News and updates about building wealth, retiring and achieving goals.

The end of the election uncertainty and the investor-friendly policies of the Coalition produced a relief rally on financial markets. And the Australian dollar more broadly has suffered from a flight to safety as trade tensions between the US and China escalate, pushing the US dollar higher. Global bond yields and share prices have also fallen in May.

Most of us dream of the day we can stop working and start ticking off our bucket list. Whether you dream of cruising Alaska, watching the sun rise over Uluru, improving your golf handicap or spending time with the grandkids, superannuation is likely to be a major source of your retirement income.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has delivered a ‘back in the black’ Budget aimed squarely at voters, stressing the Morrison Government’s commitment to financial discipline and low taxes. As expected, the Treasurer signaled sweeping tax cuts and major infrastructure spending if the Coalition wins the upcoming federal election widely expected to be held in May.

After one of the hottest summers on record, many Australians will welcome Autumn and the opportunity to be more active outdoors and perhaps get busy in the garden. There will be no let-up in the heat on the political and economic front though, with the Budget and a Federal election looming.

When it comes to setting financial priorities, medium-term goals often suffer from middle child syndrome, not taken as seriously as the oldest or indulged as much as the youngest. The serious long-term goal of saving for retirement gets lots of attention, and rightly so. It’s super important.

Investors started 2018 full of hope, with the global economy and financial markets in good shape, but by year’s end they were uncertain and a little anxious about what lay ahead. Markets responded with last minute falls across all asset classes.