Empower Blog Investment Planning

Tax Refund: Can You Request It Sooner?

Whenever you are buying an investment property, you should never buy it for tax reasons alone because it really has to be about the fundamentals underlying that particular property that you're buying. But let's be honest, once you've done that, the tax concessions or the tax refund that you get from holding a property is a very strong reason why yo...

Watch Video

Pay off the mortgage or invest – How to do both?

Investors often face with one common question when their savings grow: Should I pay off the mortgage or invest? With interest rates at its all time low and an outperforming property market, some might think that it is an obvious choice but how sure are you? In this Money Magazine's August 2016 Edition, Bryce shares his point of view on how you can ...

Read More

How well protected is your business?

If you’re like many business owners you have already insured the physical assets of your business from theft, fire and damage. But have you considered the importance of insuring yourself - and other key people in your business - against the possibility of death, disability and illness. Not being adequately insured can be a very risky oversight, a...

Read More

Are women better at property investing?

When it comes to property investing, the question is who actually makes for the better property investor? Is it the men or is it the women? Now, I'm probably not the most balanced person to answer that question because clearly I have an agenda out of that but I was recently chatting with Veronica Morgan who is my co-host on Location Location Locati...

Watch Video

Counting the cost of a curve ball

Here’s a confronting question: what would you do if the main breadwinner in your household could no longer bring in an income? Do you have a Plan B? Most people don’t. That’s where insurance comes in. Curve balls. They’re unexpected, often deceptive and it’s impossible to predict their trajectory. That’s why they’re so devastating �...

Read More

Is an SMSF right for you?

Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are the largest and fastest growing super sector in Australia and for many good reasons. But before you start an SMSF, it’s important to weigh up both the advantages and disadvantages and consider seeking advice to determine whether an SMSF is right for you. The advantages SMSFs can offer a number of features and ...

Read More

Personal succession planning for families with young children

Personal succession planning is much more than just having a Will, especially for families with young children. Without an appropriate succession plan, you may not have certainty that the right assets will go to the right people at the right time in the most tax effective way. And most importantly, you may not have certainty that your loved ones w...

Read More

Five steps to consider before entering an aged care home

If the need for residential aged care is nearing, following these five steps will help you make a smoother transition. 1. Get your eligibility assessed Before you can enter an aged care facility and receive Government support, your health situation must be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).[1] The assessors are generally health profe...

Read More

A Will isn’t always the only way

You would have heard the saying: “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. This statement is usually used to encourage people who are losing enthusiasm for a task or goal. But it also reflects the way many people feel about estate planning. They think that so long as you have a Will, you have a way to ensure your wealth is passed correctly t...

Read More

Why is property investing so hard?

Hi Ben Kingsley here, today on our How to Session, I'm going to talk about why is property investing so hard. Now I'm here on the whiteboard but today we are using some cards. We are going to basically look at the whole complexity surrounding property. You've heard us talk before if you've watched some of our other videos about owner occupier appea...

Watch Video

Plan ahead for the aged care you want

Early planning can take away a lot of the stress and uncertainty that can arise when considering aged care at home or a residential aged care facility. Know what your options are The first option that probably comes to mind is a residential aged care facility. These facilities provide accommodation and care depending on your personal needs. Care ca...

Read More

Five tips to get property advice

Its always an interesting discussion you have with someone who' s planning a wedding. They spend this huge amount of time in the lead up to the wedding. What they're going to have at the reception, what dress, what the groom is going to wear, where are they going for their honeymoon.. It's just so much planning that goes into this very one day but ...

Watch Video

Rentvesting: Is it the right strategy for you?

So in this how to video, what I want to do is explore the idea of rentvesting and whether it is the right type of strategy for you. Now, every household is different in regards to their financial and personal goals. Rentvesting is the concept whereby you rent where you want to live but you invest the savings into a portfolio of properties, ultimate...

Watch Video