Newsletters

If you enjoy discounts and saving money then you’ll love this Winter edition of our eNews as we uncover some great deals on offer for our senior friends.  We’ve also given you an insight into the things that have been happening at Muirfield.  Although it isn’t all fun and games.  The new financial year serves as…

The 2015 eNews draws to a close what has been a lackluster summer in terms of the scorching heat we typically endure.  In this edition we have replaced the staff in spotlight with a new ‘investment talk’ section.  Our main articles include a discussion about whether to downsize your home or not, information on Centrelink concession…

In this edition of the Muirfield newsletter we have provided a great balance of technical and light content for our readers. Jill Blair, the newest member of our administration team, features in the ‘Staff in Spotlight’, we offer some alternative retirement destinations and Joanne Whitworth offers an insight into her retirement.

On a technical front we present a review of the 2014 year along with an outlook for 2015, Melinda Planken talks Aged Care and Centrelink we reveal the new Centrelink app for the iphone.

Click the newsletter icon above to read the full newsletter. Feel free to share our newsletter to family and friends using the many resources available by clicking the icons below.

Happy reading.

The Muirfield Team

In this edition of the Muirfield newsletter we have provided a great balance of technical and light content for our readers.

Amy Hurley, a member of our administration team, has her turn in the ‘Staff in Spotlight’, we present a wrap-up of the AFL footy tipping competition, share some of the activities undertaken by Muirfield staff and Courtney let’s us in one of his favourite recipes.

On a technical front we outline the changes to the assessment of Centrelink entitlements and explain the importance of having a binding death nomination on your superannuation.

Click the newsletter icon on the right hand side to read the full newsletter. Feel free to share our newsletter to family and friends using the many resources available by clicking the icons below.

Happy reading.

The Muirfield Team

To start the new financial year – hopefully one full of prosperity, we welcomed Matthew Torney to the team and unfortunately the cold weather continued.

In this edition of the newsletter we look back at the performance of each asset class from last financial year,  Muirfield clients tell their story on camera and we meet Chris in our ‘Staff in Spotlight’.

Other topics covered include important Aged Care changes, money advice for couples, redundancy help and an article on ‘how much do I need to retire comfortably?

Click the newsletter icon on the right hand side to read the full newsletter.  Feel free to share our newsletter to family and friends using the many resources available by clicking on the icons below.

Keep warm

The Muirfield Team

During the first quarter of 2014 we have witnessed client investment portfolios retaining the strong gains of 2013.

The sharemarket fell in January, rose in February and marked time in March.  Interestingly the $A has shown some recovery from 88c US to now be 92c US.  This now makes international travel a bit cheaper than at the end of last year but not as cheap as mid year.

On the Muirfield front we congratulate Joanne Whitworth on her retirement after 16 years of helping you achieve your financial goals.  Joanne has had a strong influence on both the direction and tone of Muirfield, its staff and in turn her clients.

We thank Joanne for her positive involvement in our business and from the many cards, flowers, gifts and thankyou emails and notes we can see she has played a very important part in the lives of the many clients with whom she has worked.

Joanne’s retirement has been made easier knowing that the future needs of her clients will be capably met by Tamara Carman and Ngan Bui.  Both ladies have been with Muirfield for many years, are highly qualified and in most cases have been working with Joanne’s clients for some time.  This makes the transition much easier for all involved.

Thankyou Joanne and enjoy all that retirement has on offer.

In other news we discuss the importance of estate planning, give you an update on the footy tipping competition, present some new videos we have recently developed, outline some of the changes to superannuation which may affect you and Kate Officer is our staff in spotlight.

Click here to read the full 2014 Autumn Newsletter

Read More

It seems we’ve come out of the investment darkness of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-9. We’ve seen our clients enjoy investment returns of around 15% on Balanced funds for 2013 following a positive result in 2012 as well.

Our research and observations are that 2014 will continue this trend, albeit at slightly lower levels. In the latest Oliver’s Insights, Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP in a succinct dot point analysis outlines the key points for the year ahead:

• Thanks to improving growth and very easy monetary conditions, 2014 is likely to be another year of good returns for investors, albeit a bit slower than in 2013.
• Watch global business conditions indicators, wages growth in the US, European bond yields, Chinese lending growth and Australian consumer related indicators.
• Australian growth is likely to pick up a bit thanks to stronger housing investment and consumer spending.
• Right now the investment cycle is still moving away from cash and bonds in favour of equities and growth assets.

One of our New Year’s resolutions at Muirfield Financial Services is to explore new ways to deliver information and news to you in this era of technological advancement.

Our first foray is the video put together by Tamara to outline her fantastic work with our clients. Please take the time to view the video and we encourage you to provide feedback on this new format.

Hello 2014 – behave yourself!

Click here to read the 2014 Summer Newsletter

Happy Days
Hello

‘Happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again.’ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♪

The Muirfield team are very excited to welcome another addition to the Creasey family – a second daughter, Georgia. A big congratulations to Carl and his wife, Brigid. We wish them all well.

On the financial front, investment markets have been very kind this past 18 months and we have seen a general improvement in client portfolios and more broadly, investor sentiment.

Additionally the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed that for a couple aged 60 there is a 50% chance one of them will live beyond 90. There are 6 times as many people aged 85+ than there were in Australia in 1972. Long life, with good health and improving finances surely makes for Happy Days…..

Click here to read the 2013 Spring Newsletter

Frosty mornings, bright lights and a new financial year

Winter is well upon us and if you are like most in our part of the world, you are probably still trying hard to adjust to the frosty mornings and a lack of sleep from watching sporting events like Wimbeldon and the Tour de France. If you concentrate on southern hemisphere sport then perhaps you have enjoyed the spectacle of night matches in Geelong, courtesy of the new bright lights at Skilled Stadium.

On the financial front, entering a new financial year is a good chance to reflect on the year that was. In our 2012 Winter Newsletter we wrote “Let me go out on a limb ……… I believe the sharemarket will recover this year”.

Indeed, the sharemarket has enjoyed a good recovery over the past 12 months with the All Ordinaries index up 19% since that statement. It is pleasing to see this increase flow through to our client portfolios.
It is also a great time to reflect on what is really important as an investor. For most people approaching retirement, or already in retirement, income is the most important consideration. Great as it is to see the capital value of investments increase, this is somewhat less important than the income generated by your investments.
We thought this video by Paul Clitheroe, director at iPac Securities, summed up the importance of income very well.

Click here to read the 2013 Winter Newsletter

Technology – You are never too old!

In this day and age we find most clients now have internet access and can regularly monitor their investment and superannuation portfolios.

We have clients in their 90’s, who use the computer to regularly communicate with others including their grandchildren.

From a business perspective, it has also made communication to our clients more efficient. In the past a client letter could be posted and take a week for them to receive a reply via the post. We now strive to achieve same day replies to client email communications.

We recently placed ‘iPads’ in our reception for client use and it was interesting to see a 75 year old lady, whilst waiting in reception, use our iPad to go online and get her bank balance prior to her appointment.

Times are changing rapidly and most seem to be embracing this. Jump on the bandwagon or give us a call to see if we can bring you on board.

Click here to read the 2013 Autumn Newsletter