Business and Tax articles

If you have anything specific you would like us to write about, please let us know.

Categories:

Our latest articles:

Redundancy equals opportunity

Redundancy – not something most of us like to contemplate.  Yet it is a reality for many of us in our working life.  So rather than redundancy being seen as something negative, let’s flip it around - your redundancy could be the best thing…
Read more

What you need to know before buying your second property

Whether it’s as an investment asset or a holiday home, buying your second property poses a unique set of challenges. Here’s what you should consider.  Australians love property, and it’s not difficult to see why. Property is seen…
Read more

Do you know what you can and can’t claim?

Taxpayers are being put on notice by the ATO, which will be paying close attention to claims for ‘other work-related expenses’ this year. Ensuring you have appropriate records, and sound advice, will be more important than ever for…
Read more

How triathlons are like Financial Planning – guest post by Paul Benson

Over the years I’ve found that the best way for me to stay fit and engage in some regular exercise is to set myself a goal.  Last year I set myself a goal of completing a triathlon.  I’ve done quite a bit of running over recent years,…
Read more

Going guarantor on a family member’s loan?

Saying no to family is always difficult. But if a family member or friend asks you to become a loan guarantor, it always pays to think carefully before signing on the dotted line. Being a co-borrower or guarantor on a loan certainly has…
Read more
,

The sharemarket – a beginners guide by Paul Benson

If you catch a snippet of the radio in the morning on your way to work, you’re likely to hear what happened to the Dow Jones overnight.   If you read your news on-line or watch the news on TV it’s likely you’ll hear about the All Ords…
Read more

Four business hurdles that trip up first timers

Whether you’re keen to start monetizing a passion project, or want to finally escape office politics and run your own show, here are four issues that regularly trip up new business owners. Starting your own business is an exciting time.…
Read more
,

Seven reasons why you shouldn’t hit the panic button

Sure, the first half of this week has seen the Australian share market described as a “bloodbath”. But now’s not a good time to panic. Here’s why. The US Dow Jones might have suffered its biggest dive in history, and the Australian…
Read more

Lending restrictions could soon ease

Financing options for homebuyers could open up once more with the federal government suggesting that lending restrictions could be eased if property prices fall sharper than expected. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison says the government…
Read more

Procrastination – 9 tips to combat this number one killer of Financial dreams

How hard is it to get started?  I’m sure we’ve all had things that either need to be done, or that we’d like to do, but we put them off – shift them to the bottom of the pile or check out our Facebook feed instead. When it comes…
Read more
,

Improve your finances one month at a time with this 2018 to-do list

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with a long list of tasks, so we’ve simplified things for you. Just tackle one job on this list each month and you’ll make a huge difference to your finances in 2018. January: Create a monthly family budget…
Read more

Shaun talks about Trusts: Podcast

Shaun Farrugia (Optimised's founder), recently sat down with Paul Benson from Financial Autonomy (who is also our trusted Financial Planner). They talked about all things Trusts, including: The dummies guide to what exactly a Trust is …
Read more

Bitcoin: Boom or bubble?

Ask 10 different financial experts about the future of Bitcoin, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Here’s the good, the bad and the outright ugly. The price of a single Bitcoin has skyrocketed more than 1700% since the beginning…
Read more

Why it might be time to consider a principal-and-interest home loan

Australians have gravitated towards the benefits of interest-only home loans in high numbers in years gone by. But a raft of changes mean it might be a good time to start looking into the principal-and-interest option instead. In Australia, four…
Read more

Regulator to crack down on home loan lending standards

It could soon become harder for Aussie families to secure a loan directly from lenders, with the prudential regulator warning people to prepare for a crackdown on lending standards. APRA’s main concern is that banks and other lenders…
Read more
,

Dissecting the PM’s Tax cut teaser

You may have heard the PM drop a big hint earlier this week that tax cuts are coming for middle-income Aussie families. However it was all very light on detail, so here’s what to make of it. In case you missed it, here’s the tidbit…
Read more

Create a business budget in seven simple steps

You’ve got clients, you’re making money and you’re paying the bills. But if you don’t have a budget, how do you know your business is on track? Many businesses make the mistake of not creating a budget, either because they don’t know…
Read more
, ,

Blockchain, Bitcoin & other Cryptocurrencies: What you need to know

Blockchain. Bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies. You’ve probably heard these words popping up more and more often around your office water-cooler, but what do they mean? Let us explain. Blockchain, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are some…
Read more

WHY A CASH FLOW FORECAST MIGHT JUST SAVE YOUR BUSINESS

Poor cash flow is the cause of up to 80 percent of small business failures. Make sure your business doesn’t become another statistic. Seizing an opportunity for growth, responding to threats quick-smart and keeping stakeholders happy…
Read more
,

List of possible deductions

Can you believe it's tax time again already? As we aren't holding in person tax return appointments this year, all information will be collected using our Tax from the Couch. If you'd like to gather your information in a spreadsheet prior…
Read more
, , ,

2017 Budget wrap-up

We have put together a summary of the key tax and financial changes that were announced in last night’s federal budget. This was Scott Morrison's 2nd budget and is focused on increased transport infrastructure spending which will support…
Read more
, , ,

Your 2 minute guide to the tax and super changes that affect you and your business.

Below is a summary of the key tax and superannuation changes that were announced in this years federal budget. There are some wins for business – aimed to stimulate ‘Jobs & Growth’ which was this year's slogan. There are plenty…
Read more