Knowledge Centre

Centrelink’s website for the age pension covers eligibility, size of the pension, income/assets test, what happens to pension payments if you return to work, and much, much more. Anyone nearing or in retirement who may be eligible should check this site.

The ombudsman is able to investigate and make orders which are binding on applicable financial service providers. It is a free and independent service designed to deal with the complaints of individuals and small businesses.

This hefty work, published by Thomson Reuters, is designed for financial planning professionals, their clients, everyday investors and small business owners. It contains much of what you may want to know about financial planning from understanding the financial planning process to strategies for creating wealth. Subjects include superannuation, self-managed super funds, taxation planning, salary packaging, estate planning, financial planning for small business owners, insurance and family law issues. The 1300-word book is updated annually. Contributors include some much respected professionals in financial planning, tax, superannuation and small business. Names to watch include Stuart Jones, Terry Hayes, Paul Banister, Gary Fitton and Sue Prestney. Highly recommended.

This is publisher CCH’s counterpart to the Financial Planning Handbook published by Thomson Reuters (see previous entry). Again, this is a top quality publication designed for financial planning professionals and everyday investors. Contributors include such highly respected names in financial planning and superannuation as Graeme Colley and Louise Biti. And consulting editor David Shirlow, a superannuation specialist, is another big name. Highly recommended.

This is the title of the latest personal investor book by veteran financial planner Arun Abey. Abey was the co-author of a landmark Australian personal investment book, Fortune Strategy, which explained in simple language how risk, return and diversification work together for and against the investor. Download a chapter of Abey’s latest book at no charge.

Wrightbooks has long been an extremely active Australian publisher of easy-to-read investment, personal finance and superannuation books. Although Wiley Australia acquired Wrightbooks in 2001, about 40 titles by well-known Australian writers are still published annually under the Wrightbooks imprint. Some are updates of personal finance classics. (www.wrightbooks.com.au is incorporated into the Wiley Trade website.) As with most publishers and booksellers, readers should take care that any books selected from this website are appropriate for both the Australian market and for readers’ personal investment style, including their tolerance to risk. Some books are written for higher-risk investors and could steer some investors into the wrong direction for their circumstances – this is a comment about investment publications in general.

This is the title of the sequel to one of his many personal finance classics, Making Money Made Simple, first published many years ago. Whittaker, a veteran financial planner, is one of Australia’s truly prolific personal finance writers. Published by Simon & Schuster.

Noel Whittaker warns of the debt trap which is a barrier to so many young people getting their finances in shape. This should be a great read in Whittaker’s typical straight-to-the-point style. He has the gift of writing in a simple fashion while packing in detail. Published by Simon & Schuster.

This guide, first published by the ATO a few years ago, is available free on its website. It is an excellent, hard-to-beat starter for anyone thinking about establishing a self-managed fund. In short, this is an overview of what fund trustees should know and what the ATO, as regulator of self-managed super, expects from trustees and fund auditors. Cannot recommend this publication highly enough.

As the straightforward title suggests, this book edited by Jim Wiandt and Will McClatchy give a complete rundown on ETFs. Its target readership ranges from individual investors to institutions. Chapters cover such topics as comparing ETFs with unlisted managed funds, ETFs for buy-and-hold investors, why institutions use ETFs and strategic use of ETFs by financial planners. Published by Wiley US.

As expected, this book by Russell Wild really gets down to the basics of ETFs – all presented in an easy-to-read style. As with most ETF books sold in Australia at this stage, this was written by an American and has some points which are not applicable to Australian investors. Apart from simply explaining what ETFs are all about, Exchange Traded Funds for Dummies covers such issues as the 10 most commonly asked questions about ETFs, how to mix ETFs and non-ETF investments in your investment portfolio, and how to control risk and diversity with ETFs. Published by Wiley US

Veteran financial writer Richard Ferri has updated his book which provides both a simple guide to ETFs and a report on the rapidly expanding range of ETFs available on overseas markets. Significantly, one chapter is devoted to the nuts and bolds of ETFs. Published by Wiley US.

Author Lawrence Carrel provides an easy-to-read rundown on the fundamentals of investing with ETFs. Carrel is a well-known sharemarket commentator and a specialist in ETFs.  He was a founding member of The Wall Street Journal Online. Published by John Wiley & Son.

This is a detailed examination of exchange traded funds (ETFs), explaining how they function, their characteristics, their advantages and their disadvantages. The authors are Laurence Rosenberg, Neal Weintraub and Andrew Hyman. Published by McGraw-Hill. 

Todd Lofton has written just the book that many Australian investors will be seeking as ETFs become increasingly popular on the Australian market. The author gets right to the basics, explaining how ETFs are created, how to evaluate them, and how to choose ETFs that match your investment objectives. Published by John Wiley & Son.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s (ASIC) consumer website, FIDO, gives terrific personal budgeting tips that include saving your pay rises, paying extra off your home loan each month, and adding personal self-indulgent spending into your budget to minimise impulse buying.

ASIC also has an excellent online budget-planner that guides you through writing down your expenses and putting the total up against your income. A big surprise may be in store. Once you face the discipline of writing it all down, it’s usually not hard to learn where money can be saved.

Our Market Calendar includes dates for key releases from the likes of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Reserve Bank, The Australian Taxation Office and US Census Bureau. It aims to explain the significance of these releases in straightforward language. And various deadlines such as for tax and other significant dates feature in the calendar.

ASIC's consumer website, FIDO, provides valuable tips and warnings on investing, and for keeping your personal finances and investments under control. Worth a special look are the tips on self-managed super, home loans and personal loans, and for protecting your savings from the crooks. This excellent website is regularly updated.

The commission’s tips for keeping your credit card under control include trying to pay off your whole debt each month – and definitely paying off more than the minimum balance required by the lender.

Interest rate and loan researcher Canstar/Cannex has researched more than 250 credit cards, and its website enables consumers to compare scores of products at no cost. Don’t miss its list of best buys in the credit card market.

If you have ever applied for a loan, credit card or telephone account – that is just about every adult – a credit reporting agency holds a report on you. This report will contain such information as your personal details (including your date of birth, address, past addresses and employment), your credit applications, and credit defaults within the past five years (records will detail when a payment is overdue for 60 days – provided you have been sent notification of the default). ASIC has a guide to checking your crediting report and to correcting inaccurate information.

This is a worthwhile starting point for investors who are considering ETFs for the first time. Importantly, this two-page report is written for the Australian market. It examines the growing popularity of ETFs; their low cost; and their role in providing a simple means to gain wide diversification, transparency, liquidity, and tax-efficiency. The ASX fact sheet explains how ETF units are bought and sold in the same way as shares.

This is the ASX website’s outline of ETFs, with useful links to more sources on these investments. Have a really worth a close look.

This table, prepared by Vanguard in the US, provides a simple comparison between traditional index funds and ETFs. It is another valuable starting point for would-be ETF investors.

This presentation by Vanguard Investments Australia is an excellent place to begin to understand exchange traded funds and their effective role in an investment portfolio. As this presentation neatly states, ETFs can be used to “track an index but trade like a share”. Vanguard goes back to the basics of indexing, and then explains the attributes of ETFs for indexing, their pricing and participants in the market. Significantly, the similarities and the differences between ETFs and unlisted index funds are clearly explained. (PDF)

Each month, the ASX updates this report on listed managed investments including ETFs. The site documents the growth of ETFs in Australia and interestingly compares the growth of other listed managed funds including listed investment companies.

This site from fund researcher Morningstar carries a range of excellent, up-to-date articles by some leading Australian investment journalists and Morningstar specialists. Significantly, ETFs are among the subjects covered regularly.

This free online site specialising in ETFs is building up a collection of useful articles.

The US magazine SmartMoney – part of The Wall Street Journal group – has an online site with a section specifically concentrating on ETFs. This is an excellent site but again keep in mind that the US ETF market is very different in some aspects to the Australian market. For instance in the US, ETF providers offer a much wider range of products designed for many different types of investors.

CNNMoney.com – part of the CNN, Fortune and Money group in the US – devotes part of its site to what is termed its ETF Centre. Take a look. You may have to sometimes hunt for articles which are applicable to the Australian market.e

This New York Times website includes a section which groups ETF articles together. One of the drawcards of this site is that the pieces include some straightward, easy-to-read guides to what ETFs are all about.

This ASX presentation is yet another back-to-basics guide. It simply explains what ETFs are, their history, their benefits and a few tips on where to gain more information. (PDF)

The Investment Company Institute of America tracks the use of ETFs in the US with statistics updated each month. Its website also provides valuable answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about ETFs, beginning with the most basic: What is an Exchange Traded Fund?

This site is jam-packed with breaking financial news and commentary. The quality is excellent.

More breaking news and commentary that includes plenty of commentary about our region.

Another immediate view of world share markets.

The FPA site has some excellent information which should help investors understand the financial planning process. Take a close look at its eight-point guide to choosing a financial planner.

For the latest statistics on a wide variety of financial and social matters, you should regularly check the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website. Financial figures released regularly by the ABS include movements in the CPI, housing and personal finance, house prices, retail sales, building approvals, international trade, wages, employment and new car sales.

ASIC’s consumer website, FIDO, includes terrific tips for keeping your interest payments as low as possible (believe it or not, there is a way) and for paying off your home sooner.

As covered elsewhere in our Useful Websites page, this interest-rate researcher provides full comparisons of home loan mortgage rates among other invaluable interest rate and consumer information.

Again as covered elsewhere in our links page, this interest-rate researcher also a full comparisons of home loan mortgage rates.

Here is much of what you may know about income from your share investments. It gives such information as company reporting dates and dividends. Plus there are editorials. This information should be of interest no matter your investment style. Take a close look at the glossary of investment terms regarding dividends. There is no charge.

Interest-rate researcher Canstar/Cannex lists the “real” interest rates of home loans on its website, plus the features of all mortgage products. The “real” rate includes any upfront, ongoing, and discharge fees. This is great information which no would-be property buyer and existing homeowner should miss. It doesn’t cost a cent. And Cannex gives its current best-buys in terms of loans. As well as home loans, the website has comparisons of personal and investment loans. And there are tips for borrowers to reduce their borrowing costs as much as possible. The site even covers margin loans and reverse mortgages.

This independent researcher into bank loan and deposit products has a website packed with free information including rate comparisons and loan calculators for different types of borrowers. Its information extends well beyond home loans to reverse mortgages and margin loans.

This non-profit organisation is dedicated to protecting and helping investors become more successful long-term investors. The wide range of educational events; diverse range of publications; discussion group forums; national conference; telepresentations and website provide the opportunity for members to connect and learn from both the experts and each other’s experiences. All types of investments and asset classes are covered – including shares, cash, property, self-managed superannuation funds, managed funds, fixed interest and more.

This Government-established agency provides plain language guides to understanding your personal finances, your investments and your superannuation. For anyone with little knowledge of these subjects, the foundation’s site is a great starter.

We explain index funds, investment theory, superannuation, self-managed super, managed funds, reasonable expectations for share market return, and how to build an investment portfolio. This is a greater starting point for investors – and its excellent material and research should also interest the most experienced of investors.

The multi-loan calculator on ASIC’s consumer website, FIDO, helps you choose between the alternative ways of paying off consumer loans, including on credit cards. The calculator can show your possible savings and possible costs if you: pay off loans faster without refinancing, refinance your loans, make extra one-off payments, or regular payments on selected loans. Don’t begin to move your loans around without having a look this calculator.

This is finance journalism at its very best.

Top stories on personal finance, investment and business. Early each year, the US publications Forbes and Fortune (see next link) publish blockbuster special issues on personal investment. These in particular are must reads for personal investors.

More top stories personal finance, investment and business. (See above entry for Forbes magazine).

The sites of these newspapers are identical or close to identical. This is quality personal finance journalism. Particularly look on a Wednesday, when the section is published by the newspapers, for the latest stories. Writers to particularly watch are Annette Sampson – her straightforward but detailed explanations of common investment and personal finance challenges are among the very best – and Noel Whittaker responding to readers’ personal finance and investment questions. These websites also include some articles published in other Fairfax publications.

The national newspaper’s Wealth section, published on Wednesdays and Saturdays, includes some of the best investment stories being published in our newspapers. And it’s all available online, along with the archives, at no charge.

Read Your Money stories free online. This is an excellent website with articles ranging from hard-nosed investment pieces to practical, easy-to-read tales of how some people manage, or don’t manage, to look after their personal finances. Read it!

This free newsletter is a comprehensive new addition to the online publications. It correctly boasts: “Real-time news with all-day analysis.” Take a close look at this quality site.

The investment newsletter carries the views of such well-known investment commentators and investment industry professionals as Alan Kohler, Robert Gottliebsen, Tim Treadgold, Tom Elliot, Gerard Minack and Marcus Padley. Its main attribute is to provide a scattering of opinions that sometimes contradict each other – to a large degree. This site costs money but consider its 21-day free trial.
Robert Gottliebsen, for instance, is the founding columnist of the famed Chanticleer column in The Australian Financial Review and the founder of BRW magazine. His views can be found in the Eureka Report and Business Spectator.

Superannuation fund researcher and consultant Rainmaker Information publishes the Sydney-based Financial Standard. A small team of journalists keeps abreast of developments and writes short, snappy pieces. It’s free!

This is packed with tips and in-depth articles for owners of small-medium businesses – along with some excellent personal finance and investment articles. Founded by former BRW magazine emerging businesses editor Amanda Gome and edited by another former BRW journalist James Thomson, smartCompany has truly carved out an online niche in this area. Gome takes an impressive, how-to approach to journalism. Take a close look at the tax pieces written by Terry Hayes, senior tax writer with the Thomson Reuters group, as well as the personal investment, tax and superannuation pieces by long-time finance journalist Michael Laurence. Unlike some of the online news sites, smartCompany is led by a team of experienced journalists.

This department, like its counterparts in other states, has a valuable website for anyone buying or selling a residential property. Information includes: preparing your property for sale, and assessing eligibility for a First Home Buyer's Grant. Check the applicable website in your state.

Immediately know if interest rates are changing, learn the bank's latest-available views on the economy and obtain detailed information about trends in credit card and margin lending. And you can read an edited version of the board's meetings.

The website of this independent organisation funded by the Federal Government takes a simple, straightforward approach to help consumers understand more about investments, make better investment decisions, understand their risk profiles when investing, and how to better manage their personal finances.

The Brisbane Times, published by Fairfax media, has a website of recent articles on self-managed super by some of the best writers in this field. Take a look.

The ATO, as regulator of self-managed super, has loads of information about these funds on its website and some highly useful publications to download.

This online newsletter is another offering from the ATO. It contains breaking news for fund trustees and their professional advisers about regulatory issues to watch, including some news from ASIC. Consider subscribing – free of course.

This group is dedicated to lifting the standards of education of professionals giving advice about self-managed super. Some of the most-respected names in SMSFs are on its board. Take a close look.

The Federal Government's website for more mature Australians is packed with information. Take a close look at its section on personal finance.

The association has been dedicated for some 50 years to protecting the interests of investors, lobbying for better corporate governance and calling for public companies to become more accountable. Keep a close watch out for its low-cost seminars on such subjects as tax essentials, internet investing, self-managed super funds, and estate planning.

ASIC's consumer website, FIDO, includes a superannuation calculator so you can calculate your likely super balance upon retirement. This super calculator enables you to take into account the value of extra contributions, the effect on your saving of any time out of the workforce, the rewards of taking advantage of the Government's co-contribution scheme if eligible, and the impact of switching your investment strategy or possibly changing super funds. Take the time to feed your details into this calculator; it may be highly rewarding.

The respected super fund researcher SuperRatings produces excellent comparisons on super fund performance which are always closely followed in the mainstream media. Its website enables super fund members to compare – at no charge – the best-performing funds and the top-rated funds as well as the latest-available and longer-term fund returns.

Super fund researcher Chant West Financial Services usually charges for its fund comparison tool, AppleCheck. The tool enables you to comprehensively compare the costs, performance and main features of three super funds at a time. Fortunately, some super funds make the service available on their websites for no charge. Search the websites of some of Australia's biggest super funds and you will find a no-cost AppleCheck without much trouble – not all large funds offer it. We won't mention individual funds by name.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Limited (ASFA) has one of the best superannuation websites for consumers and professionals. It's simply called Super Guru – a very apt title. The more you delve into this site, the more satisfying it becomes with in-depth research on super, ways to boost your super, how much you need for a so-called "comfortable" retirement, how super fund choice works, what may happen to your super upon marriage breakdown or death, how to find missing super savings...the list goes on.

The SelectingSuper website is jam-packed with much of what you ever wanted to read about super: performance comparisons, a history of super, explanations about the different types of funds, fund web addresses, fund profiles – and much more. Don't miss this site run by superannuation researcher Rainmaker Information. It is one of the very best!

This independent tribunal, established by the Federal Government, hears complaints about all super funds except self-managed funds. Members who are dissatisfied with their treatment by a fund are required to first complain to the funds before complaining to the tribunal. The website explains in considerable detail how the complaint process works and provides a form letter to send to your fund to make a complaint. The tribunal has an excellent reputation and is extremely successful in settling disputes. Most of the complaints are about the payment of death benefits.

ASFA publishes a free online super dictionary that gives extremely simple yet highly accurate definitions of probably everything that will confront super fund members and leaving them scratching their heads. This is another great aid at cutting through investment jargon that confuses so many investors and can lead to needless mistakes.

Its site is packed with easy-to-access information for taxpayers, investors, and members/trustees of self-managed super funds. Once you get used to this site, you will find it extremely accessible. And it keeps getting better and better.

This landmark work, published by Thomson Reuters, is really designed for tax professionals and others with an extremely serious interest in tax. But make no mistake; it can be an invaluable guide to others who want to delve from time to time a little deeper into a particular tax subject. For instance, the annual edition (with a special updated tax return edition) has much of what you may want to know about various rebates, CGT concessions and exemptions, tax treatment of collectables and tax deductions – there is valuable tax deduction checklist. The latest edition is 2500 words – it's not cheap.

This is CCH's counterpart to the Australian Tax Handbook, and again it is packed with all (and much more) than most people want to know about tax. The quality of this annual publication is high and after a little patience (as with the Australian Tax Handbook), it becomes quite easy even the non-professional to read. Take a look – but again it's not cheap.

Published annually by Taxpayers Australia, the independent, non-profit tax education group, this book aims to provide an overview to the Australian tax system as well as valuable strategies. The latest edition covers such tax rates, tax deductions for individuals and contractors, superannuation, tax rebates and offsets, CGT, investment properties, retirement planning, tax breaks for investors – the list goes on.

The bureau's website provides a valuable insight into the state of the US economy, of particularly interest to investors at this time. Monthly statistics include new home sales.