Patricia Howard

The cost of pet ownerhsip surges

Without doubt owning a pet, be it a cat or a dog, is one of the great joys in life regardless of your age and there are plenty of studies showing that owning a pet as you get older leads to improved mental and physical health. From reducing heart disease

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Pension boost welcome

What lies ahead?

Everyone is talking about the cost-of-living crisis. The big question is just how bad will things get before they get better and will the Reserve Bank’s efforts to control inflation by lifting interest rates, prompt the local economy to slide into recession. It’s a difficult question. The share

The big six retirement horror stories

Potential clients always enter my office with the same look on their face. They are worried about their retirement and whether they will be able to successfully make the transition into what should be the best years of their lives. While I can sort out their finances and make sure

How to make the most of your tax cuts

Most Australians are looking to the July 1 tax cuts as a way of boosting much needed take home pay to help pay the bills, but if you’re not in that position you should take advantage to making the most of this bit of extra cash. Helpfully at the

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What I heard at dinner last week!

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Why didn’t I get more franking credits with my last ANZ dividend?

Doom or Boom in 2024?

As the Australian share market continues to trade at or near record highs, the question more and more people are asking is, what lies ahead? Are we on the brink of falling into recession or will the local economy build on past gains? The first fact to state is that

Welcome to a wonderful new year!

The summer holidays are always a good time to reflect, to take time out, read, relax, and so recharge your batteries for the year ahead. This year was no different for me although I did spend more time than usual reading. What struck me was what seemed to be an

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Ensure your beneficiary details are up to date

Never too late to start

Too often people give up on super. They think they have saved too little that they won’t be able to catch up and it’s just a waste of time. But there are several key benefits of putting money into superannuation and importantly, it is never too late to

How much you can squeeze into super this year?

Too many people are still confused as to just how much they can contribute to super  and when, so I thought given it’s the start of the new year and we are all making new year resolutions hopefully to contribute more to super, I thought I would run through

The economy: Five Things That Need to Go Right in 2024

Economic commentaries for 2024 appear to lurch from doom and gloom to one of the best outlooks this century, with the difference apparently lying solely with the commentator and whether they feel optimistic or not. So, let’s take a closer look at what might go wrong or right. Almost

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The Federal Government Must Reform the laws regarding Powers of Attorney

Another year comes to an end...

Looking back over the year, its been a relatively benign year for investment markets, with massive profits by Australia’s largest mining companies and big banks, underwriting a strong financial performance across the board. Inflation and the prospect of higher interest rates in 2024 remain the biggest issues, although it

Investing trends in 2024

As the New Year is just around the corner and I don’t publish this newsletter during the holiday period, I thought I would get in early with some investment tips for the new calendar year. Given the events of the past few years, it would seem the only thing

Give Yourself a Special Gift

The Twelve Days of Christmas traditionally refer to the sacred period between the Christ child was born in Bethlehem and when the three magi, or wise men, appeared before him in fulfilment of the prophets. This is such a busy time of the year that it is difficult to get

Uncertain times

For the past few years, it seems every month the world becomes just slightly more unsettled and unsafe as the war continue to rage in the Ukraine and the middle east once again appears on the edge of widespread conflict. It’s a time for everyone I think to reflect

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Australia - The New Switzerland

Who are your beneficiaries

While I am not a lawyer and cannot provide legal advice, I do always urge clients to have an up-to-date will and to ensure they revise their will whenever there is a major life event such as an inheritance or change in life partner or when they seek financial planning

Achieving a happy retirement

One of the best things about my work is seeing the change I can bring to the lives of clients. Typically, clients contact me when they need help planning the financial aspect of their lives for when they stop working. They usually come into my office looking down caste and

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Key investment mistakes to avoid

Make the most of being a couple

When clients come to me to plan their retirements, typically if they have a partner, they will come together to speak with me as a couple to discuss their financial future and how they should structure their finances going forward. However, I also have many clients in accumulation mode, that

Spring Is Here!

There’s just something about Spring. The warmer weather, the brighter sunshine and longer days, just helps to give you a more positive outlook on life and hopefully, this will spill over to your financial situation. So, I want to start this newsletter by focusing on those who are still

Updating Your Will

Nobody really wants to think about what happens after they pass on, but it is vital that you do keep your will up to date, so that when the time comes, your estate can be handled quickly and broadly in line with your wishes. So here are some simple steps