First Financial Blog

---

With a 24-hour news cycle constantly reporting on any small shift in tariffs, a disruption of commodity supply or even a late-night political tweet, it’s not surprising that financial markets are fluctuating.

Shirley O’Connor and her daughter Kathleen O’Connor-Lee started SoKo Designs over a decade ago. The bespoke baby linen venture has grown from its humble beginnings to have a dedicated regular client base and provide an extra source of income. We talked to Kathleen about how the business has helped Shirley enjoy her retirement.

Running your own business can be extremely rewarding. Being your own boss and knowing that all the effort you put in goes towards your success… for many people this is a dream come true. But, how would you manage if something happened and you couldn’t work for a few months?

As ethical issues such as climate change gain attention in the media, more people are considering the impact of their investment decisions. Ethical investing has been named a major trend in the financial industry in 2019.

The mind is a funny thing… it can push you forward to achieve great feats or it can pull you down into a state of inaction. Your mindset is incredibly important when it comes to your wealth building because the right mindset certainly helps you achieve financial success.

We’ve always been proud of our team… they are pretty awesome! And in recent months we’ve had so many internal staff promotions that we have been in a constant state of congratulations.

Do you have ageing parents that you support while also caring for dependent children? Every dollar given away today could impact your own financial security in your retirement years, and perpetuating financial instability is the last thing you want to do.

Retirement is the perfect time to start something new. You’ve worked hard for many years building your wealth and creating the foundations for a strong financial future… so it’s time to do the things you’ve always been interested in.

U3A offers an incredible selection of courses from hundreds of locations around the country.

Recent Age Pension changes, made by the government, have presented new possibilities to many older Australians. We have seen the media focus on cuts to deeming rates which offer a potential increase to payments and greater eligibility.

One of the key recommendations from the recent Royal Commission into the financial services industry was to raise the education standards required to become a financial adviser.