Fraud is a serious problem in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest figures, 1.2 million Australians were the victims of fraud in the year to 2010/2011, or 6.7 per cent of the population.

If you run a business, or you’re thinking of starting one, one of the first lessons you learn as a business owner is that cash is king. It’s the lifeblood of every business. Without it, it’s impossible to meet the obligations of the business, plan for the future or gain a real picture of the health of the enterprise.

It’s been a long year. The three months off work recovering from open heart surgery wasn’t really a break.

Being pretty well immobilised and laying on the lounge room floor watching videos and reading books kept me busy, but not rejuvenated.

It’s been more than five years since the worst of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) hit equity and bond markets. While flow-on effects continue to affect financial markets, there are many lessons we have taken from the crisis that can be applied to wealth planning. Here are our top five lessons from the GFC to consider when making investment decisions.

Do you receive an income support payment from Centrelink? Then you need to know about changes that start from 1 January 2015 that have the potential to reduce your income support payments in the future.

Let’s take a look at what the changes are and who is affected.

I received a call this week from a client’s son. He is 19 and has just moved to Port Hedland in pursuit of the Great Western Dream as I call it. Adventure, work and a high paying salary, and as I keep saying to these hard workers, there is a reason why they pay you that much!

The superannuation environment is a very competitive industry. Understanding the best vehicle to manage your retirement capital can be complex and confusing.

Please take some time to view our brief video that outlines two of our preferred Superannuation vehicles.

As the saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees. But, just like nurturing a beautiful garden, if you give your nest egg the right attention throughout the seasons, it will grow into a substantial asset. Let’s take a look at what you need to do throughout the year to cultivate a great financial future.

Right now, residential aged care costs are heavily subsidised by the Federal Government. But, with the Government’s aged care costs estimated to double from $13 billion now to $26 billion by 2023/24, there will be substantial changes to the aged care system.

Investments, insurance and superannuation are some of the “things” people suggest are the main roles of what a financial planner can offer. In a transactional model, this would be a fair assumption. Generally, when the relationship with a financial planner is transaction based, there is less substance to the personal relationship.

In case you didn't know, I am a massive fan of Twitter. Unlike other social media platforms, Twitter is simple and effective. I can obtain information and communicate with all types of people without getting their permission and I can get most of my news from there. It really is a fascinating concept.

The Government co-contribution is an initiative that gives eligible low income earners the ability to boost their superannuation savings by matching personal non concessional contributions up to $1,000.

Income protection insurance comes across most people’s radar when they’re starting out in their career. Often, people take out this type of policy when they buy a house, so if a serious illness or a bad accident strikes, your children and your spouse are covered.

There are lots of things to consider when you’re looking at aged care.

You’ll need to think about the type of care that’s available, depending on how healthy you are. You’ll also need to factor in different options for paying for your accommodation, based on your means.

1 July 2014 marks the start of a new financial year. But it’s important not to leave wealth accumulation and wealth protection until the last minute. There are many things you can do in the lead up to the end of this financial year to prepare for the new one.

Grandparents really are the jewels in the crown of our community. Having raised their own children, many are now helping raise their grandchildren. This often extends to providing financial support to the grandkids. If you’re in this situation, how can you make sure your generosity is as financially effective as possible?

One plan of particular importance regardless of your life events is your financial plan. This living document helps you map out your income against the investment milestones you would like to achieve to help you reach and maintain your desired lifestyle.

As a nation, both our level of savings, as well as our level of investment, are higher than many other developed countries. But over the last five years there has been a shift in the relationship between how much we save and how much we invest.

Sydney’s property market may be running hot but there are still ways to buy real estate “trash” and turn it into real estate “cash”, according to celebrity home renovation queen Cherie Barber.

Most people believe you can make money on property but it’s usually through capital growth, which you often have to wait for the market to deliver.

When you read headlines about Australia’s rising unemployment or the slowdown in the mining boom, it’s easy to lose confidence in investment markets. But there’s a lot to be gained from ignoring the background noise and sticking to your long-term goals.