$5.3trillion a day.  This trading can be for commercial purposes – such as selling iron ore to China or buying an iPhone from the US or investing in UK listed […]

At different stages of life you may want to adjust your personal insurance needs to protect your lifestyle and your financial security. Life insurance is more than just a lump sum payment to your family upon your death.  Under the umbrella of life insurance, there are a number of insurance policies that have been designed […]

Unless you are a historian, you may well imagine that the world has always been pretty much as we know it today. The USA is the superpower, big, brash and energetic. Europe is the centre of culture and style and a few counties like Japan and Korea had become successful copying and developing innovations from […]

Is this enough?  Consider this example. Patrick is a dental technician operating out a small office in the city centre.  He provides services for many dentists making crowns, bridges and dentures. Patrick employs a trainee and a receptionist and he leases dental equipment. He has a young family and has wisely taken out income protection […]

Economic analysts’ forecasts for the coming months indicate a slow recovery. The financial crisis of 2008 is still unravelling and the domino effect is evident in many sectors. With daily news headlines persistently negative towards asset values, you could be excused for thinking: How can we contemplate investing in anything at the moment? The perception […]

Many of you will have seen the term franking credits appear on your share dividend statements, but what does a franking credit actually mean and how can investors benefit? What is a franking credit? When an Australian-listed company posts a profit, it is standard practice to redistribute those profits to its shareholders in the form […]

Google: The $1 trillion question Since February 2013, Google has significantly outperformed Apple and the S&P500 index, with Google up 46.4 per cent while Apple has risen only 13.3 per cent and the S&P500 index 18.4 per cent. Whilst Google is no doubt performing well, there is still a long way to go. Below we […]