Investing
The outlook for 2012 To help you with the decision-making process, here’s Smart Investor editor Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon forecasting the year ahead on the Weekend Today show on Channel 9.
Should you invest in gold?
The precious metal is the investors’ favourite, a port in a storm, and there are plenty of clouds on the horizon. But should you be putting your money into this hot commodity? We examine both sides of the (gold) coin.
What are managed funds?
Investing in a managed fund not only provides an easy way to diversify your portfolio, it also means the professionals take the hassle out of the selection.
The safe way to borrow to invest
Borrowing to invest earned a bad name during the financial crisis. Does it have a place within a portfolio and how can you use it safely – avoiding the dreaded margin call?
Superannuation
How to set up an SMSF for your kids
Children under 18 can be members of a self-managed super fund but problems arise when it comes to them being a trustee.
How to qualify for Centrelink pensions with your pension
Even if you don’t yet qualify for the government pension, you should consider Centrelink issues now and plan how they can be managed.
How to reduce taxes on property received as a death benefit
An adult child may be liable for withholding tax, capital gains tax or stamp duty on a property received as a death benefit from their parent’s super fund.
How to offset gains from property sales with super
Salary sacrifice super contributions are not a form of magic that can obscure large capital gains. But there may be an alternative method.
Budgeting
How to choose the right charity
It’s hard to determine the best charities. People always ask: How do I choose the best charity – the one that won’t waste my money.
How to quickly build up your savings
It’s time to get organised – set up systems that enable you to action bills or decisions as they come up, and plan ahead for big expenses so they don’t derail your household finances.
How to make a plan to achieve your financial goals
In the game of life, it pays to have a goal and a plan for how to get there. Here we chart a path to wealth for the three main life stages, from leaving home to retiring in comfort.
How high-income earners can save even more
High-income earners could well have more opportunity to contribute extra capital to superannuation than others, as the penalty tax is equivalent to the top personal tax rate.
Taxation
How to deal with tax and inheritances
An inheritance can mean having to handle life’s two grim inevitable events, death and taxation. It’s important that matters are handled with both tact and taxation considerations in mind.
How to crystallise your share losses and save on tax
When the sharemarket is performing like a roller-coaster and there’s a slump after a big rise earlier in the year, it’s good tax-planning practice to see if you can reduce the tax on gains by selling a few non-performing shares.
How to avoid a deathly tax sting
An ATO ruling sounds a warning bell for DIY super funds paying pensions, which will have to become disciplined in the way they manage their investments in the pension phase to minimise capital gains tax.
Pay less tax on inherited property and shares
When property or shares are passed on to beneficiaries as an inheritance in someone’s will, the amount of capital gains tax payable will be partly dependent on when the assets were purchased.
Property
How to house swap without tears
House swapping may have potential pitfalls but a little homework can ensure substantial benefits – apart from saving a fortune on hotels.
How does negative gearing really work?
The ability to offset the cost of owning a property against assessable income makes negative gearing particularly attractive. We crunch some numbers so you can see how it could work for you.
How to invest in property with ETFs
Real estate is one of the many sectors of the Australian sharemarket that can be invested in through exchange-traded funds.
How to buy a property in the United States
The opportunities offered by the distressed US housing market may be substantial but so are the problems. The market is very different to Australia’s and there are many pitfalls to trap the unwary.
Borrowing
Finding a good mortgage deal
Smart Investor’s Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon discusses some of the better value mortgage deals around.
How to find the best credit card
The trick to finding the best credit card for your personal situation is to look at your spending habits and take a close look at the benefits offered – including rewards programs and fees.
How to give your mortgage a makeover
Financial Review Smart Investor crunches the numbers on the average mortgage to reveal where you can get the biggest saving – with surprising results.
How to organise your loan paperwork
Lenders like to see a lot of documentation before they hand the money over. Here’s how to give them what they want.
Insurance
How to save on insurance premiums
Insurance premiums can add up over over the long term, so here a few tips on how to reduce the cost of life insurance and income protection insurance.
How to review your health insurance
Private health insurance premiums rise every year so, rather than just accept the increases, take time to review your policy and see if it reflects your current circumstances.
Survey part 1: How to find the best health insurance
Health funds | Private hospital insurance is not just expensive but often confusing. We give you some tips on how to shop around for the best deal in Part 1 of our annual health fund survey.
How to buy the best home & contents and car insurance
Many Australians are paying too much for their basic insurance needs but there are ways to reduce the amount you fork out in premiums each year.
Stock price lookup
How to turn resolutions into results
There’s not much fun about striving to earn more and spend less. So editor Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon explains on Channel 7’s Sunrise program that you need to instead figure out what you want to do with your money in 2012, and work backwards from there.
Customer satisfaction guaranteed
Smart Investor editor Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon discusses the results of the 2011 SMILES customer satisfaction survey.
