It will not come as a surprise to most of you considering the trouncing stock markets have already experienced this year, but we think 2016 will be a roller coaster year for investment.
The relatively high prices still being paid globally for yield, or in other words income, and the flow through of the second half of 2015’s heightened volatility in most global assets all lead us to expect it to be a more difficult trading year to navigate. Continue reading 2016 – What we’re watching
Often the reason for Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSF) not having a Corporate Trustee is the cost of setting up a company. It is the company which becomes the legal entity that acts as the Trustee of the SMSF. Typically two members of the fund become the directors of the trustee company. The company may have just one director or more.
However when you consider the advantages and the life span of an SMSF (which can be many years and inter-generational in some cases), it would seem that the costs are fairly insignificant when weighed up again the advantages (particular on an ongoing basis). Continue reading Why your SMSF should consider a Corporate Trustee
As discussed in our last blog Time to Invest in Your Future everyone is an investor to some degree, even if it is only in terms of which bank we decide to deposit our earnings with or the type of superannuation fund we have chosen to join.
Those wishing to be more active in their investing might do well to consider doing so via a managed fund.
Managed funds offer access to a wide range of investment opportunities and types (some of which are available only via managed funds) with the significant added benefit of having expert investment managers and financial advisers helping you make informed decisions about the options best suited to your financial objectives. Continue reading A Guide to Managed Funds
A myriad of options exist for people who are contemplating becoming more active on the investing front.
I say “more active” because all of us are already investors in one way or another. The choice of bank with which we deposit our money and the type of superannuation fund we are members of (including our investment options within these super funds) represent types of investments.
Put simply, investing is putting your money to work to help you achieve your personal goals, and it is always worthwhile to make the time to invest in your future. Continue reading Time to Invest in Your Future
Two recent media reports about the difficulties faced by people with mental health challenges and insurance caught my attention. One concerned a claim on travel insurance being disallowed due to a pre -existing condition, the other concerned a GP (and Bali Bombing hero) with PTSD who was unable to obtain certain life insurances. Both media pieces took a slightly tabloid approach, however the reality is if you suffer from a 
diagnosed mental health condition you will have difficulty navigating the medical underwriting process that is required for life insurances. Continue reading Mental Health and Insurance.
It is almost a third of a way into the new financial year. Have the changes you have made to your financial planning for the future started to bear fruit? Or, is it the case that you have not had time to review past performance and set a new course for a new year?
One crucial aspect of financial planning that can (and should) be easy and quickly reviewed on an annual basis is the level of voluntary contributions you make to superannuation. 
Continue reading Salary Sacrificing into Super
Many people ask me what I enjoy about being a financial adviser and my answer is simple: “I get to help smart people make smart decisions about securing their financial future.”
Our clients at Falconer Advisers are successful and highly motivated, be they business owners, executives, employees or those transitioning into or enjoying their retirement.
They want to do all they can to achieve their financial goals and they see the value of working with experts whose sole focus is their gain.
Sometimes they might not have specific goals in mind but are experienced enough to know they could and should be doing more to maximise their financial position and safeguard their financial future.
As advisers, it is our role to continually add value to the lives of our clients, and this process starts the first time we meet.
The ATO website contains some revealing data on the increasing attractiveness of setting up, and being a member of, a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF).
In the five year period to June 2014, there was a more than 33 per cent increase in the number of SMSFs in Australia.
This means there are now well over half a million SMSFs, and the more than 1 million members (trustees) of these funds are enjoying all the advantages that a SMSF has over traditional public superannuation funds. [1]
Control over your destiny
Why then are so many Australians making the move into SMSFS? Continue reading SMSFs: Control your saving for retirement
When was the last time you heard a politician say “we need less infrastructure”?
Infrastructure – an investment perspective
Infrastructure refers to those assets that provide the essential utilities and facilities required for modern society to function and to enable economic growth to flourish. They can be divided into four main categories: Continue reading Seven Reasons to Consider Infrastructure Investments
Falconer Advisers of Hobart and Melbourne has been accredited an FPA Professional Practice by the Financial Planning Association, in recognition of their high professional and ethical standards. Continue reading Falconer Advisers achieve FPA Professional Practice status