Empower Blog Property & Financial Investment

RBA Rates Decision – November 2011

Finally the planets have aligned and we have our long awaited cash rate cut of 0.25% bringing the cash rate down to 4.50%. I would think all the banks/lenders will be sensible in passing on this full amount without incident, CBA and Westpac have already done that and now I’d expect the others to follow. However history tells me they will set a da...

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Double Christmas Bonus for Mortgage Holders or First Timers

For those of you reading this newsletter with Mortgages I put a challenge out to you, which could give you a double Christmas bonus on top of the RBA announcement to drop rates – the question to you is, do you want a further financial bonus – If Yes read on.... Over the next week or two you are going to receive a letter from your lender anno...

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From Action to Measurement

In last month’s newsletter ( available from our website ), we outlined two key steps needed to take your Money Plan and put it into action - getting your existing money working as hard as possible for you, and taking control of your spending. These two steps can be achieved by implementing the Account Structures and cash flow strategies that form...

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The ‘Piggybacking’ Strategy

There are many property investment strategies available to investors looking to create wealth through investing in residential property. This month I am going to share with you one of my strategies I call the ‘Piggybacking’ Strategy. Property values are made up of two components, the land value and the ‘improvements’ (more communally ref...

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Complicating Simple

Throughout the business world over the years there has been a lot of discussion about concepts and/or theories around best business practice, thought leadership theories etc, etc.  Great sayings like “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” to the complete opposite of “if it isn’t broke, break it”........ My observations from my time in ...

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Brokers Top of Class

The latest Core Data ACQUIRE index market research findings has brokers top of the class.  Core Data conducted a mystery shop exercise, surveying home lenders and ranked brokers ahead of banks and credit unions on a range of seven different criteria. On the most important criteria of ‘Understanding – or the ability to understand customers n...

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RBA Rates Decision – October 2011

Anyone tired of hearing about the European debt crisis or the US economy yet? Of course we all are, but as the saying goes ‘Money makes the world go around’, so these global events are unfortunately part of Australia and ultimately a part of our personal worlds.  And a clear reminder of this is the equity markets and how they have been so v...

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From Strategy to Action

In previous newsletters, we have discussed the three stages in Money Planning: knowing where you are now - developing a picture of your current Financial Position, deciding where you want to be (and when) - thinking about how much passive income you will need to allow you to be financially independent, and deciding on the best way to get fr...

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Reducing the ‘Fear Factor’ in Property Investing (Part Two)

As a Buyer’s Advocate, I get asked all kinds of property related questions. People lean on my expertise and experience for all manner of things.  One of the most common questions I get asked is about the value of any given property. People like to know whether they are paying too much, offering too little, considering selling for the right figur...

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Advisor vs. Salesperson

I’m in the process of finalising the plans for a major renovation of our home, and there are a lot of people involved in the process and a lot of decisions we need to make – BIG Decisions that carry a lot of costs. Through this process it has once again been highlighted to me the wish I have always had regarding making BIG financial decision...

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RBA Rates Decision – September 2011

The RBA have again left interest rates on hold, after much speculation mid last month around the cash rate being reduced to stimulate the wider economy as it’s believed to be slowing over the past few months. In a recent speech, the Deputy Governor, Mr Ric Battellino, gave his indication that recent global economic uncertainty and the subseque...

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Population Growth = Value Growth? – NOT ALWAYS

At our final Property Wealth Forum event for 2011, my team and I busted a dozen myths about what drives property values. One of the biggest myths we busted centred around the view that if you get population growth you will naturally get growth in property prices.  Not entirely true - let me explain. Population is seen as a demand driver of value,...

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From Plan to Strategy

In previous newsletters, we have discussed the first two stages in Money Planning - knowing where you are now and deciding where you want to be (and when).  The next step in the process is to develop some ideas about different strategies you may adopt to get from your current situation to your desired future state and the pros and cons of each pos...

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