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 […]
Life, Loss and Legacy
For most of the people we work with, the term ‘widow’ can be hard to get used to. Sometimes, it’s because the word sounds like it’s for people much older than they feel. For others, it’s because the word’s not big enough to encompass their experience, their past, their life – and their loss. It […]
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.
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.
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.”
It’s the Light
Which is why, when I think of the happiest people I’ve been able to work with, I don’t think of the millionaires.
Instead, I think of the long-working single mother who was able to retire on her own terms.
Or the diesel mechanic who never lived beyond his means, paid for his daughter’s private education and managed to pick up two investment properties over the years.
Tracey – Let’s Talk About Superannuation
Usually, a financial adviser’s blog about retirement would be all about superannuation. Not this one, though! Our independent financial adviser Jordan Vaka has waited until the fourth part of his Retiring Solo series before tackling the thorny, complex topic of superannuation. In this post, he discusses how it can help you retire with confidence, what acorns have to do with financial security and explores some of the complexities that are part of superannuation.
Tracey – What To Do With the House?
In Tracey’s very specific circumstances, I think we can safely call this a great outcome.
