Sep152015
NewsSuperannuation Fund Defined Benefit Super Scheme

Defined Benefit Super Scheme? Why a Super Checkup May Be Beneficial.

News, Superannuation Fund

Many Government or public sector employees have PSS defined benefit superannuation funds. We would like to explain the difference between an accumulation-style superannuation fund, a defined benefit superannuation fund and a self managed superannuation fund.

When you retire, especially if you plan to stick around the Perth area, you don’t know how much money you will need to live the lifestyle you want. We feel it is helpful for those with defined benefit supers to understand their options.

What is a PSS Defined Benefit Super Fund?

A PSS defined benefit super is so named because the benefits you receive upon retirement will be “defined” or based upon final average salary (FAS), your contribution rate and the amount of time you were a PSS member. The Australian Government and other participating employers offer this kind of super fund.*

Why is it Different

Other super funds are invested for you. You can either gain money or lose money. The amount of money you eventually collect is dependent upon how much money is in your super fund. When you retire, you can collect your super as a monthly payment (retirement income stream), a lump sum or a combination of both.**

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Aug182015
Investment PlanningNews Spot an Investment

Can You Spot an Investment Before it Becomes a Trend?

Investment Planning, News

If you happened upon this page, you are probably interested in investment planning and live somewhere in the Perth area. At Approved Financial Planners, we provide a full range of services such as financial planning and mortgage broking to our Perth area neighbours.

We are often asked what the “new trends” are regarding investing. While many investors like to jump on the newest trends, those who prosper the best are usually those who can spot investments before they become trends. If an investment is a trend, it often means that too many people have already “jumped in.”

Our parent company, AMP Capital, has identified what they believe will be an investment trend and a new asset class soon: global listed infrastructure.*

The Global Listed Infrastructure Team of AMP Capital is led by Tim Humphreys. Mr Humphreys holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with Honours from the University of Sheffield. He applies his knowledge of engineering to the financial field and is known as a skilled infrastructure analyst.*

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Aug112015
Mortgage BrokingNews Lenders Tighten Up Investment Property Loans

Game Changer: Lenders Tighten Up Investment Property Loans

Mortgage Broking, News

At Approved Financial Planners, we combine mortgage broking and financial planning into a “one-stop” shop for Perth area residents. Recently, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) issued a memorandum to lenders demanding that they adhere to a 10% cap on the growth of property investment lending growth.*

Lenders are doing this by making it more difficult for property investors to obtain loans. The intent is to slow areas such as Sydney, which is in an extremely strong growth cycle, while allowing the rest of the economy to flourish under the record low RBA cash interest rate. *

According to Shane Oliver, Chief Economist for AMP Capital, the term for this is “macro prudential regulation” and was popular before the financial deregulation of the 1980’s. It refers to using prudential lending controls as a tool with which to influence the economy.*

According to Mr Oliver, “time will tell” whether or not the 10% cap will help APRA achieve its goal of boosting the entire economy. While APRA is demanding that lenders adhere to the 10% growth rate, compliance is officially voluntary. Mr Oliver believes that lenders will comply so they don’t force the APRA to create more regulations. *

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Aug52015
Investment PlanningNews Investing in Infrastructure

Investing in Infrastructure: Key Drivers

Investment Planning, News

The financial advisors in our Perth office are often asked for recommendations on what companies are the best or most reliable investments. Since everyone’s financial situation is different, we can’t really give any specific advice on this blog or over the phone until we have had an individual consult.

All information on our website is general by law, but we are allowed to provide some insight for you from our parent company, AMP Capital. We would like to tell you about infrastructure investment and why it can sometimes make a lot of sense for those trying to maximise their incomes.

What is Infrastructure Investment?

Infrastructure investment means investing in companies that build, operate or supply what is considered to be infrastructure. This includes distributors of gas, water, electricity and oil. It also includes communications, roads, airports, ports and toll roads. *

Many companies involved in infrastructure have long-term contracts, monopolies and built-in protection against inflation and other market characteristics.*

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Aug32015
NewsRetirement Planning Factors for Investing in Retirement

Important Factors for Investing in Retirement

News, Retirement Planning

Retirement planning can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. Fortunately, we have helped numerous people in the Perth area get started on the path to a prosperous retirement. At Approved Financial Planners, we have a wealth of local experience, combined with the resources of AMP Financial.

While we are not allowed to give any specific advice on this blog due to the disparity in individual financial situations, we would like to provide you with some general information that both we and AMP feel is important when making investment decisions.

Why Retirement Planning is Important

For many in the previous generation, an age pension was enough to provide a comfortable retirement. However, the Australian Government is now encouraging everyone to take control and save for their own retirement.*

As more baby boomers reach retirement age, the number of people drawing pensions will soon be too large for the current workforce to sustainably support them. Consequently, Australians are being encouraged to create their own sources of income to supplement their age pensions and ensure a comfortable lifestyle after retirement.*

Here are some factors to consider when planning your retirement.*

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Jul312015
Mortgage BrokingNews Mortgage Broking in Perth

Two Workarounds to Becoming a Property Owner

Mortgage Broking, News

At Approved Financial Planners, we also offer mortgage broking to our Perth area clients. Many of our clients use us for “one-stop shopping” for financial planning and home loans. One of the most fulfilling facets of our job is being able to help someone into their first home or first investment property.

We know that if you don’t yet own property, it can seem daunting. While we can’t give anyone specific advice on our company blog, we are allowed to provide general information that can be helpful. Here are two workarounds that have helped involve people in their first properties.

Sharing

You may decide to pool resources with family or a bunch of mates to buy a home. This allows you to save for your deposit and your stamp tax more quickly. It can also allow you to borrow more money and find a higher quality home. In addition, if you can raise 20% deposit, you may not have to purchase mortgage insurance.

Remember, though: there are a lot of pitfalls involved. It can be helpful to have a legal team draw up papers that afford all investors a measure of protection.

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Jul292015
Financial PlannersInvestment PlanningNews Creating Passive Income Streams

Tips for Creating Passive Income Streams

Financial Planners, Investment Planning, News

Investment planning can be confusing and scary. It is one of the services we offer in our Perth office. When investment planning is done right, your money can make money for you. We cannot offer specific information over a blog; you will have to contact our office in Perth for a consult if you would like specific advice. However, we can provide some general tips to get you pointed in the right direction.

Do You Have Goals Yet?

Our parent company, AMP Financial, has a lot of good information on their website, https://www.amp.com.au/. On their page entitled “Understanding Investments,” they recommend that you formulate short term, medium term and long term goals. Short term is defined as in the next six months to two years. Medium term is the next two to five years. Long term is anything further down the road than five years.

Choosing the Correct Investment Vehicle

On AMP’s webpage called “Choosing the right investment option,” they explain how to decide which forms of investments are right for you. The first factor to take into consideration is your risk tolerance. This is determined by combining your attitude towards risk with the amount of time you have to invest.

Generally, the higher the potential return, the higher the risk. However, that isn’t always the case and our financial planners are experts at finding investments that have above-average risk to reward ratios. Here are some risk-reward factors of popular investments.

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Jul272015
Financial PlannersInvestment PlanningNewsRetirement Planning Clear on Investment Goals

Why It’s Important to be Clear on Investment Goals

Financial Planners, Investment Planning, News, Retirement Planning

Whether you are in the investment planning stage, the retirement planning stage or both, our parent company AMP recently provided information reminding us all how important it is to be clear on investment goals. We provide individual consults in our Perth office. One of the first questions we usually ask is about investment goals. Believe it or not, some of those we are consulting don’t have any investment goals yet.

Why Now?

The cash interest rate is at record lows. While this is a boon for borrowers, it is causing many investors to rethink their strategies. One of the major decisions investors must make now is whether they prefer income sustainability or capital stability. *

Previously, term deposits and other cash investments have been regarded as “safe.” Under normal circumstances, cash investments deliver an adequate, if not large, level of income. In addition, their capital value is stable. *

So, what has changed? When the RBA cash interest rate is low, both loan rates and the income provided by long term cash deposits are also low. Since the RBA cash interest rate is the lowest it has ever been, many cash investments are no longer providing high enough returns to offset inflation. *

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Jul242015
Investment PlanningNews Setting Financial Goals

Have You Set Your Financial Goals Yet?

Investment Planning, News

One of the services we offer is called “investment planning.” When potential clients call our Perth office and ask for an individual consult, one of the first things we ask is “what are your investment goals?” Often, the answer is “I don’t have any investment goals.” This raises what we see as an obvious question: “How can you have an investment plan without investment goals?”

Remember that all information here is general. We cannot provide any individual advice on our blog. If you want advice, you will need to call us and arrange for a free consult. Here are three tips for getting it right.

Getting a Handle on Finances

Whenever we provide an individual consult, it always goes better if you have a handle on your finances. This means knowing how much money you have coming in every month, your assets, how much money going out every month and your debts. People who know this information tend to be more efficient at saving money, which can eventually be used for investments.

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Jul222015
Estate PlanningNews Start Thinking about Estate Planning

Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Thinking about Estate Planning

Estate Planning, News

Many Australians think “estate planning” means drawing up a will and forgetting about it. While the first step in estate planning is, indeed, to draw up a will, there are a lot more things you can do to ensure a smooth transition and allow your heirs to keep more of their money. While we aren’t allowed to give individual advice on our blog and all information must be general in nature, here are some of the strategies we have suggested to various clients in our Perth office.

The Will

At Approved Financial Planners, we don’t create wills. However, we do provide referrals to trusted members of the legal profession who are qualified to make sure your assets go to whom you want, while taking full advantage of tax effective and innovative strategies. The will is the linchpin of your succession strategy.

Transfer of Assets

Some clients choose to start transferring assets while they are still alive. This can often have tax advantages and can help your heirs utilise the assets at an earlier age. For example, passing on a business can allow the heirs to run it more successfully while allowing you to forget about it and enjoy retirement.

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