Month: June 2026
The cost-of-living inflationary crunch
What it could mean for your retirement and what you can do about it Inflation is back, and it’s biting. Australia’s annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 4.6% in March 2026, the highest since September 2023, driven by surging transport costs, persistently elevated housing costs of 6.5% per year, and food inflation running at 3.1%[1]. … Read more
Retirement confidence gap
What ASIC’s New Research Really Tells Us About Retirement in Australia I’ve been a financial planner for long enough to know that the scariest thing isn’t having too little super. It’s not knowing your current financial position. That thought came back to me when I read the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) latest research. … Read more
Overcoming financial FOMO to make smart decisions in a social media world
There’s a particular kind of financial anxiety that didn’t really exist a decade ago. It’s the feeling you get when you see someone on Instagram has just renovated their kitchen, someone on TikTok is posting from Amalfi, and someone on LinkedIn has just announced they’ve paid off their mortgage at 34. All before you’ve finished … Read more
Financial Literacy for Life. What Schools Don’t Teach
Most of us left school knowing how to calculate the area of a triangle. Very few of us left school knowing how superannuation compounding works, how to read a credit card statement, or what a reasonable emergency fund looks like. That gap has consequences. Research from UNSW has found that people with limited financial knowledge … Read more
Debt-free retirement: Should you pay off your mortgage first?
 Should you enter retirement with a mortgage? The real numbers might surprise you For many Australians approaching retirement, the home loan looms large, emotionally and financially. The dream of crossing the threshold into retirement with the mortgage stamped “paid” is deeply compelling. But is it always the smartest move? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is, … Read more
The four stages of retirement spending. Planning for change
The four stages of retirement spending. Planning for change Retirement is rarely the single, steady chapter people imagine. In reality, it unfolds across four distinct phases, each with its own rhythm, priorities, and costs. Getting your head around this shift is one of the most powerful things you can do to protect your lifestyle and … Read more
