The Australian Government unveiled its annual budget this week, which aims to stimulate economic growth, address long-term challenges, and improve social services. The budget is focused on helping with the cost of living, with tax cuts for middle and low-income earners, while also allocating funding to health, education, and small businesses. If you have any questions about how this budget affects you, please get in touch. Tax Cuts One of… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Australia to deliver first budget surplus in 15 years Australia is set to deliver its first budget surplus in 15 years, with a small surplus of around A$4 billion for the fiscal year ending June and deficit estimates for subsequent years also decreased. Australia to ban public vaping in… Read more
Businesses want to grow and help a larger audience, but too many make mistakes that cripple their growth. Even worse, they keep repeating them! Don’t do the same; avoid the blunders outlined below. Hiring Toxic Personalities Businesses hire more staff as they grow. But if they expand too quickly, they will feel pressure to fill positions on their team, even if the job candidates have a few personality flaws. While… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. AFL appoints Andrew Dillon as CEO Andrew Dillon has been named CEO of the AFL, following a year-long search. Dillon started with the AFL in 2000 as an in-house lawyer and has moved on to various other legal and administrative roles. Australia set for budget rebound, signals fiscal restraint… Read more
It is well established that financial literacy is a key component of financial independence. The more you know and understand about finance, the better equipped you are to make important decisions. Historically, women have had lower financial literacy scores than men for many reasons, including social norms, a lack of access to resources, and needing to focus on other issues. That said, women are living longer than men and studies… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Why the RBA should not use interest rates to target the housing market or debt A panel reviewing the Reserve Bank of Australia RBA has recommended against using interest rates to target the housing market or address concerns about high levels of debt held by Australians. Collaboration to bring… Read more
You can’t get through the news these days without hearing about inflation and how rapidly it’s increasing. Rates were generally low for quite some time and we all got used to it. Suddenly, however, everyone is getting squeezed by inflationary pressure. But what exactly is inflation, and how does it affect the money you have in the bank? Read on to learn more about what it is and what it… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Reserve Bank of Australia considers a rate hike The Reserve Bank revealed that it was a “close call” not to raise interest rates at its last meeting due to concerns over inflation and the housing market, but ultimately decided to maintain the current rate of 0.25%. ATO using data-matching… Read more
Are you a business owner or an entrepreneur in the Hunter Valley area? Do you need help with managing your finances, complying with regulations, or planning your taxes? Look no further than Hunter Valley Chartered Accountants! Our team of experienced accountants is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes and industries succeed. We offer a range of services, including: Accounting Services: Our team of experts can assist you with all… Read more
You’ve likely heard the phrase “in the black.” Your balance sheet is the tool that shows you whether your business is indeed “in the black.” Your balance sheet includes a section for your assets (things you own or will receive that have value), your liabilities (what you owe to others) and equity (retained earnings and funds from investors) at a specific time. The relationship between these three sections shows how… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Federal Court decision shakes up public holiday rostering rules for employers A recent ruling by the Federal Court requires employers to request their employees’ availability to work on public holidays in advance instead of just rostering them to work. Employers must introduce a mechanism for making such requests before… Read more
2023 is expensive. The cost of living is higher than ever, interest rates keep rising, and it keeps getting harder to stay afloat, let alone get ahead. As a result, carrying debt has become commonplace. But, with the challenges of the past few years, many of us have more debt than we’re comfortable with. How do you get ahead while you’re still trying to catch up? Here are some tips… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Australian house prices surge, but experts are divided over whether this is a real recovery The Australian housing market has surged in recent months, but experts are divided on whether it’s a “dead cat bounce” or the start of a real recovery. Lenders offer incentives to attract home loan… Read more
Deciding to purchase something to help your business is a big decision. It can be difficult to part with hard-earned money, especially in the early days. To understand the right time to invest by purchasing something for your business, you must calculate whether the Return on Investment (ROI) would be profitable. The cost is the amount of money you spend making the purchase, plus any indirect costs (such as training… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Changes to home-based business expenses Businesses operating from home can claim business-use expenses, including occupancy expenses and running expenses. They can now use the revised fixed rate method of 67 cents per hour for the 2022-23 income year. Find out more here. Get ready for STP Phase 2 Single… Read more
When you invest your money, it’s a given that you’re willing to take on some amount of risk. There are strategies you can employ to ensure the risk you’re taking is minimal, but it still exists. If you’re comfortable with a lot of risk to enjoy a greater reward, it’s important to understand that you could lose everything you put in. Of course, most of us aren’t putting our money… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Why Australian banks will come out the other side of the global crisis According to Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Chris Kent, Australia’s banks are “unquestionably strong” and are equipped to handle a prolonged period of market strain. The banks are already well advanced on their bond issuance… Read more
Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. A certain level of stress comes with carrying the responsibility of ensuring your company’s success. If things go wrong, it all falls back on you. That said, the freedom and sense of accomplishment of running your own business make the challenges well worth it. With good planning and strong business practices, you can avoid the pitfalls and drive your business… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Australian markets take a hit after multiple US banks collapse Australian markets experienced a sharp decline on Tuesday after multiple banks collapsed in the United States. The ASX200 opened down 1.6% and fell a further 2%, wiping out all gains made this calendar year, with financials bearing the brunt.… Read more
If you’re like most people you’ve probably gone for periods of time without really thinking about how you spent your money. Maybe you even avoided looking at your bank statement so you wouldn’t see how much money you spent and how little you saved. It’s something a lot of people do, especially nowadays when we can spend our money so easily without handing over cash. If you’ve ever looked at… Read more
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