Oct232025
Financial PlannersInsurance ProtectionNews Self-Employed

A Business Survival Checklist for the Self-Employed

Financial Planners, Insurance Protection, News

Being self-employed offers independence, flexibility, and control. But with that comes extra financial responsibility and risk. Unlike employees who have regular pay, tax withholding, employer superannuation, leave, etc., you must manage much of that yourself. If you don’t plan, it’s easy for unexpected shocks, cash shortfalls, or misfortune to derail both business and personal finances.

Below, I lay out the key challenges, backed by recent Australian statistics, and then practical actions to stay financially healthy over the short and long term.

Read more
Aug172025
Superannuation FundInsurance ProtectionNewsRetirement Planning Superannuation Statements

Superannuation Statements - What to Check

Superannuation Fund, Insurance Protection, News, Retirement Planning

Last financial year's superannuation statements are hitting your mailboxes over the past week.

You must check that your details are correct. The following is the type of information you should be checking:

  • What is your balance.
  • Is the balance trending upwards over time - remember the Centrelink aged pension will probably not provide enough for the niceties in life. Chances are you will be relying on your superannuation for a better quality of life in your retirement.
  • Are all this year's superannuation payments showing on your statement?
    Only recently we had a client whose superannuation guarantee payments from his employer were going into a different fund to the one he thought. And in rare cases, unscrupulous employers have been known not to make their payments at all even though they have a legal requirement to do so.
  • Do you have insurance within your superannuation (life, income protection or total permenant disability)?  Is it still sufficient for your needs? Remember that insurance premiums within your super fund are paid from your superannuation returns rather than billed to your directly. This makes them a convenient form of extra financial security, but one that is easy to overlook.

Read more