Here’s how you can help your children build financial literacy.

Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet many Australians struggle with financial literacy.

Vanguard’s 2024 How Australia Retires report found that only one-third of Australians were very confident or extremely confident in making financial decisions.

Many of us associate trust funds with their depictions in popular culture – tools used by the mega-rich to distribute enormous family incomes among “trust-fund babies”.

Recently, they even went viral as the centrepiece of a TikTok audio by user @girl_on_couch, who was famously “looking for a man in finance. With a trust fund. 6'5. Blue eyes.”

Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) data shows more than three dozen companies have been delisted from the Australian share market so far this year.

The majority of those delistings have been voluntary, at a company’s request. But the remainder have been delisted by the ASX due to listing rule breaches including their non-lodgement of documents and failure to pay their annual listing fees.

For Australians approaching retirement, recent market volatility may feel like more than just a bump in the road.

Unlike younger investors, who have time on their side, retirees don’t have the luxury of waiting out downturns. A sharp dip just before, or as you begin drawing down your superannuation, can leave lasting damage.

With the end of the current financial year fast approaching, time is running out if you’re planning to boost your superannuation balance before 30 June.

Even depositing a small amount of extra money into your super account before 30 June this year could make a big difference to your overall retirement balance over the longer term, thanks to compounding investment returns.

If you do not meet your super guarantee (SG) obligations, you may have to pay additional penalties or charges on top of the super guarantee charge (SGC).

Scammers operate in an ever-evolving space and the scams of today are far more sophisticated than they have ever been, targeting even the most financially literate individuals.

In addition to the financial impact from a scam, it can affect your mental health as well as damage your reputation, so understanding how scammers operate is the best way protect yourself from falling victim.

If retirement is just around the corner, the current financial climate may make you feel a little uneasy. Watching the markets fluctuate might leave you worrying about whether your superannuation will be enough to see you through.

It’s not a time for hasty moves, though.
If you are concerned a calm review of your current portfolio and investment strategy may be helpful.

Bonds are not usually the flashy upstarts of the investment world with their every move reported, like stocks.

But the Trump Administration’s extraordinary refashioning of world trade, with on-again off-again tariffs of eye watering amounts, has put bond markets in a similar position to share markets – in turmoil.

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.

Work out how long your super or account-based pension will last.

There are many variables that come into play when calculating how long your super or account-based pension will last in retirement, and it can be challenging to figure it out alone.

When you start to plan for retirement, you’ll need to check your super:

You can do this in 5 simple steps with the ATO's super health check. For most people it only takes a few minutes.

About 36% of homeowners still have a mortgage when they retire, up from 23% a decade ago.

This increase in mortgage debt is due to soaring property prices, changes in retirement ages and easy access to drawdown equity loans (where you use your home as security to get a loan, which can be used to fund travel, medical costs and other expenses)

As we advance into the 21st century, the concept of aging is undergoing a transformation, largely thanks to a new generation of “oldies” who don’t feel old - and are reframing what it means to be getting on in years.

Traditionally, aging has been associated with decline, frailty, and a sense of irrelevance.

Deciding when to retire is a big decision and even more difficult if you are concerned about your retirement income.

The average age of Australia’s 4.2 million retirees is 56.9 years but many people leave it a little later to finish work with most intending to retire at just over 65 years.ⁱ

As parents, the instinct to support our children never truly fades, even when they become adults but when you are looking at giving them a financial helping hand there is a bit to consider.

It’s important to ensure any support you provide is not at the expense of your financial future. It can also be tricky knowing what form your support should take, in order to maximise the benefits for your kids.

There is no debate that Australians love investing in property. The value of Australian residential real estate at the end of August 2024 was an estimated $10.95 trillion.ⁱ

Some love it so much that they believe property is a better option for providing a retirement income.

The retirement living sector is growing rapidly in Australia as the population ages and demand increases for a spot in a retirement village.

For many people, the idea of having someone on site to help with property and garden maintenance is enough for them to make what can be a major change later in life.

Most people intend to retire between ages 65 and 66, according to the latest data and, surprisingly, despite growing superannuation balances, the Age Pension is the main source of income for many retirees.ⁱ