Season’s Greetings

Dear All

It has been a historic year with positives and not so positives – with Middle East peace accords, dropping oil prices, lowering loan interest rates, easing video conferencing, reducing infection rates, generous government subsidies and budget blowouts, regional geopolitical changes, trade policy tensions etc. None of us would have thought all this was possible, in a single year.

But it appears we are rounding the bend. Markets have picked up and long term investments strategies are holding up well, sporting events are back and we are all still standing!

As 2020 comes to a close, we wanted to sincerely thank you for all of your support.

We hope that you have a wonderful CHRISTmas break, filled with peace, rest,  laughter, joy and happiness with your near and dear ones.  We look forward to catching up again in the New Year.

As mentioned below, if any urgent matters crop up, please email me with the caption “URGENT” in the subject line and I will attend to it.

Kind regards, Dev.

 


5 financial moves to make in your 50s and 60s

Once you hit your 50s and 60s, retirement is no longer something happening far off into the future. In fact, it’s at your doorstep.

Now is the time to really figure out where you stand financially, reassess your long-term goals, and focus on planning your future.

Here are five smart financial moves that may make the next few decades the best years of your life.

1. Decide on your retirement lifestyle

With a clear idea of the type of retirement lifestyle you’re after, you can start implementing a plan to turn your retirement dreams into reality.

Some things to consider are:

  • How often you would like to travel – and the types of holidays you’d like to take Your travel plans might have gone out the window for now, but that doesn’t stop you planning for the future
  • Whether a sea change or tree change is part of your plan?
  • Downsizing – or upsizing. What are your accommodation plans in the future?
  • Do you want to provide financial assistance to your family?
  • In your later years, what options would you like to have in relation to help and support at home, or perhaps in a retirement village or aged care facility?

Sometimes talking to a financial adviser can help you clarify your wants and needs as, in order to make an assessment of your financial situation, they’ll first need to understand your life goals and what your mainpriorities are. Often, they’re most valuable in helping you conceive a plan for your future, before they build a plan for your investments.

Once you’ve thought through the above, you or your adviser can calculate an estimate of your expenses. That gives you something to work with when it comes to thinking about where your retirement income will come from and whether you’ll have what you need. There are a widerange of sophisticated retirement calculators available to help you with this.

2. Increase your retirement savings

One way to ensure you can enjoy your desired retirement lifestyle is to add more into your super on a regular basis.

You can do this using your before or after-tax income. If you make a personal contribution, you may be eligible to claim a tax deduction too. This means you’ll reduce your taxable income and potentially pay less tax, while adding to your super balance. It’s a win-win!

Be mindful of contribution caps though. They limit the amount of super contributions you’re able to make each year if you want to avoid paying tax at your marginal tax rate rather than the concessional rate of 15%.

3. Pay off your debt

The lower your expenses in retirement, the longer your savings will last.

So, if you have significant debt, you should also have a plan to proactively clear that debt, such as mortgage repayments or personal loans. This will strengthen your financial position when you retire.

Speaking to a financial adviser can help determine the best way to reduce your debt as you move into retirement, while also making sure your saving towards retirement is on track.

4. Diversify your investment portfolio

At this stage in your life, you don’t want your investments to be derailed by external market factors which are out of your control.

Investing your money across multiple different asset classes—shares, property, bonds, cash—will help to lower your investment risk. This strategy—diversification—works because different investment types perform well at different times so if one area of your portfolio falls, another may be rising. Having a variety of investments helps balance out your overall risk.

You may also want to consider speaking to a financial adviser as they can review your investments to assess where you currently stand and determine if your investment portfolio needs adjusting.

5. Set up an estate plan or a will

An estate plan is a collection of legal documents that outlines how you want your assets distributed when you die. Crucially, it also includes how you want your health and financial decisions handled (and by who) if you’re unable to make them yourself.

Most estate plans have a will which names an executor to manage the distribution of your assets as you intend. A solicitor (or the Public Trustee) can help you with this.

In essence, having an estate plan in place can help you feel more confident about the future, knowing your loved ones will be taken care of, and that the legacy you leave behind is the one you want – we recommend you speak with a financial adviser. You can also visit the retirement section on our website, which includes a range of tools and resources to help kick-start your retirement planning.

If you would like to receive competent advice at reasonable costs, please email us on ds@bluerocke.com with your contacts, for an exploratory meeting, at our cost, not yours.

 

Source: https://www.mlc.com.au/personal/blog/2020/12/5_financial_moves_to_make_in_your_50s_and_60s


How to build wealth in your 30s

To all the thirty-somethings out there, now’s your time to shine! These are the years that will shape the rest of your life.

If you’re looking for a bright future—that’s not held back by financial worry—here’s five simple tips to start building wealth now so you can chill later.

As Warren Buffett once said: “Beware the investment activity that produces applause; the great moves are  usually greeted by yawns.”

1. Consider long-term investing 

Having time on your side—one of the great benefits of being in your 30s—can mean a great deal in the investing world.

Why? If you invest with a long-term plan, you’re less likely to be affected by short-term volatility.

With growth assets like shares and property, your chance of a negative return gets lower the longer you invest. In your 30s you’re in a better position to use that pattern to your advantage – to take on more risk to generate higher returns, if you choose to.

Shares

Generally speaking, shares outperform many other investments over the long term.1

There’s also the benefit of dividends. If you invest in companies that pay dividends, you’ll benefit from part of the company’s profits paid to shareholders (generally twice a year). That can be handy income – or reinvested to keep growing your capital.

Property

Owning an investment property may be another way to generate a good income stream – with tenants paying you rent. This income may also help to pay off your mortgage so you can capitalise on another investment later in life.

Like shares, Australian residential property has delivered strong long-term returns.While less volatile than shares, it’s important to note property values do change depending on supply and demand in the market.

2. Gain control of your debt

Debt management is a crucial skill when it comes to managing money, saving and planning for the future.

Whether it’s a credit card, personal loan or a mortgage you’re paying off, setting priorities and keeping track of your expenses/income to identify potential savings may help to pay off debts sooner. And the sooner you pay off your debts, the more money you can invest for a better lifestyle in future.

Set priorities

If you have more than one outstanding debt, consider working out how much you can repay on each, based on the minimum repayment owing.

Alternatively, if you’re able to repay more than the minimum, look at prioritising your debts. You’ll need to think about the type of debt you have—an investment loan or personal debt—and how much is owing. If you only have personal debt, you could prioritise repaying debts with the highest interest rate first, given these will be costing you the most.

Keep track of expenses and income

Having a clear picture about what you earn versus what you spend can highlight areas where you could save more. Whatever income you’re able to save can then be allocated towards your debt.

There are budget planners and phone apps you can use to track your spending. Alternatively, you can simply download your bank statements and keep a record of your receipts.

3. Add more to your super

Super is one way to generate wealth over the long-term due to compounding returns. Compound returns is the way your balance increases if you give your investment time for the growth you got this year to grow again next year – and the year after that and the year after that.

In your 30s you’ve got time to get compound returns on your side. One way to maximise this benefit is to contribute more into your super on a regular basis. You can do this using your before or after-tax income and there may be tax benefits that come with this too.

For example, if you contribute some of your after-tax income or savings into super, you may be eligible to claim a tax deduction.

Be mindful of contribution caps though. They limit the amount of super contributions you’re able to make each year if you want to avoid paying tax at your marginal tax rate rather than the concessional rate of
15%.

4. Seek professional help

Getting independent advice from a financial adviser can help you design a financial plan to achieve the goals you want in the future whether that’s investing long-term, cutting debt, or putting away cash now to make life easier later on.

If you would like to receive competent advice at reasonable costs, please email us on ds@bluerocke.com with your contacts, for an exploratory meeting, at our cost, not yours.

 

1Livewire: Australian sharemarket wins
gold – 5 March 2019 https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/australian-sharemarket-wins-gold

2ASX: 2018 Russell Investments/ASX Long Term Investing Report- June 2018 https://www.asx.com.au/documents/research/russell-asx-long-term-investing-report-2018.pdf

 

Source: https://www.mlc.com.au/personal/blog/2020/12/how_to_build_wealth_in_your_30s


The road ahead for global listed infrastructure after a difficult Covid landing

In this video, the Magellan GLOBAL Listed Infrastructure team lead byGerald Stack, Magellan’s Head of Investments & Infrastructure share their insights on the current state of the global listed infrastructure sector, including the recent performance, outlook, and future opportunities for investors as we move into 2021.

Viewing time: 60 mins.

Source: https://www.magellangroup.com.au/insights/

 


Well prepared for a long-retired life?

Retirement is a time of unemployment. So retiring at 65 while living to 95 (as many do), will mean living for 30 years in unemployment.

 

Would your savings and super last that long?

 

If you are unsure and would like to discuss this , please email us on ds@bluerocke.com with your contacts, for an exploratory meeting, at our cost, not yours.