You may recall that in March this year, I spoke about The Greatest Gift of Being a Financial Planner. This seemed to be a straight forward case whereby the policy holder, met the definitions and was going to be paid his insured amount. Well, let me fill you in.

Everyone wants the best for their children. Providing a good education is a huge part of preparing them for the best possible future. But as education becomes more expensive, planning and budgeting for these costs becomes essential.

Keeping an eye on the value of the Australian dollar has always been a sensible approach for travellers and it’s something investors should also keep sight of too.

Although the troubles in Greece’s economy have been the main event in global share markets in recent times, there’s a more pressing worry in international markets that’s closer to home.

BT Financial Group’s Head of Diversified Portfolio Management, Piers Bolger, looks at what’s happening in investment markets at home and around the world.

A couple of weekends ago, Emma Walsh who is the awesome Client Service Manager in our Ballina office, attended the Queensland Ladies Classic Tenpin Bowling Championship held at Caboolture.

It’s happened again. A long-time client who holds life cover and income protection called me yesterday very disheartened at the annual cost of her income protection cover. 

Without adequate income protection cover, an accident or serious illness could have terrible consequences for the lifestyle you wish to lead when you do transition out of the workforce.

The price of oil may only be something you think about when you’re filling up at a petrol station or when you book a flight and see fuel excises. 

Work-life balance for four out of every ten working Australians is actually getting worse, according to a report by The Australian Institute Think Tank in November of last year. 

The outlook for the domestic economy is mixed, with its performance likely to be led by events on global markets for the remainder of 2015.

So if you are like me, one would assume with technology as advanced as it is, that if you dial triple zero, the operator will know exactly where you are calling from right? Wrong! 

If you travel, especially overseas, you know the importance of travel insurance – lost luggage anyone? And if you have a car or motorbike then you know it’s a no brainer to insure your wheels. But there are other kinds of insurance even if you’re young, single and healthy today that are important to help you protect your lifestyle and independence.

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has recently changed the way it assesses income earned by assets paid for by a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) borrowings. In some cases, income earned by assets in this category will be treated as non-arm’s length and won’t qualify for the tax concessions available within super.

Investment properties in Australia are being hit by falling rental earnings. So is it possible to still make money from investment properties? We consider the challenges and opportunities of the current Australian property market and how to navigate both.

Investors have endured volatile market conditions so far in 2015. While economic growth is improving in the US and UK, in other regions it has been more subdued.

The plight of a cancer sufferer may seem hopeless but the fight that I saw in this family showed a resolve that is captured in adversity. I mean real adversity. Not a market fluctuation where your capital drops by 20% or changes to legislation which means you may have to pay some tax. The realisation that nobody believes you can survive a terminal illness. 

I was talking to a business client last week, and the topic of the value their current Accountant is delivering came up. So it got me thinking, what is the best set up for a burgeoning business? Based upon my experience, I believe that EVERY business owner should have their A-team around them. 

Having a baby is one of the most exciting and scary times in your life. Getting on top of your finances can help alleviate some of the pressure, so that you can enjoy your time with your newborn.

Fraud is a serious problem in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest figures, 1.2 million Australians were the victims of fraud in the year to 2010/2011, or 6.7 per cent of the population.