Tag Archive for: Plutus Financial Guidance

Debt Management At Plutus Financial Guidance

Debt management comes in many forms. There are various reasons why anyone would borrow capital to invest, such as getting a mortgage (meaning you get to own your piece of real estate sooner rather than later) or reducing your tax bill whilst creating long-term wealth through investments.

While it’s true that utilising debt, gearing or leverage can aid in long-term wealth creation; it is essential to take an optimised and disciplined approach. Debt should be a tool to serve you and not the other way around. Too much can cause a lot of stress, but, on the other hand, too little or zero debt might make you feel like you are potentially missing out on opportunities and possibilities. 

When it comes to debt management and allocation, we all have different financial positions and circumstances. There are many contributing factors including age, aspirations, goals, investment horizon, appetite for risk and requirements. It is essential to ensure that a strategy is structured for the long term to help you achieve all of your financial goals. 

At Plutus Financial Guidance, our work with you constantly evolves with your changing circumstances. We offer independent financial advice that we tailor to your circumstances. We also regularly check up with you to help keep you motivated and on the right track.

A personalised financial plan will enable you to get closer to achieving what is important to you in life, not only today but more importantly, in the long run. We continuously work with our clients to manage changing circumstances, needs and moving goal posts. 

To learn more about how Plutus Financial Guidance can help you utilise debt as a wealth-building strategy, please feel free to head to the page on our website dedicated to this topic by clicking the link here

financial health discovery consultation retired couple

Financial Health Discovery Consultation

What is a financial health discovery?

A financial health discovery takes an in depth look at your personal financial situation to ensure the present and future health of your position. 

The past year has been a good reminder to us all that certain life events do have the ability to disrupt even our most carefully thought-out strategies. 

Experience in providing financial advice is critical at these vulnerable and emotionally sensitive times. These uncertain periods are where planning is crucial to keep on track, along with guidance from a trained advisor. 

It’s also important to always to seek out independent financial planners, as they are the ones who can assess your financial health with genuine autonomy, operating without incentive and conflicts of interest. 

We pride ourselves on the integrity and purpose that is constant throughout all of our financial services. We strongly believe that financial advice should be transparent, as such, at Plutus Financial Guidance, we do not charge commission on our independent financial advice nor will we accept kickbacks, royalties or referral fees from financial institutions.  

Vince Lam is a professional Accountant and an Independent Financial Advisor with almost two decades of experience. He holds the Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) designation and is an Accredited Aged Care Professional.

Book in for a financial health discovery consultation with our independent financial advisors today. We can help you implement the various risk management tools that give you more certainty and peace of mind regarding your long term financial health.

Retirement Advice At Plutus Financial Guidance

The closer one edges toward retirement, the more excited they generally feel. The freedom to do what you want, when you want. For many, it’s the first instance of a decrease in responsibility for the first time in decades.  

So, you’ve been planning the details of retirement for years, now it’s time to review the logistics. Recognising that retirement is not the conclusion of one’s journey through life but just a different stage. 

This next stage does come with a particular set of challenges that we must prepare for, to ensure that we can enjoy this period in our lives without financial worries. Whilst navigating these challenges can be daunting, getting support from an independent financial advisor with experience will give you the confidence you need to make these challenges less intimidating. 

Having a solid plan in place is key to enjoying a financially secure and happy retirement. 

At Plutus Financial Guidance, we provide easy-to-follow financial advice for retirement, customised to your specific retirement needs and goals. We can help you gain the freedom to choose how long you will work, get financial peace of mind, and free up time for your well-deserved retirement. We are here to help you understand all of the options and tactics available to you, allowing you to make informed choices when it comes to planning for your retirement. 

Vince Lam is a professional Accountant and an Independent Financial Advisor with almost two decades of experience. His academic qualifications include a Master of Applied Finance from the Macquarie University Applied Finance Centre and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Sydney. He holds the Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) designation and is an Accredited Aged Care Professional.

For more detailed information regarding Plutus’s retirement financial guidance services, or to arrange a consultation, please do not hesitate to contact us today by clicking the link here.

Financial Advisor in the central coast

Independent Financial Guidance On The Central Coast

Plutus Financial Guidance is proud to offer our CIFAA-certified service to clients on the Central Coast. Located just one hour’s drive from Sydney, the Central Coast region offers its residents an outstanding balance of a relaxed coastal lifestyle and an impressive selection of work and business opportunities.  

Finding a certified financial advisor operating without incentive and conflicts of interest can be challenging. At Plutus Financial Guidance, we firmly believe that the best results come from a close relationship with a trusted advisor and that living a little further from the city should not result in folks having to compromise on authentically independent financial guidance

Vince Lam is a professional Accountant and an Independent Financial Advisor with almost two decades of experience. He holds the Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) designation and is an Accredited Aged Care Professional.

Having an independent advisor in your corner can help you protect your wealth and achieve your financial goals, giving you the free time and peace of mind to reap the benefits of a relaxed and happy lifestyle on the Coast. For more information, do not hesitate to get in contact with us today.

Aged Care Financial Advice – The Plutus Financial Guidance Difference

At Plutus Financial Guidance, we work closely with individuals and families to assist in making educated decisions when looking at future aged care options for a loved one.

Unlike regular financial advisors operating around Sydney, Plutus Financial Guidance proudly provide CIFAA-certified independent financial advice. 

Independent financial advisors differ, as we do not charge or take asset-based fees, commissions, or kickbacks – nor do we receive referral fees.

It is essential to understand that aged care facilities provide accommodation, meals, cleaning, round-the-clock care, plus extras where available. Consequently, the costs associated with aged care facilities and residential care are significant. 

For some families, a lack of planning or limited funds can severely limit their options.

For this reason, it is crucial to seek sound aged care financial advice, to determine associated costs and plan for how these costs can be financed. 

Seeking sound aged care financial advice can be daunting. At Plutus Financial Guidance, we are here to help make the process less complicated and provide you with a clear plan tailored to your personal scenario. 

We understand the complex array of emotions and outside factors that surround these major life decisions. As such, we aim to deliver aged care financial advice with great integrity and sensitivity. 

Vince Lam is an Accredited Aged Care Professional™ and an experienced Independent Financial Advisor. 

For more information on how Vince and the rest of the Plutus Financial Guidance team can help you navigate financial decisions around aged care, visit the page on our website dedicated to this topic here

The Deaf Society & Deaf Services Merger Announcement

Happy New Year from the team here at Plutus Financial Guidance.

We hope you had an enjoyable holiday period spending time with family and friends. 2020 was a transformative year not just for Plutus Financial Guidance, but also personally and professionally for Vince Lam.

As you may be aware, in addition to offering independent financial advice through Plutus Financial Guidance, Vince strives to dedicate himself to philanthropy and community service. 

One such commitment is Vince’s ongoing support for The Deaf Society, through his roles on their Board of Directors and Finance & Audit Committee Member since 2017. 

The Deaf Society

Founded in New South Wales in 1913, The Deaf Society was Australia’s chief not-for-profit expert service provider for the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people. Services provided include employment support, education and training support, family support, assistive technology support, everyday life skills and support relating to NDIS packages. 

A New Chapter For The Deaf Society & Deaf Services

In October 2020, The Deaf Society merged with Deaf Services (Queensland) to create a newly formed organisation, called Deaf Connect, which is now Australia’s largest whole-of-life service provider for the deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind community.

This new organisation will bring together 680 staff across New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, and a forthcoming facility in the Northern Territory.

Deaf Connect will now be operating at a hugely increased capacity as a result of this merger, with annual revenue of about $45m (up from $8m) & an equity portfolio of about $35m (up from $17m). It is an exciting prospect and we look forward to seeing what these combined resources can achieve. 

Vince is proud to share that he is a newly appointed member of the Deaf Connect Board of Directors and Finance & Audit Committee.

For Vince, these exciting challenges represent a convergence of his work in finance and his passion for philanthropy and community service. He looks forward to continuing this meaningful work through 2021 and beyond. 

For further information regarding the work of Deaf Connect, please visit their website here

working with a financial advisor for splitting super contributions

Splitting Super Contributions

Superannuation contribution splitting allows you to transfer some of your personal super contributions to your spouse’s account.

Splitting your superannuation contributions with your spouse is a great way to make sure you are both getting the most out of your retirement as a couple.

This can allow you to top up your partner’s superannuation if they have a lower balance, maximising your tax benefits and providing more flexibility.

How does super contribution splitting work?

A superannuation splitting strategy can allow married couples, de facto partners and same sex couples to split super contributions. They can be split with a spouse who is: 

  • under the preservation age; or 
  • over the preservation age, but under 65 and is still working. 

Couples can split up to 85% of their employer concessional contributions and any personal or salary sacrifice super contributions up to the contributions cap for that financial year.

The benefits of super contribution splitting

Current legislation prevents couples from sharing access to their super account, unless they operate a self-managed super fund. Super contribution splitting gives couples the ability to distribute super benefits between themselves. The advantages of super contribution splitting can include:

  • Increasing your spouse’s superannuation balance – This is helpful if your spouse has a lower than ideal balance through non-working periods or due to a lower income. This can be especially important for women who take time off to raise a family.
  • Providing earlier access to super benefits – Splitting your super with a spouse that is older than you and closer to retirement may allow you to access this money earlier. 
  • Accessing an age pension – When a spouse reaches pension age, which is currently 66, your superannuation balance will become a tax assessable asset. If in this case the older spouse’s assessable assets are below the pension asset test limits, they could potentially be eligible to access an aged pension payment. Assuming an older spouse meets all the rules, there could be a significant benefit in splitting their contributions to their younger spouse, allowing the older spouse to then qualify for a government pension.
  • Superannuation catch up rules – Splitting contributions to keep individual balances below $500,000 means each partner can take advantage of the carry forward rules on their before-tax contributions for up to five years. This can allow you to maximise the amount you can add to your super savings for a tax-effective retirement.
  • $1.6 million pension cap – Contribution splitting to a spouse could be used as a long-term strategy to even out the super balances between partners and keep individual balances below the $1.6 million super cap. This could help maximise the combined total of super savings that can be transferred to a tax-free environment when you retire. 

Summary

Plutus Financial Guidance are experts, offering independent advice across a range of financial services including superannuation advice. We are here to help you understand all of the options and tactics available to you, allowing you to make informed choices when it comes to planning for your retirement. 

Get in touch with the Plutus Financial team for peace on mind. Free up your time by outsourcing retirement planning to us.

independent financial advisors

Planning For Your Retirement

The Plutus Financial Guide To Planning For Your Retirement  

When planning your pathway to retirement, getting sound retirement financial advice is key to making a smooth transition. Taking the time to plan now will help achieve financial security, giving you a sense of clarity and certainty. The Plutus Financial team have put together a list of the things to consider when planning for your retirement. 

When do you want to retire? 

Most successful people do not ever want to retire. They want to have the option to do so, on their terms, should they wish to exercise the option. The first thing to do when planning your retirement is to determine at what age you want to have the option to retire. Typically, the average Australian retirement age is 67. However, you can choose to retire whenever you want based on your lifestyle and financial position. Figuring out when to have the option to retire will depend on a range of factors, such as your savings, investments, superannuation balance and personal preferences.

Determine your retirement goals

Once you have decided when you want to have the option to retire, the next step is to determine your retirement goals and the income you will need to support this lifestyle. When you retire, you will have more time for the things you enjoy most. You should think about how much money you will need for your basic living expenses and hobbies, the lifestyle you want to maintain and the emergency fund needed for life’s unexpected events.

Understand your financial position

Assessing your financial resources is the next step when planning your retirement. Your superannuation nest egg will typically be a component of your  retirement income. You can start accessing your super once you reach your preservation age, which will be between 55 and 60, depending on when you were born. 

Aspire to be more, contribute more and the best version of yourself possible. Nonetheless, Australia has a safety net in place with a range of government support benefits. Payments such as the age pension, Carer’s Allowance and Disability Support Pension can supplement your savings and super in retirement.

Develop a retirement financial plan 

As soon as you understand your retirement goals and current financial position, you can begin to put a plan in place to achieve your desired retirement aspirations. Vince Lam is a an independent financial planner, here to help you achieve your life goals, including understand the options at your disposal, the implications of relocating or downsizing the family home, topping up your super or developing a low-risk investment portfolio.

Conclusion 

We are here to help you achieve your most important life goals. Independent retirement financial advice can help you make informed choices when it comes to planning your retirement roadmap. Get in touch with the Plutus Financial team to be empowered, help you achieve your goals , get peace of mind and free up your time by outsourcing your retirement planning to us.

Independent Wealth Management for long term wealth in Sydney

Investing for Long-term Wealth with Independent Financial Advice

The Plutus Financial Guidance guide to investing for long-term wealth  

It’s proven that time spent investing in the market is more often important than the timing of the market.  This is a major point when investing for long-term wealth

2020 has being a rollercoaster year in more ways than one. It’s clear that those with a diverse investment portfolio and a solid long-term strategy have come out the other side relatively unscathed.   

When it comes to investing for the future, starting out early is imperative for ensuring long-term results. Whether you are years away from retirement or starting a new job, it’s crucial to have a few financial goals defined to frame your investment strategy. This way individual outlying years such as 2020, aren’t such a worry.  

The unfair advantage of compound interest?

Compound interest occurs when you earn additional interest on top of simple interest by reinvesting and making regular contributions over a consistent period of time.  This may sounds simple, yet it’s one of the major forgotten elements in retail investing (an individual who purchases securities for his or her own personal account rather than for an organisation).  

Dollar-cost averaging when investing for long-term wealth

Making regular instalments into your investment portfolio is key to delivering long-term results. Another common yet simple strategy is dollar-cost averaging. Instead of investing all of your capital in the one go, the idea is to invest the same, fixed amounts regularly, over a long period of time.  

Regardless of market conditions, this strategy allows you to increase your investment.  The easiest way to understand how dollar coast averaging works is to stay engaged with your investment. Calculating how investment balances can build up over time, with a combination of regular contributions, reinvestment, and compounding returns.    

Independent Financial Advice for 2020 and beyond

Increasing wealth through smart, calculated investing is a proven strategy.

Investors who are disciplined and armed with a strong, researched investment cases are poised to realise favourable returns in the years to come. Longer-term strategies mean your investment can be left to generate returns without the need to worry about the market’s peaks and troughs.  

Having a clear financial plan, consistent contributions, and diversified strategy will ensure a solid growth for your nest egg. As with many things, the longer you leave it to grow the better the financial return.  

Independent financial advisors such as Vince Lam are industry professionals. They specialise in building financial roadmaps tailored to you and your family’s needs, offering you peace of mind by ensuring you are on track to reach your financial goals.

early superannuation access during covid, piggy bank

Should I Access My Superannuation Early?

It is very clear that there’s an extraordinary amount of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis. We have all been impacted financially and several of us are seeking information in regard to how the superannuation and retirement system can be of assistance during this critical time.

Key points about the Australian government’s super early access scheme:

In response to the impact of COVID-19, the federal government has announced new stimulus packages. Now, there is the possibility for Australian’s to gain early access to their superannuation fund.

Depending on your super balance, you may be eligible to apply for the early release of a payment up to $10,000.

To be eligible, citizens or permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand must require the early release of their super to assist them to deal with the adverse economic effects of COVID-19.

One of the following circumstances must apply (as cited by the Australian Taxation Office):

  • you are unemployed
  • you are eligible to receive one of the following
    • JobSeeker payment
    • Youth Allowance for job seekers (unless you are undertaking full-time study or are a new apprentice)
    • Parenting payment (which includes the single and partnered payments)
    • Special Benefit
    • Farm Household Allowance
  • on or after 1 January 2020 either
    • you were made redundant
    • your working hours were reduced by 20% or more (including to zero)
    • you were a sole trader and your business was suspended or there was a reduction in turnover of 20% or more (partners in a partnership are not eligible unless the partner satisfies any other of the eligibility).

For more information in regard to assessing your eligibility, please visit Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

It is very important to check your super balance prior to applying through the Australian Taxation Office. It is essential to check that you have enough funds to cover your payment requests.

What are the benefits:

  • Any payments made through this early release scheme will be tax free.
  • Accessing super funds early will not impact access to social security payments. The funds withdrawn will not be counted as income payments and therefore do not impact your additional allowance received from the government.
  • Useful if experiencing distress due to financial situation.
  • Supporting your family and yourself during this crisis.
  • Assisting businesses with their essential expenses – most especially sole traders.

What are the disadvantages:

  • Withdrawals from your super fund during a market downturn such as this could result in realising current market losses, without giving your superannuation sufficient time to recover – this will of course depend on your age as well.
  • Retirement savings will be reduced significantly. You could well be giving up the gains of a future market recovery. Additionally, it’s important to understand the potential compound return over the course of the next 10, 20 and 30 years on the amount that you have subsequently withdrawn.
  • You will also have to bear in mind that if you do not have enough funds in your super to cover the costs of insurance premiums, your insurance will cease. There is also difficulty in reinstating insurance in the future at the same levels after it has been cancelled.

It is important to consider seeking financial advice before submitting your application to the Australian Taxation Office for the early release of your super.

Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team at Plutus Financial Guidance. Our Financial Advisors will be pleased to assist you with this critical decision-making process.