Darren Titmus

It’s the most common story financial professionals hear. Unfortunately, too many people fail to set aside emergency savings to see them through life’s hiccups. So when the inevitable happens, and an unexpected bill arrives, they are put under pressure to find the funds to pay it. In turn, this leads to maxed out credit cards or taking out expensive short term loans. And so begins the bitter downward cycle of falling behind on essential bills and other regular payments. Financial…

Australians were introduced to credit cards way back in 1974. Since then, we have embraced the plastic-fantastic with much enthusiasm, and why not? Credit cards meant no waiting; purchases went home immediately and were paid-off in monthly instalments – what could be better? For some 40 years, no other credit facility came close to offering a viable alternative. New Credit Schemes But around 2015, the game changed with the introduction of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes. Platforms like ZipPay…

Resilience is the ability to quickly recover from setbacks, and while setbacks can come in many forms most of them will have a financial component. So what can you do to build financial resilience? Expect the unexpected Rarely do we get advance warning that something bad is about to happen to us, so the time to develop your resilience strategy is now. And while we don’t know the specifics, we can anticipate events that would throw our finances into disarray.…

More than $3.5 trillion dollars in inherited funds are expected to change hands within Australia during the next 20 years, with Australians enjoying one of the highest inheritance payout rates anywhere in the world. All thanks to managing wealth. According to investment bank HSBC’s Future of Retirement report, Australians pass on average $561,000 to their heirs, almost four times the global average of $148,000, with two in every three Australians planning to leave an inheritance. This payout rate is significantly…

Virtual currencies, or cyber currencies, are both a medium of exchange and a store of value, just like traditional money. However, unlike banknotes or coins, cyber currencies exist only as digital data stored in computers. Trading in virtual currencies requires membership in an online community connected by appropriate software, with the value usually being determined by a computer algorithm or simple supply and demand. Virtual currencies are not considered legal tender in most countries, however some, including Australia, do allow…

The increase in home-based businesses has been monumental in the past decade with now almost one million Australians earning an income by working from home. The types of businesses that can be operated from home are only limited by imagination; just as the reasons for this growing trend are varied. Some people whose jobs are made redundant will be tempted to take the plunge into self-employment; others find it appropriate when children arrive; and there are those who do it…

Medical arrangements, Will, funeral preferences. None of us likes to consider our own mortality. For our older loved ones, it’s an even more confronting topic and difficult to discuss. When Lindsay became ill, his family’s priority was to support him through his treatment, and keep him positive and as comfortable as possible.  Typical of his generation, Lindsay had always been very private, never sharing personal information – not even with his nearest and dearest. After he passed away, it dawned…