How to be great at saving money It’s a comfort to know you can get your hands on some money quickly if you need it – without resorting to a loan from a bank, family or friends. It’s also a comfort to know you’ll be able to reach goals like buying a home and retiring comfortably. […]
Budget and Savings
Your Tax and Finances: Money Tips | Budget and Savings | Superannuation | Rental Income
Shared Finances vs Separate Bank Accounts – Which is Right For You?
At some point, every couple has the shared finances vs separate bank accounts conversation. But, as with all money-related matters, it’s rarely a straightforward process. Let’s look at the 3 most common options, to help you choose what kind of finance strategy may work best for you… 1. 100% Shared finances The ‘traditional’ idea of […]
Tax Guide For Couples: How does having a spouse affect your taxes?
This tax guide for couples helps you determine whether you need to include your partner’s information on your next tax return. Read on to learn what you should tell the ATO this year… Who the ATO defines as a spouse for tax purposes is a common cause of confusion. Once you’re familiar with the definitions, […]
Death and Taxes – What You Need to Do
Any death in the family is a very difficult time for all involved. Apart from the emotional burden, there are also a range of administrative tasks that need to take place after a bereavement. This death and taxes article covers the main steps family members should take to ensure tax obligations are met. Death […]
Private health insurance rebate tiers to ease health cover confusion
At the beginning of April 2019, private health insurance had a much-needed overhaul. This focused on the introduction of structured health insurance rebate tiers. With confusion growing over what health insurance policies did and didn’t cover, the aim of the new health insurance rebate tiers system is to greatly simplify the process. Making purchasing the […]
The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS): your guide to buying your first home sooner
If you’re someone who’s been saving for a first home deposit, then there’s one scheme you should know about. It’s called the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS). The point of the scheme is to help people of all ages get into their first homes sooner. It was introduced by the Australian Government in the […]
Pay Off Your Credit Card or Invest? What’s the Smartest Move?
Is it best to pay off your credit card straight away? Or do you make more money by investing in a high-interest account or shares? When it comes to simple savings strategies, this should be one of the first questions you ask. And thankfully, we’ve got all the numbers to help you decide. Credit Card […]
HELP Repayment Rates: How To Repay HELP Debt Quickly
Need help with HELP debts? Here are some tips on repaying your HELP debt… If you are one of many people who finished university with a HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) debt, you might not be sure exactly what the steps are to repay help debt. It’s important that you know how to repay HELP debt, […]
When is the best time to do your tax return?
The best time to do your tax return is generally “sooner, not later”, but the reasons and details depend whether you have a refund coming, or you owe money to the ATO. PART ONE: What’s the best time to do your tax return… IF you expect a tax refund? If you will get a tax […]
Overseas HELP Debt – What is it?
The ATO implemented formal changes to how they recover “overseas HELP debt”. So, if you have lived overseas for more than 6 months and have a HELP debt, you may need to make HELP repayments How does the ATO recover HELP debts? Prior to 2017, Australians with a HELP or TSL debt did not have […]
Claim Your Dental Expenses as a Tax Deduction
“Can my dental expenses be deducted on my tax return?” Let’s discuss how you can maximise your tax refund by legally claiming your dental treatment costs as a deductible expense. Update: 2013 Budget Changes May Affect Your Ability to Claim: The net medical expenses tax offset was slowly phased out starting in July 2013. Only […]
How to check your HELP debt balance
Your HELP debt often seems like a heavy weight around your neck, especially when your uni days seem like a lifetime ago and you’re keen to take your next step in life. You keep throwing money at it but unless you’re an avid spreadsheet Ninja, like Mandy in our accounts department, you often have no […]
HELP Repayment Scheme to Stay… For Now
Please Note: This Content is Archived The Federal Government has legislated this change and ended the HELP repayment scheme. For a full overview on all things HELP related, we’d suggest viewing our article on how to repay your help debt. Back in August 2013 the Federal Government announced they would end the discount for early […]
