Click here to download this month’s InScope newsletter [PDF]

This fact file can help you prepare for the financial year end and sets out some things you can discuss with us.

Topics include:

• Supercharge your superannation
• ‘Salary sacrifice’ into super
• Get a government co-contribution of up to $1,000
• Spouse contributions
• Contribution splitting
• Insurance premiums
• Prepaying loan interest
• Investment related tax deductions
• Managing capital gains

Things to consider:

• Do I have a record of all my super accounts and contributions?
• Does my employer allow salary sacrifice contributions?
• What are my current contributions for this financial year?
• Can I make a spouse contribution?
• Did I make a contribution last year that I could ‘super split’ this financial year?

Click here to download the fact file [PDF] or if you have any questions then speak to Rebecca Newton on 08 6201 5755 and let Prestige Wealth Partners help you maximise your superannuation opportunities.

Proposed changes include:

• Relief for unintentional breaches of contribution cap rules;
• Higher pre-tax contribution caps for those at age 50 ;
• Reduced minimum payments for account-based pensions;
• Government co-contribution income thresholds;
• Reporting of employer contributions on payslips;
• Lower income earners to receive a boost to their
  pay packet;
• Removal of Entrepreneurs Tax Offset;
• Dependent spouse tax offset to be phased out for
  those under 40;
• Disability support pension changes;

Click here to download the fact file [PDF] or if you have any questions then speak to Rebecca Newton on 08 6201 5755 and let Prestige Wealth Partners help you maximise your superannuation opportunities.

Property assets continue to attract investor interest due to their appealing attributes and growth possibilities. While they are often considered to be a mainstay of an investment portfolio, there are a number of things to keep in mind when adding property to the mix.

Click here to download your copy of Insight [PDF] and if you have any questions, as always, just contact Rebecca Newton Financial Planner on 08 6201 5755.

PRESS RELEASE 06 October 2010:

The award recognises the charitable work advisers are doing in the community through offering their professional services at no charge to clients in need. The award aims to highlight the work of advisers who have helped distressed clients achieve their financial or lifestyle goals.

Ms Newton was elected out of 50 entrants from Financial Wisdom practices for the valuable contribution she made to one Perth family’s life, helping them through a difficult financial situation.

“I am delighted to receive this award, good financial advice really can make a difference in people’s lives,” Ms Newton said.

Mark Ballantyne, General Manager, Financial Wisdom commended Ms Newton for her commitment to delivering advice excellence and quality solutions for her clients in a challenging market.

“These awards recognise the outstanding performance of our leading practices and advisers from across Australia and are a great way to showcase the strong calibre of talent we have within our network,” Mr Ballantyne said.

“Adapting to client needs and market demands is imperative for our industry and demonstrating to our clients how committed we are to achieving their objections is more important than ever,” he said.

Financial Planning Association CEO, Mr Mark Rantall said the Financial Wisdom Awards highlight the many untold stories where financial advice has come to the aid of ordinary Australians who have experienced tragedy or financial difficulties.

“The value of good advice cannot be underestimated in its real and personal impact on people’s life choices. It enables people to ensure that in the long term they can live the lives they wish to live,” Mr Rantall said.

About Rebecca Newton

Prestige Wealth Partners is a financial planning practice based in the northern suburbs and established to provide a strong client focus delivered through high levels of personal services, Rebecca Newton and Prestige Wealth Partners provide a unique, consistent and cost effective financial planning service.

The initial appointment is complimentary and you are under no obligation to proceed.

Discover financial planning with a difference. Contact Rebecca today!

How do I act on my financial advisers recommendations?

Where do I start?

It is often explained that the client should be advised of the nature of the financial planning process at the beginning of the first appointment.

Prestige Wealth Partners outlines the six steps of the financial planning process.

Step 1 – Gather your personal and financial data

• Such as your occupation, details on your income and expenditure, debt level and additional information on past experience with investments and how comfortable you are with investment risk.

Step 2 – Identify your goals and objectives

Prestige Wealth Partners then identifies your goals and objectives considering issues such as:

• The income and asset levels you are seeking;
• Placement of your investments;
• Planned expenditure – e.g. upgrading your family home, new car, holiday etc;
• Protecting your occupational income wealth through adequate death, disability and income protection cover;

Step 3 – Identify any financial issues

• We make comparisons between where you are now financially and where you want to be.
• Where a comparison indicates your objectives are unrealistic it is necessary for you to determine whether you want to modify your lifestyle to suit your goals, or modify your goals.

Step 4 – Prepare a Statement of Advice (SoA)

• We prepare a document that provides written recommendations relating to your goals, objectives and Risk Profile, such as recommended strategies and any actions necessary to correct shortfalls.

Step 5 – Implement your Statement of Advice

• Once you sign the Authority to Proceed your adviser can implement the advice on your behalf, or assist you through the process.

Step 6 – Reviewing your financial plan

• Is the advice/strategy still appropriate to meet your goals?
• To ensure it stays up-to-date and relevant to the economic climate and your changing lifestyle a minimum of an annual review is essential.

For more information

Please contact Rebecca Newton using the form below or telephone 08 6201 5755

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It’s important to be aware of any potential impact on your financial plan. While these initiatives are proposed, they may become legislated in the near future.

Click here to download this edition of InScope (PDF)

Gearing is the strategy of borrowing money to invest. Just as you take out a loan to buy a home, you can also borrow money to invest in other assets, such as shares, property or managed funds.

Gearing enables you to boost your investment earning power by increasing the amount of money you have available to invest. While investing with someone else’s money sounds like a great strategy (and it can be), there are risks involved, so it’s not suitable for everyone.

Prestige Wealth Partners makes gearing strategies easy to understand and easy to implement.

Generally, to be effective a geared investment should:

• generate a reliable long-term income flow
• generate capital growth that exceeds inflation over the medium to long term
• be highly diversified with a number of individual investments
• be considered for investment time frames of five years or more
• draw on stable and reliable cash flows to meet the pre-tax borrowing costs.

Things to consider about geared investments:

• Who is gearing appropriate for?
• What are the benefits and the risks?
• What is the difference between positive, negative and neutral gearing?
• What is home equity gearing?
• What is margin lending?
• How do I repay a geared investment loan?
• What is a Loan to Value Ratio (LVR)?
• How does gearing affect my tax?

Rebecca Newton Financial Planner has the answers!

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