Reverse cycle split system in the room(s) you spend the most time in. Look for specials in shops, and 50 months interest free. You get 5 years warranty on the split. Do not get ducted – expensive to run, expensive to maintain, tenants are never happy with its cooling/heating capacity and expensive to repair if something goes wrong after warranty.…[Read more]

Hmmm. $30,000 pa for two people with no debt, no dependents and a lifetime of experience on how to get the most from money. This is not comfortable living? Maybe not for more acquired tastes, but I would definitely trade this for everything I have today.

I think its fair. Everything is relative. And the comparison is to the larger percentage of the retirees.

If you have that many assets (not including your home), most likely you know how to utilise these so that you can live a more comfortable lifestyle than the majority with less. If not, then you go below the threshold and get payed the full…[Read more]

Yes, I got the same quote, Lol. Hmmm.

Not a believer in insurance. Reading the policies are good for a laugh though. How insurance is tied into the legal system, which then makes insurance essential, wipes the smile off my face however.

If you don’t subdivide, you can’t get a separate electrical supply – ‘a separate bill’ – the supply authority won’t allow it. You can get a separate meter listed on the one bill but two phase would have to be installed to the property, which will only occur if you have enough ‘appliances’ to force the supply authority to install another meter.

There are two sides to everything. Talk to someone who has lived in Africa where stealing and murder is synonymous. These people are so grateful for being in Australia and think higher taxes are a blessing and necessary for safety.

Isn’t inflation the result of growth? And if systems are in place to ensure ‘a little more is taken from us’ to…[Read more]

For me, kitchen and skirting ripped out for tiling. Skirting and kitchen over top and sealed with sanitary white silicon to tile. The tilers come back for the splashback.

But ask the tiler in your case when you get the quote done. Get a good experienced tiler -> their age is a good start. An experienced tiler will know exactly what to do because…[Read more]

I’ve done one recently – well the whole unit. But get quotes – its free apart from the phone call.

I see your point Terry. Super = advantage for well off investors.

Dammit should have been born earlier.

Hmm. I remember that one next time my work colleagues ask me for lunch money. They will probably resort to being a different entity.

Interesting discussion. I would like to think there is other ways to borrow more…..apart from being shonky.

Banks are a pain in the bum especially with serviceability. You can present a good case to your broker with the worst case scenario and you will still get rejected under the banks ‘serviceability rules’. And it doesn’t seem to matter if…[Read more]

And this is the point I am trying to make, Terry. I am talking about the low to middle income earners – people living day to day.

For the majority (low to middle income earners) having an SMSF is not feasible. And as the age of retirement increases do you think the majority are going to wait longer to access their super? So you can see how the…[Read more]

Super is just a backup for government to tap into. And a big one. Nothing will change.

After the tax is taken out, and then taken out again, and after the ‘authorised caretakers’ take their cut, after lawyers take a percentage because we want the money earlier and after some other government ‘tax’…we might have enough to pay off the remainder…[Read more]

Hi,
Haven’t you just answered your own question Suri? If its a negatively geared property how is that going to save on tax if there is no income to distribute to your family? I don’t think you get the 50% CGT if your property is in a trust either.