First Financial Blog

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If you’re a retiree selling the family home and looking for a way to maximise the proceeds, then from 1 July 2018 there’s a new option to consider. You can choose to contribute up to $300,000 from the sale proceeds into super. In this blog we explain how the Government’s new ‘downsizing contributions into superannuation’ measure works and where the opportunities lie for retirees.

In this blog we give our top-level overview of the Federal Budget 2018-19. While a tax overhaul forms the main plank of the budget, older Australians are a big focus with a multibillion-dollar aged care and retirees package.

Congratulations to our newest Associate Adviser, Emily Still. At First Financial, when we see someone who’s a fast learner and an exceptional communicator, we like to give them a reason to stay. So we are thrilled to announce Emily’s promotion and welcome her into Nick Thomas’s team.

The ongoing findings of the Banking Commission have cast a cloud over the respectability of our industry. We accept that’s understandable in light of what is being exposed. We, too, want answers for those retirees and investors who have been misled and, in some cases, financially ruined. But there are still many firms, like us, who love what we do and are proud of how we operate.

A transition to retirement income stream helps ease you into retirement with more time to do the things you love while still earning an income. It’s critical that a TTR pension is part of your overall retirement strategy. Find out how TTR income streams work and whether this is the right choice for you.

Many people consider self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF) as the do-it-yourself option but don’t be fooled into thinking managing your own super is easy. SMSFs are complicated and they operate in a highly regulated environment. Read this blog to discover how to enjoy the benefits of an SMSF even when you’re not a legal and financial expert.

In mid-March Labor announced a controversial tax policy which would axe tax-credit refunds for retirees in a sweeping crackdown aimed at saving $59 billion over the next decade. In this blog we look at the proposed policy and its potential impact for retirees.

Choosing what to do with your accumulated superannuation is a core part of retirement planning. Getting reliable and trustworthy advice is vital. In this blog we take a look at an investment vehicle which is geared towards giving retirees a flexible, tax-free income stream.

It’s a simple question. But with a market choice of over 5,000 managed investments and around 2,200 stocks, the answer is most definitely not. Which is why working with a financial advisor is the best decision you can make.

Have you received an automated voicemail message claiming to be from Centrelink which asks you to call a Canberra number? If so, do not call the number as this is a scam. We tell you what you need to know about this latest scam and how to avoid it.