Find lost super

Find lost super

If you’ve ever changed your name, address or job, you may have lost track of some of your super. Finding your lost super and bringing it all together saves on fees and makes it easier to manage. Find your super Your lost super may be held by your super fund or by the Australian Taxation … Read more

Extra super step when hiring new employees

Extra super step when hiring new employees

There’s a change coming soon that means to comply with ‘choice of fund’ rules you might need to do something extra when a new employee starts to work for you. Currently, if a new employee doesn’t choose their own super fund, you can pay super contributions for them to your default fund. From 1 November, if … Read more

How to buy a house when you have a HECS or HELP debt

How to buy a house when you have a HECS or HELP debt

Paying off your education is no reason to put off buying property. You can remember it now: sitting in a chair at the back of the lecture theatre, chatting to your friends and ignoring the debt that each day at university was plunging you into. But now you’re older and wiser, and reality has set … Read more

Top 10 common GST mistakes in BAS reports

Top 10 common GST mistakes in BAS reports

It’s easy to make a mistake when preparing your BAS. The key is to be aware of common pitfalls so you can avoid them.  Thankfully, with online accounting software, preparing your own Business Activity Statement (BAS*) is easier. Even so, the ATO has identified a number of mistakes commonly made in the BAS reporting form. Here are … Read more

Handle your after-auction matters like a pro

Handle your after-auction matters like a pro

There’s a bit to sort out once your auction has wrapped up. We’re here to guide you through the key financial to-do’s after your auction – whether you’ve sold or getting ready for round two after passing in.  What happens with the buyer’s deposit? How it’s paid As the seller, how the deposit gets paid is your call – … Read more

Super lump sum

Super lump sum

You may be able to take your superannuation as a lump sum payment when you retire. This is usually tax-free from age 60. How a superannuation lump sum works Depending on your fund’s rules, you may be able to withdraw some or all of your superannuation (super) as a lump sum. If so, you can … Read more

Four important steps toward a healthier financial life

Four important steps toward a healthier financial life

What comes to mind when you think of fitness? For many of us, it’s treadmills, weights, or maybe even those dreaded burpees – things that keep our bodies moving and strong. But fitness also applies to our minds, jobs, families, communities, and finances, all of which play important roles in our overall health and well-being. … Read more

Why investors shouldn’t fear October

Why investors shouldn’t fear October

By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer, Vanguard Australia After strong gains over most of this year, September proved to be a rocky month for global stock markets. The broader Australian market fell more than 2 per cent over the month, while the United States market suffered a fall of almost 5 per cent. That … Read more

How to claim a tax loss the right way

How to claim a tax loss the right way

Generally, you make a tax loss when your business expenses are more than your income. Or more specifically, when your total deductions are more than your total assessable and net exempt income for an income year. If you make a tax loss, you may be able to: claim it in the current year carry it … Read more

Are you making the most of a redraw facility?

Are you making the most of a redraw facility?

A redraw facility allows you to make overpayments on your home loan. It also gives you peace of mind knowing that, if you’re faced with an unexpected expense, you can redraw the extra payments. How a redraw works You can make extra deposits by increasing the amount of your regular payments. You can also deposit the occasional lump … Read more

Low interest rates require a strategic rethink

Low interest rates require a strategic rethink

By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer, Vanguard Australia Australian interest rates aren’t likely to be rising in the near future. That was the continued message from the Reserve Bank of Australia this month when it announced it was keeping the official cash rate at a record low 0.1 per cent for the tenth month … Read more