SMSF Scepticism – Part 2

My last post – SMSF Scepticism (Or What To Do With That Property) – captured some of my thoughts on the ever-rolling dirty snowball that is SMSFs, LRBAs and crummy investment properties. In my (misguided) attempt at balance, the second half of my post listed the positives of an SMSF. Well, there’ll be no such […]

SMSF Scepticism (Or, What Should You Do With That Property?)

What makes a good financial adviser? A simple question with many different answers. And different answers when you’re a widow navigating those first big financial decisions. But one characteristic I believe every good financial adviser holds is robust, professional scepticism. An ability to see through the marketing noise and cut to the only question that really […]

Well, What Do I Do Now?

You’ve woken up, a few weeks after the funeral. You don’t fill the kettle as high anymore, just enough for the tea you drink with your toast each morning. You sit at the bench, open your phone and start flicking through Facebook until the water boils. Out of the corner of your eye, you see […]

Zelda’s Story

So – what do I actually do to help people through divorce?  

Well, the best way I can think of to explain it is to tell you about Zelda.  

The Cost of Getting Divorced – a Comparison

And the primary cause for this horrendous cost is how you and your ex (while acknowledging this is one of the times when it doesn’t take two to tango up the bill) handle the inevitable conflicts. 

But, as you know by now, there is another way.

Quiet wealth

This last one, the ability to say how you spend your time, is, to me, true luxury. Where, instead of having to troop into the office, or sit in that meeting, or listen to your hack boss, you can do what you want.  

Collaborative Divorce Might Be a Bad Idea If You…

It’s akin to tandem tightrope walking – unless you’re both on board with the journey, you’re going to slip and fall.  

Nobody wins then.  

The Laundry Cap Rule

But what’s it mean?

Well, take the cap on the bottle of detergent atop your washing machine.  

That cap is far bigger than it needs to be. Twice the size, probably. Because you don’t need ever really need to use a full cap. A half cap, at most, will leave your clothes fresh and clean. 

Sudden, Embarrassing Wealth

And something that’s come up quite frequently has been how they feel about this wealth they are newly responsible for. 

Be it from their divorce, an inheritance or sudden retirement, I’ve had a surprising number of women tell me: 

“I’m embarrassed by this money.” 

Inter-disciplinary Collaborative Divorce – 14 Syllables, 4 Professionals, 1 Couple

Talking about money is a fraught topic at the best of times – add the emotional heat of a divorce, fear and uncertainty and you have a combustible situation.