News

At the beginning of the year, most of us reassess where we are in life and make resolutions. This is especially true when it comes to financial planning. Financial planners in Perth are quite busy at this time of year, helping our clients reassess and re-calibrate their goals.

This year, many of the questions revolve around falling oil prices: how long they will last and how they will affect our economy. We recently found a piece in the Sydney Morning Herald that contained a nice summary of current information along with quotes from some respected economists.

The Fall in Oil Prices: How Big is It?

On 19 June 2014, the price of oil was $115 USD per barrel. As of 13 January 2015, the price has fallen to $47.43 USD per barrel. Consequently, Societe Generale and Goldman Sachs have both lowered their oil price forecasts.*

When oil prices fell in the 1980’s and 1990’s, there was a rise in the US economy. This resulted in a corresponding rise in both the global and Australian economies. This has caused many fund managers to predict rising share prices for the latter portion of 2015.*

When we are providing our clients with financial planning services from our Perth office, one of the more important aspects is the ability to borrow money for a home, a car or other needs. This piece is one in a series we are doing where we give you a shortened, easy to read version of what ASIC has to say about various aspects of household finance.

All information provided here is general and compliant with ASIC regulations.

Can You Afford to Borrow?

ASIC advocates making sure that you can afford repayments before taking out any loan and they recommend the following questions.*

What am I Borrowing This Money For?

Is it to pay bills or debt? Is it to help friends or family? Is it something you really need or is it something you just want?*

Is Borrowing the Best Choice?

Do you have any option that doesn’t involve borrowing? Can you save for the item and pay cash? Can you put it on layaway and pay it off later?*

Financial advisors have become ubiquitous in Perth and for good reason. The current financial climate can be confusing with so many options and variables. More and more people are turning to professionals for help in managing their money. There are a lot of financial advisors out there and we are constantly asked how clients know they are choosing the “right” financial advisor.

We thought it might be productive to provide you with what the government has to say about finding a financial advisor. Remember that all information here is general and that none of it should be taken as specific financial advice or as a substitute for a personal, one on one meeting with a financial planner.

Referrals

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) notes what they feel are the two best places to find referrals: The first is professional associations. They mention the Financial Planning Association and The Association of Financial Planners, for example. Their second choice is to ask people you know if they are satisfied with their financial planner. When you find one who is happy with theirs, you can ask for the planner’s name.*