Financial Newsletter Sunshine Coast

Welcome to Unique Financial Partnerships, keeping you up to date with all financial planning, self managed superannuation funds, tax minimisation, life insurance, on the Sunshine Coast and around Australia.

The information in this newsletter is current at the time of printing. Contact us for updates.

Thief of time, robber of wealth

What’s happening in your life right now? Are you working to support your family? Build a lifestyle?
Plan a future? Or have you already done that and now it’s all about retirement?

Regardless, wealth creation
starts now.
Procrastination – expecting that
there’s always tomorrow – is capable
of not only eroding time but family
wealth. Can you afford to send the
children to private schools? Do you
have the money for a family get-away?
How’s your superannuation fund
tracking?
It’s easy to brush off such questions,
but time is fleeting; how often do you
look at your children and marvel at
how quickly they’re growing up?
If you were hoping to send them to
private schools but somehow never
got around to putting a savings plan
in place, it’s possible that a juggling
act worthy of a street-performer will be
needed to meet all your obligations.
When you’re in your thirties and
forties, your priorities are so vastly
different from the ones you have in
your fifties and sixties. Earlier in life,
you’re likely focused on paying off a
mortgage, maybe a car or two, and
there is the rising cost of living.
But with current life expectancy for
men and women at 79.3 years and 83.9
years respectively, if you planned to
retire at say, age 60, how would you
support yourself for twenty-odd years?
There’s also the question of the quality
of your lifestyle. Knowing you can take
a holiday, update the car or even keep
up with maintenance jobs around the
house, can make all the difference to
your peace of mind.
The longer you have contributed
to superannuation, the much
better off you’ll be. Even small
personal contributions to super,
over the current 9% Superannuation
Guarantee deducted by employers,
can significantly increase the amount
available to you at retirement.
It’s estimated that by 2020 almost
one in five Australians will be over 60.
Without adequate super, the number
of individuals seeking Centrelink
support would place a large burden on
public finances, perhaps impacting
government funding of essential
services; education, health, policing
and much more.

Planning your financial future
now means you’re also
planning for the generations
behind you – your children,
your grandchildren.

Futuro advisers know it’s never too
early to have goals, just as it’s always
the right time to prepare for them. So
now is not the time for procrastination
when there’s no better opportunity
to pay off your mortgage or set up a
savings plan.
When you talk it over with your Futuro
adviser, they will put together a
strategy specifically designed to help
you realise all your hopes and dreams.
A wise man once said, “Don’t save a
fine wine for a special occasion, open it
and create a special occasion!”
In other words, don’t put anything off
until tomorrow.
So what are you waiting for? Your
future starts today! Contact your
Futuro adviser and make it happen.

Staying sane in a mad world

The headlines are depressing. Potential banking crisis in Europe; US stock market slump;
Greece’s economic woes. It’s little wonder investors find themselves in a mild state of shock.

When the news is all doom and gloom,
where do you find a positive message
to cling to? How do you stay sane when
the financial world seems to have gone
mad?
Most of us are concerned by the
erratic rise and fall of our savings and
superannuation investments. It’s natural
to feel insecure, even a little fearful, but
there are some very real reasons to be
optimistic.
Firstly, Australia’s economic position
is in better shape than that of many
other countries. Our banks are strong
and well regulated, and in recent times
we’ve been reducing our levels of
household debt.
The following should further bolster
your optimism:
Follow your game plan.
As all good sporting coaches will
tell you, by sticking to the game
plan you’ll ride the bumps. Your
Futuro adviser has created a
financial plan specifically for your
needs and circumstances.
Think long term.
Most equity investments
have long time horizons.
By their nature they
fluctuate over the
short term but it’s their
long-term value that
matters. Your Futuro
adviser took this into
account when he or she made
recommendations
for you.
Any loses you’re currently
experiencing exist only on paper.
However, if you redeem your
investments those losses become
real. Don’t panic!
Rather than being disheartened,
make dips and troughs work
for you by turning them into
opportunities.
Futuro advisers have access to
the latest product evaluation
tools available, enabling
them to make educated
investment choices. With
their assistance you may be
able to take advantage of
low share prices.
Don’t assume your investment
is falling at the same rate as
the market.
Your investments are in a much
better position due to their
strategic mix of varying market
sectors. By following a plan
recommended by your Futuro
adviser you will be invested
in a selection of products
with proven stability over
time.
Now is not the time for
doubt or experimentation.
Markets are volatile in their
movements and getting the timing
right on trades can be a precarious
business. Hang in there!
Markets do recover, the question is
when, and nobody has the answer.
Follow the tips above for peace
of mind, and
contact us if
you have any
concerns.

Work/Life separation – is it all a myth?

In the middle of dinner with your family your mobile phone rings. It’s the boss. Your spouse throws you a rueful look but you answer the call anyway – you both know you will.

Sound familiar?
What exactly is Work/Life Separation?
Simply put, it’s a concept that
recognises the pressure people
experience accommodating
the needs of both
family and work.
Those running a small business will
particularly know how difficult this is.
Has the technology designed to make
our lives easier, in reality, only blurred
the lines between family hours and
work hours?
With many firms supplying
staff with laptop computers,
mobile phones and workfrom-
home options, the
age of accessibility is
upon us, but has this
resulted in office
hours leaching
into private
time?
Onceupona-
time
office workers
took designated
tea-breaks. Nowadays
companies supply coffee
machines, microwaves
and other conveniences,
thus removing the need
to actually leave the
office at all. Barista-style
cappuccinos brewed,
lunches nuked, and all
consumed while the work
continues.
We talk about Work/Life Separation
and agree it’s a great and progressive
initiative yet when did you last enjoy
a deliciously sinful escape outside the
office just to wander around?
There are times when for various
reasons work pressures can seem to
eclipse everything else, so here are a
few reminders of why we work so hard:
 Family comes first – you work
to support your family not the
other way around. In times of
job-stress it’s easy to lose sight
of what really counts.
 Friends matter too – humans are
pack-animals. We gravitate toward
one another, eat, socialise and live
together. It’s neither natural nor
healthy not to engage in social
interaction with our friends – and it
reduces stress!
 Enjoy your work – when you
enjoy what you’re doing, you’re
naturally more successful and more
productive, enabling you to leave
the workplace at a reasonable time
having done a satisfying day’s work.
It’s generally acknowledged that a true
Work/Life Separation doesn’t really
exist, or at best, the line between is
very grey.
So, as we become more available and
reachable, it’s up to each one of us to
remember what’s really important in
our lives and be true to that.

Disclaimer: All representations and information contained in this newsletter are made in good faith and are believed to be correct at the time of preparation. Articles are of a general nature and they do not purport to be specific investment advice. Individual needs or other considerations have not been taken into account, thus information contained herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for detailed advice. Futuro Financial Services will receive fees or brokerage from the provision of advice or placement of investments. You may, by contacting our Privacy Officer on 07 3018 0400 or by writing to Futuro Financial Services Privacy Officer GPO Box 942 Brisbane QLD 4001, request not to receive further editions of this newsletter.

Disclaimer
All representations and information contained in Futuro in Focus are made in good faith and are believed to be correct at the time of preparation. Articles are of a general nature and they do not purport to be specific investment advice. Individual needs or other considerations have not been taken into account, thus information contained herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for detailed advice. Futuro Financial Services will receive fees or brokerage from the provision of advice or placement of investments. You may, by contacting our Privacy Officer on 07 3018 0400 or by writing to Futuro Financial Services Privacy Officer GPO Box 942 Brisbane QLD 4001, request not to receive further editions of Futuro in Focus.