Posts by The Muirfield Team
2011 Summer Newsletter
We hope 2011 will be very special for you on many fronts. From our perspective, as your financial advisers, we would like the financial front to be the most special.
Comments from various ‘Market Watchers and Investment Analysts’ point to a positive 2011 for investment markets.
We are now..
Click here to read the 2011 Summer Newsletter
Read MorePaid Parental Leave
The Paid Parental Leave scheme provides a government-funded entitlement for working parents.
Parental Leave Pay will be available to working parents who meet the eligibility criteria. You will have access to Parental Leave Pay if you are the primary carer of a child born or adopted from 1 January 2011. If you are eligible, you will be able to receive Parental Leave Pay at the National Minimum Wage, for up to 18 weeks.
Read MoreOur Debt Deal
Australia has the highest household debt to disposable income ratio in the world, even higher than the United States1.
Over the past decade income growth has failed to keep up with property prices, with rapid growth over the past few years driven particularly by government incentives to first-home buyers.
Read MoreAttitudes to Superannuation and the Value of Financial Advice
Some interesting statistics were released from ASFA’s annual research into community attitudes to superannuation.
Over two thirds of Australians believe that the 9% Superannuation Guarantee (SG) is not enough to fund an adequate retirement.
Read MoreThe Year Now Gone, And The Year To Come
From a business perspective, Australia was a great place to be during 2010. Thanks in part to continued growth in China, our economy stayed strong.
Because of this, unemployment hovered near record lows. And although thanks to the cautiousness of the Reserve Bank, interest rates rose, they’re not yet at the level likely to cause large scale mortgage stress for households.
Read MoreWhy Would You Use A Mortgage Broker?
Why would I use a Mortgage Broker?
Because they can save you time and money.
As the Home Loan market becomes increasingly complex, more people are turning to Mortgage Brokers. Here are some of the reasons.
Read MoreConcession Cards – Are you eligible?
There are many types of concession cards that can benefit you to help reduce daily ongoing costs.
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is available for you if you have reached Age Pension age but do not qualify for a Centrelink or DVA pension. Provided that your taxable income is below $50,000 pa for a single or $80,000 pa combined for a couple, you may be eligible. No asset test applies.
Read MoreManaging Your Property
It takes time, effort and money to look after a property.
Its possible to manage a rental property yourself, and in so doing save a management fee thats usually around 5 per cent of the rent. But it can be time-consuming and it’s hard to remain emotionally detached when you have tenants ringing up complaining about every little thing, or you personally have to deal with damage to your property.
Read MoreShould We Diversify Our Investment?
Investing and investment strategies have been the most talked about topics for the past years. However, one particular approach should rank on the top of everyone’s investment planning is DIVERSIFICATION. The benefits of diversification Spread the risk. Diversifying investments across all asset classes, allows you to benefit from each years best performing asset class. The…
Read MoreShould You Pre-pay Your Funeral?
Preparations for funeral expenses are not something everybody wishes to consider. However there may be benefits in planning and paying for some aspects of your funeral.
Pre planning can eliminate the worry of paying for a funeral in future. For many people this is not a concern. However should you wish to explore pre planning the following should be considered.
Read More