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 […]

Australia’s ageing population was a key factor to the outcomes of last night’s Federal Budget where Treasurer Joe Hockey ‘tightened the belts’ of many Australians in order to alleviate the countries debt and better plan for the future. The budget’s broad recommendations mainly focused on health, the ageing and education sectors which will account for […]

Balance Aged Care Specialists Welcomes Fiona Rumble As Balance Aged Care Specialists continues to provide sound Financial Advice and Aged Care Advice to our clients we are delighted to announce that we are expanding our offices and are looking forward to helping more people plan financially for their future. As part of our expansion we […]

Have you and your family found yourself in the position of needing to seek Aged Care for a loved one? Or maybe your loved one has been receiving care for a little while. Major changes to Aged Care will take effect on 1 July 2014. These changes will affect most people currently in or looking […]