Patricia Howard Financial Planning

Still great to be in Australia!

With the world beyond Australia’s shores looking increasingly dangerous, it is comforting to focus on how lucky we all are to live in Australia and be able to plan and enjoy a happy retirement.  Reflecting this Australia’s super funds excluding self-managed super funds, received a record $57 billion

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Transferring super to a partner

Downsizer contributions

Often when the Federal Government introduces a new rule or regulation regarding superannuation it takes a few years for everyone to fully understand the legal implications of what has been put in place and so it is with downsizer contributions. So just to bring everyone up to speed, downsizer contributions,

Impact of removing the work test

The decision by the Federal Government to remove the work test for those in retirement but still under 75 years of age, was just one of those great common-sense decision that you look at and think why did it take so long. Just to prompt everyone’s memory the Federal

The Bank of Mum and Dad

How to help adult children buy into the property market has become the most frequently asked question that I am asked as a financial planner so I thought it would be timely to outline what I believe are three biggest traps. 1.      Is it a loan or a gift? The

Big Super is flooding the stock market

While superannuation is undoubtedly an Australian success story, effectively turning Australia, which use to starve for capital to develop the country, to be the new Switzerland of the southern hemisphere. The country is now awash with super savings. During the June quarter Australia’s super funds excluding self-managed super funds,

Are you retirement ready?

While more and more Australians are delaying their final day at work, I think it is worth asking the question, have you taken all the right steps to make sure you are retirement ready when that big day does arrive? It is easy to put off thinking about it but

What to do if you are not happy with your super?

As anyone who has read my book, The No-Regrets Guide to Retirement and even these newsletters will know, I am a big fan of superannuation, both in terms of the significant tax breaks afforded to it and the unrelenting benefit of compound interest, to generate significant wealth. So, it staggers

Inflation is down: so why aren’t we celebrating?

So why is the recent fall in inflation, which fell to its lowest level in almost three years, not a reason for widespread celebration and speculation of an imminent drop in interest rates? Is this a case of being dammed if you do, and dammed if you don’t? Or

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What is happening with Fortesque Metal’s share price?

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Good numbers, bad numbers, and everything in between....

The three biggest mistakes in retirement

While I have been advising Australians on how to best live in retirement, it still amazes me how often I come across people who are making the same old common mistakes when it comes to structuring their finances in retirement. Here are the biggest mistakes people still make. 1.     Pulling

Finding the Best Way Forward in Uncertain Times

The prospect of a US recession, the on-going wars in the Middle East and Europe, the rise of inflation and the uncertainty surrounding interest rates, have made for some unsettling times in the past few weeks. However, it’s important to note superannuation is largely immune these inevitable ups and

Super is a team event for couples

While I’ve been providing advice on superannuation for more than 20 years now, it constantly amazes me that so many couples are happy to look upon their home and mortgage as a joint asset but treat their superannuation as separate assets. Certainly, it’s not possible to have a

Working for longer before you retire

While reading a recent newspaper article reporting on new rules surrounding health checks for older doctors still working in the profession, I was struck by a simple quote by one of the doctors being interviewed. “The bare fact is seventy is the new fifty and as long as you are

Will the roller coaster ride ever stop?

The past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride regarding the Australian share market, with bad news from the US and the prospect of higher inflation in Australia, prompting significant selloffs in key stocks. However, superannuation savings are largely immune to these inevitable ups and downs

Transition to retirement – is it for you….

It is estimated some 70,000 older Australians are transitioning to retirement by working fewer hours and switching jobs in their final years in the workforce and using their super to effectively 'top up' their income. This strategy, while not as attractive as it once was due to

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Challenges with green investments

Simple Answers to Complex Questions

I am often asked questions as to why I prefer one investment over another or why I structure clients’ portfolios the way I do, so I thought this month I would do a ‘deep dive’ to answer both questions. In some ways, the simple answer is to say I make

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Why Telstra?

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Is it time to sell Commonwealth bank shares?

Portfolio Construction at a Micro Level

In formulating investment portfolios for clients, I focus on three key elements. Firstly, I must be confident the investment is safe. By that I mean I look for investments I am confident will withstand the normal ups and downs and stresses of modern investment markets and that they will survive

Portfolio construction at a Macro Level

All portfolio construction, and by that, I mean the choice of investments for clients, is focused on two levels, the macro level or the overarching investment environment and then, the micro level where I look at individual companies. Times are always changing and with them so are investment environments and

Where to from here for out big miners?

As anyone who is keeping an eye on their investment portfolios will know, share prices for Australia’s top miners, Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortesque Metal group, have all taken a step down this calendar year. BHP share price is down some 16 per cent to $42.10 so far

Home ownership: the key to a happy retirement....

Retirees renting a home are significantly more worried about their financial outlook than those who own their homes, according to the results of a recent survey by US fund management giant, Vanguard. Their latest report, How Australia Retires, highlights the growing issue of home ownership in determining the level of