Hey team,
Happy Monday.
Before I get into this week’s wrap up, I wanted to call out that I’ve recently started cranking out a heap of money education content via TikTok which you can check out and follow along with here. No money dances as yet, but I’m currently taking content suggestions so if you have any ideas please feel free to let me know by replying to this email.
In money news, if you were hiding under a rock this week you may have missed the Federal Budget announcement. There were some interesting changes with low and middle-income earners set to receive an extra $420 back on their tax returns. The big news on the property were the measures to expand first home buyer support, where people will be able to buy their first home with a deposit as low as 2%. The other big measure announced was the increase to the first home super saver scheme which can see a couple save up to $100k for their first home deposit with pre-tax dollars.
Another budget measure that will provide some immediate relief to households is the government cutting the fuel excise — the flat tax levied on each litre of fuel — in half. To make things super simple, I have stripped out all the good stuff you need to know in this budget and popped it into a short podcast you can check out here, or video form if you’d prefer here.
Upcoming events:
We’ve got a stack of events coming up across the next few months. From saving, to building a second income, it’s all here for you. Click through to register and join live:
Event schedule and links to book here:
- GA Event: How to Build Second Income Investing – April 6, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- Buy Property like a Pro w. Your Empire & Pivot Wealth – April 7, 2022 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- Get money smart – April 14, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- Money mistakes to avoid – May 5, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- GA Event: Money Mindset Hacks – May 11, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
- How to build a second income investing – May 26, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- GA Event: How to Cut Your Tax Bill Before EOFY – June 8, 12:30pm – 1:30pm
- How to buy your dream home without a crippling mortgage – June 16, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- Cryptocurrency investing 101 – July 7, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- How to save more money faster – July 28, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
- Buy property the smart way in 2022 – August 18, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Share market wrap
Australian shares edged higher on Friday, with a stronger opening on Wall Street, bolstered by renewed tech sector interest. On Thursday, Bitcoin rose to its highest level since March 3, as prices of the world’s largest cryptocurrency gained for a third consecutive day.
Key sharemarket numbers:
- The ASX ‘All Ords’ (top 500 shares in Australia) finished the week 1.4% higher than last Friday, on 7,785.90 points.
- The US ‘S&P 500’ (Top 500 shares in America) finished the week 0.10% higher than last week, at 4,545.86 points.
- The US ‘Nasdaq’ (Top 2500+ mainly tech shares in America) finished the week 0.60 % higher than last week, at 14,261.50 points.
- The Global FTSE ‘All World’ index (largest 3100 companies in the world) finished the week 0.71% higher than last week (Friday AEDT), at 7,537.90
- The S&P Cryptocurrency ‘Mega Cap’ Index (tracking the market value of Bitcoin and Ethereum) is currently at 5,128.01 for the month, down 2.98% for the month to date
Investment story of the week: Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)
The Fortescue Metals Group Limited share price performed better than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in March 2022. Last month, the Fortescue share price rose by 13.8%. That compares to the ASX 200’s return of 6.4%. Fortescue is one of the world’s biggest iron ore miners. Changes in the iron ore price can impact investor sentiment regarding the miner. During March, the iron ore price rose by approximately US$10 per tonne. This can lead to higher profits for miners because a change in the commodity price doesn’t change the costs to extract it from the ground, so higher prices can largely add to the bottom line. However, Fortescue isn’t just an iron ore miner anymore. It has a division called Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), which is aiming to take a global leadership position in green energy and green technology, leading the effort to decarbonise sectors that are hard to decarbonise. Green technology is undoubtedly on my radar and the leadership have deep pockets to help safeguard this all working out for the long run.
Smart Money upside #62
Because people don’t often talk about the full ins and outs of their money, it’s hard to learn lessons from hearing what good and bad choices other people make. This story is from one of our clients to help you take your money game to the next level.
Numbers/Background
Couple; early 30’s, combined income ~$300k, total assets ~$1.5m, savings~ $4k annually
Frustrations
Not making the best use of what we already own, and lots of overwhelming moving parts. Recently had their first child and struggling to navigate upgrading their family home. They have no time or education to manage investments. One partner was on maternity leave and the other working full time, generally struggling to find the time to prioritise finances.
What they wanted from us / the advice process
Deciding whether buy a new family home or renovate their existing home, having a structure that can help them achieve the purchase of the family home, as well as private school fees. Family planning for a second child, and a good financial structure in place to feel comfortable.
What success looks like for them
Being on track to purchasing a bigger family home or renovating a current home to accommodate a family. They also wanted a clear plan in place to be on track for the private school, as well as having a clear banking structure in place to keep savings on track.
What money strategy they were following before we went through the planning process
Small regular share investments done ad hoc with limited confidence.
What money strategy do they choose to pursue from our planning work
Buy a family home, banking structure, invest into the share market, change of superannuation to a fund more aligned with investment goals.
Key benefits of going through the process
Education, more confidence with our money, and a clear structure to help us achieve goals over the short, medium and long term.
Value of advice after all advice fees year one: – $12k
Year 20 upside after advice fees: $7.2m
If this story resonates and you want to chat about how to get these sorts of results, you can book an intro call here.
Giving update of the week
This week we’ve been working with a couple of new clients that are really passionate about sustainable investing, which has led me to think a lot about what’s happening on the planet and how we can have a positive impact. We’ve celebrated by protecting a further 100 square metres of rainforest. If you want to learn more about how you can have a positive impact on our planet by following the next few weeks on the podcast. You can check out more information about our giving here.
Money Hack of the week: How to figure out what to do with an inheritance
You might be free from day-to-day financial problems, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to think about your future financial plan. In this video, Pivot Wealth client Oliver and I discuss the challenge of knowing what to do with your savings. After receiving some inheritance, Oliver knew he needed to get set up with a long-term financial plan. Listen to our full chat here.
Money mistake of the week: Where people go wrong with their tax
How do you track of your expenses? Whether you use an app, a shoebox, a spike or even a drawer full of crumpled receipts, documenting your records is going to make your tax a hell of a lot easier at EOFY. I recently talked with Stuart Reynolds about where individuals go wrong with their taxes. What was the biggest reason? Documentation Check out our full chat here.
Jargon Buster of the Week: Due Diligence (Morgan Stanley)
An analysis that aims at preventing harm to both parties involved in a transaction by reviewing financial records.
In the news: Impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on your investments
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been devastating for so many, and the humanitarian cost has been huge. There’s fear and uncertainty in the market which means superannuation and non-superannuation investments have seen a sharp decline. Click here to get the full scoop in news.com.au.
Podcast from last week: #162 Smart Money Challenge 3 – Prioritising your spending
In this episode, I’m bringing you the third part of the Pivot Smart Money Challenge, which is all about prioritizing your spending. So if you missed the last couple of episodes, be sure to go back and catch up.
In particular, the last one which is all around actually lays out the nuts and bolts of your budget. Because in this episode I’m going to be talking through where prioritizing and prioritization comes in, how to figure out what costs or which spending locations actually bring you the most happiness or enjoyment, and how to figure out how to balance the spending that you do in the day to day, while still ensuring that your savings targets are hit. Check it out here:
Be awesome,
Ben
PS: If you want a hand to get on the front foot with your money in 2021, check out our 45-minute one-on-one sessions here. We’re donating 100% of the money raised to charity, so you can up your money game and do something good on the planet at the same time.
Disclaimer:
I know you’re smarter than someone that would need me to write the words that come next, but our compliance peeps are real hard-asses so here we go… This information is not personal advice, poetry, or a map to where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. It may only be regarded as general advice, and definitely shouldn’t be considered something worthy of inclusion for Donna Hay’s next cookbook or the Archibald prize. This is actually just an email communication that has been sent to a bunch of people and doesn’t even have your name on it. Your personal objectives, needs or financial situation have not been considered when preparing this email, but I want you to know that I have spent a lot of time thinking about the Venn diagram intersection of poetry, landscaping, and essential oils – if you’re fascinated by this same phenomenon please reply so we can compare notes. You should consider the appropriateness of any general advice we have given you, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and if necessary, seek advice before acting on it. You should also consider other people when getting on and off public transport, smiling more, eating healthy, and listening to your mum when she tells you that you’ve been working too hard. Where the information relates to a financial product, you should obtain and consider the relevant product disclosure statement before making any decision to purchase that financial product. Where the information relates to a hilarious joke I’ve made, you should consider belly laughing deeply. Worth noting also that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance when it comes to investments, and definitely not when it comes to the Wallabies. Financial services guide. All jokes aside and just to be clear, this information may only be regarded as general advice. That is, your personal objectives, needs or financial situations were not considered when preparing it. You should consider the appropriateness of any general advice we have given you, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and if necessary, seek advice before acting on it. Where the information relates to a financial product, you should obtain and consider the relevant product disclosure statement before making any decision to purchase that financial product. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.