Just when we thought it was safe to return to the supermarket aisle, it seems inflation has come back to bite us again. Worse, the Reserve Bank of Australia predicts it will linger for longer than previously expected, adding to cost-of-living concerns.

You’re scrolling through an online retailer, like Amazon, Shein or eBay, and spot a shirt on sale for $40. You add it to your cart, but at checkout, a $10 shipping fee suddenly appears. Frustrated, you close the tab.

But what if that same shirt was priced at $50 with “free” shipping? The likelihood that you would have bought it without a second thought is much higher.

Renting may feel like a flexible and often necessary solution, offering more freedom to move around and avoiding the responsibilities of property maintenance. However, in the long-term, home buying could prove financially advantageous. We’re supporting you to go from renting to home buying by simplifying the process with manageable steps. Let’s start by looking at some of the advantages of buying a house.

Preparing for Payday Super is important for your business because it shifts superannuation payments from quarterly to matching your payroll frequency and requires payments to be made within 7 business days. This transition can impact your business, so getting a head start is critical.

Commodities delivered strong headline returns in 2025. Yet, beneath the surface, this rally was quite uneven—precious metals rose by roughly 80%, while the remainder of the Bloomberg Commodity Index underperformed cash by more than 3%.

Private credit has moved from the edge of finance to an established component of the below-investment-grade credit markets. What began in the mid‑2000s as a relatively small and specialised form of nonbank lending has grown into a significant source of financing for small and medium‑sized companies, operating alongside the leveraged loan and high‑yield bond markets. 

The Australian Taxation Office’s September 2025 quarterly SMSF statistics reinforce a clear message for investors: while the SMSF sector is maturing in terms of fund growth, capital allocation remains decisively growth‑oriented.

As at the end of the September quarter, SMSFs collectively held an estimated $1.07 trillion in assets, up from around $1.02 trillion a year earlier. 

Over the past few weeks, I've really noticed a familiar theme in conversations with our clients, a big concern that interest rates in Australia are on the rise again.

For many people, that means they might feel like they have been through those tough times a few years ago and "are we headed back there again?"

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress. It’s also a moment to acknowledge a reality that quietly shapes many financial decisions - caring responsibilities.

New research shows grief in aged care begins long before death, starting at the moment a loved one enters residential care. Families describe a long, evolving journey shaped by loss of role, communication, and meaningful rituals – pointing to the need for grief support across the entire aged care experience.

Caring for the elderly or aged means caring for someone who is either:

• older than 65

• older than 50 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

It may be your parent, grandparent, extended family member or loved one.

You have access to the same services and payments as other carers. You may need to take time off work for caring responsibilities. You’ll need to make sure you also care for yourself.

Older Australians can access both government-funded and private aged care services, each with different costs, eligibility rules and flexibility. Understanding the differences between these options can help you or your loved ones make informed choices about the right support at home or in care.

Key points:

My Aged Care will be your first point of contact if you are in looking to access Government funded aged care services.

A RAS or ACAT/S assessment can determine what services will best suit your needs.

If you are found eligible for government-funded services, you will then be able to start looking for aged care providers.

The Star Ratings system debuted in December 2022 and it was designed to help families find high-quality aged care providers.

The five-star scale was introduced in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It was meant to distil complex care metrics — Resident Experience (33 percent), Compliance (30 percent), Staffing (22 percent) and Quality Measures (15 percent) — into a digestible score.

Hospital admissions can be distressing for individuals and costly for healthcare systems. Many of these admissions, particularly for older adults and those with chronic conditions, can be prevented through adequate support at home. Home Care Packages (HCPs) play a vital role in reducing hospital entries by providing tailored care that promotes health, safety and independence.

The number of Australians aged over 65 is expected to more than double in the next 40 years while the number of people aged over 85 is predicted to triple in that time.ⁱ

Aged care funding and services have seen major changes in the years since the 2021 report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and this year is no exception.

After a long wait, new legislation which is aimed at reshaping how aged care is delivered and funded in Australia has been passed.

Like most countries around the world, our population continues to age, making it important to have a sustainable aged care system that provides quality care and treats our older Australians with dignity.

Changes to aged care fees are coming, and they will impact both home care and residential care. After a long wait and lots of speculation, the government has released details of the proposed changes.

If you are worried about the need to access aged care, you are not alone. When the time comes it can be daunting, with a lot of new information to take in and many decisions to make. The responsibility to make the right decision for yourself, or a loved one, may weigh heavily on your mind.

Moving into residential aged care can trigger a range of emotions, particularly if it involves the sale of the family home.

What is often a major financial asset, is also one that many people believe should be either kept in the family or its value preserved for future generations.