If you were one of the unlucky ones, whose pension dropped or stopped as a consequence of the changes to the assets test taper changes that came into effect on the 1st January 2017, & if you happen to be in an Aged Care facility, then there is a strong chance that your cash flow (ie […]

All retirees have been feeling the pinch of historically low interest rates, since the GFC, only to be compounded by changes to the Age Pension criteria, brought in by successive Governments, over the last 2 years, which have seen Age Pension entitlements also fall. There have been at least 4 changes in the last 2 […]

If your mother or father is moving into aged care, & wants to keep their home, then they better get in quick before the rules change in January 2017. Currently it is quite possible to move into an aged care facility, keep your home, rent it out & retain your Age Pension (in fact your […]

i) Balance Financial Solutions & ii) Balance Aged Care Specialists   This has been driven by the Financial Planning Industry’s recent involvement in Aged Care, requiring any “advice” to be provided in a “Statement of Advice” (SoA) format , which takes much longer & costs a great deal more to provide, consequently the charges to […]

Centrelink Pension rates There are different rates of Age Pension payments for single people and couples. Your rate also depends on your income, assets, and other circumstances. Basic Rate Plus + Supplements Total Pension Single $797.90pf $65.10+$14.10 $877.10pf Couple            $601.50pf $49.10+$10.60 $610.20pf each $1322.40pf combined Illness separated couple     […]

It is a sad fact that around 45% of our clients suffer from some form of dementia & it has been determined worldwide in 2010, that 36 million people suffer from some form of dementia , & it is estimated that by 2030 that figure will rise to around 70 million people, & by 2050, […]

As mentioned in previous newsletters, Centrelink & DVA will be changing the “Assets Test Taper” which for many pensioners will reduce their pension entitlement & for some, will lose their pension entitlement completely. However, there has been no discussion to date on the impact this change will have on the Means Tested Fees (for those […]

The record low interest rates has been partly responsible for the residential property boom, which has seen record highs achieved for the sale of Sydney Property. Residential Real Estate has always gone through periods of boom, bust & then stagnation, it is part of a cycle driven by the forces of supply & demand. The […]

Every March & September the Government indexes the Age Care fees, on the same date that the Age & DVA Pensions are indexed. As from 20th September 2014 the new Aged Care Rate of BASIC Daily Care Fee is as follows:  Maximum Basic Daily Fee  PRE JULY 2014 Residents – Standard Resident contribution– includes respite residents […]

When looking at enrolling your loved one into Aged Care there is a few steps to go through to ensure you are giving your loved one the best start in their new community as well as ensuring you are financially set up for the future care of your loved one. Researching into your options is […]