A year in review and some tips for the Christmas Break
- In this month’s show, we will look at all the material we now have saved on our website, which is all available free for our 4CRB listeners.
January: We kicked the year off with some aged care advice.
February: This month’s show was on investment basics.
March: How are people funding their retirement?
April: 2024 is not a normal cycle.
May: Why is inflation so important?
June: How to maintain your lifestyle and standard of living when the cost of everything is going up.
July: What to consider when thinking of selling the family home
August: It was time for a chat with our inhouse expert Belinda Veriton on everything aged care.
September: A lesson on economics and making sense of the current economic conditions.
October: What is top of mind for retirees?
November: Ladies we need to talk.
January: We kicked the year off with some aged care advice:
In this month’s show we looked at:
- What stops people reaching for aged care advice earlier?
- Denial or lack of acceptance of the situation
- Not wanting to lose independence
- What are their largest concerns?
- You do not necessarily have to sell your home
- The fear of elder abuse by the facility
- How will they be able to afford this
- Who normally makes the decisions?
- If you are organised it can be your decision
- If you do not that decision is taken away from you
- Select someone you trust as a power of attorney in advance.
- Have the conversation about your wishes
All of this and more is in the January show notes on our website.
February: Investment basics:
In February we went back to basics and looked at the fundamentals of investing and the different asset classes, talking more about:
- Cash and term deposits;
- Fixed income;
- Property;
- Direct shares;
- Australian versus international shares;
- Different styles of investment managers; and
- Some tips and tricks to look out for.
March: How are people funding their retirement?
We looked at how are retirees funding their retirement, delving more into:
- Full or part aged pension
- Self-funded
- Property income
- Personal superannuation
- Family business
April: 2024 is not a normal cycle:
In April we reviewed the current markets and economic conditions. We discussed:
- What has changed and what has not changed;
- Tips and staying away from potentially illiquid investments;
- What to consider when buying a rental property;
- Shares and managed funds;
- Bucketing strategies for retirees; and
- Cashflow tips for retirees.
We also looked at what are the largest mistakes investors make, covering areas such as:
- Lack of research
- Overlooking diversification
- Ignoring market timing and speculating
- Ignoring investment costs and fees
- Emotional investing
- Chasing performance
- Overconfidence or confirmation bias
- Failing to rebalance
These are all listed in more detail on our website for April.
May: Why is Inflation so important?
When considering inflation we looked at:
- Why is it important over time to remain under control?
- What can it do to the price of everything over time?
- What are the effects of interest rates on investments?
- How do you reduce inflation?
- What effects does it have on retirees?
June: How to maintain your lifestyle and standard of living when the cost of everything is going up?
With cost-of-living costs not showing any relief it was timely to look at this topic. During this session we covered:
- Some tips for cost savings;
- How much income do you really need?
- What do you do with your time?
- What do you enjoy doing and what habits can you have without breaking the budget?
We then looked at housing and covered:
- Where do you want to live and should you downsize
- What to do with that rental property that has gone up in value but the income you receive form it is not enough after costs to cover the hassle.
July: What to consider when thinking of selling the family home:
Firstly, we looked at why do people consider leaving the family home? Following this we then discussion different options and reasons for or against that decision.
For those that decided to sell then what are some tips when selling and selecting an agent. I even had some commentary from some local agents on their tips.
We addressed what to consider in downsizing to a unit or an apartment and we then looked at retirement villages versus over 50s villages and what the key differences are here.
We discussed at what point in a health situation should you consider moving and finally then how to access advice to help with all of this.
August: It was time for a chat with our inhouse expert Belinda Veriton on everything aged care:
Belinda covered off on some key points to consider when looking at aged care:
- Where do you start with aged care?
- What is the ACAT and why is it important?
- How to find a provider;
- What s the best way to find a provider?
- Common misconceptions around care; and
- Then how to reach out for advice.
September: A lesson on economics and making sense of the current economic conditions:
In this month’s show we covered off on why GDP (Gross domestic product) is so important and where is inflation up to.
We had a close look then at what is driving markets in 2024?
October: What is top of mind for retirees?
There was a lot happening in October so it was an opportune time to cover off on the following:
- We looked at potential effects out of the US election:
- The impact on global markets and investments;
- Exchange rate fluctuations; and
- Trade and economic policy changes.
- We moved back to Australia and reviewed the changes in the QLD elections and what are the effects on retirees:
- Healthcare and aged care services is a huge issue;
- Improved completions on public projects;
- Personal security concerns; and
- Cost of living relief.
- Then we looked at the largest issues for Australian retirees
- Financial security and superannuation;
- Healthcare access and costs;
- Housing affordability and security;
- Rising cost of living;
- Social isolation and mental health.
We also held a public seminar for listeners.
We had over 50 people come along for a few hours and it was a great opportunity for listeners to come along and we were able to answer any questions they had about their financial situation.
November: Ladies we need to talk:
In November we had Brooke Riewoldt from my team talking on our ladies programs.
This is around support and education for ladies that find themselves left in charge of their financial situation.
In the US 80% of ladies die alone so there is a real need to have this financial support in place.
Brooke covered off on the type of things they usually talk about and what programs RFS advice offer in this regard. It is a full service offering around so much more than just the financials.
December: Yearly wrap-up:
Hopefully throughout 2024 you have enjoyed the topics and information we have tried to provide to the community.
We have really appreciated meeting face to face those 4CRB listeners that have decided to join the RFS family as clients in 2024.
Personally, I receive so much joy in helping those in the community.
2024 has been rewarding where I was ranked in the Barrons Top adviser at number 29 which was the the highest in South-East QLD. In addition to this I also received the IFA Power 50 award being included in the 50 most influential financial advisers in Australia.
I would like to close with thank you for the community support throughout the year. Myself, and my team are here to help for those 4CRB listeners that want to reach out and come and see us for a no obligation meeting in person.
We look forward to delivering you more content in 2025 and in the meantime, wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas.
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