Lifestyle

By Gemma Dale, Cuffelinks. Benjamin Franklin’s statement that nothing in life is certain but death and taxes remains relevant after 200 years. As a result of an ageing population and increasing household wealth for older generations, Australia faces the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history in the coming decades. This has significant policy implications, but…

At a glance, what have been the most common themes occurring in the risk insurance advice space? There has been a hum of activity on insurance in the media and much of this has been focused on fees or commissions and the raising of education standards, which pose as high importance. A significant element missing…

By Melanie Palmer, Cuffelinks. This article continues from Alex Denham’s, ‘Providing financial assistance to parents’, and is in response to a reader’s request to delve further into this little-explored theme. It focuses on what happens when circumstances change or where financial arrangements are challenged by other family members. Parents are often giving a ‘leg up’…

By Brian Fitzpatrick, Fitzpatricks Private Wealth. Here is a list of the things I will be doing to make this a cracking Christmas. 1. Buy a new tree – I bought an artificial one, but I can still remember the smell of a real one. 2. Decorate the tree – we got the grandchildren over to…

As we approach the start of 2016, it’s interesting to note that the start of the New Year is so notorious for divorce appointments that among the legal profession, the first Monday back in the office after the Christmas break is known as “D-Day”. While many of us are well versed on how to get…

Providing financial assistance to parents by Alex Denham, Cuffelinks. A Cuffelinks reader has asked about the options and opportunities for the younger generation to financially assist their parents. He says: “People in my situation would be curious about tax-effective ways of giving money to parents: Any tax schemes (such as spouse contributions) applicable between parents…

Do we want our children to be the “country club” kids? The rationale for this heading may seem controversial, but what we mean is, the common way of thinking is when we pass on, we equally divide our entire estate and let our beneficiaries i.e. children, work it out. Think Paris Hilton, as an extreme case in…

By Adele Horin, Cuffelinks. Fights over wills provide an appalling insight into the bitterness, anger, and recrimination that can tear families apart. Even when quite small sums are at stake, adult children, ex-spouses, stepchildren and others will stop at nothing. It’s enough to make a person turn in her grave. A recent report shows why…

How do we help baby boomer clients who don’t have enough money to retire?  For a number of boomers, this question has become more of a daunting reality than most would like. Some clients only need tactical advice, such as tweaking their risk tolerance or increasing their retirement savings, in order to meet their retirement goals. Others,…