Kyle's ramblings

The COVID-19 early release of super scheme and tax, including why withdrawing and recontributing for a deduction drew the ATO's attention. Written in 2020.

What Millennial Independent Advice costs: a free 15-minute call, $110 an hour, $3,300 for a big decision and $4,400 to hire me for a week. All online.

How super funds value unlisted assets, and what the March 2020 market moves showed about listed and unlisted options. Written in 2020.

Short answer: yes. Everything is online over Zoom, so it doesn't matter where in Australia you live.

Using the First Home Super Saver Scheme? Why how the contributions are invested matters, with a GFC example. Written in 2019.

How commissions work in financial advice, why they create a conflict of interest, and how the rules have changed. Written in 2019.

Super funds must cancel insurance on accounts with no contributions for 16 months unless you opt in. What that means and what to check.

What index funds are, why they're popular, and their downsides: volatility, full market exposure, no flexibility, tracking error and costs. Written in 2019.

Who I work with and why Millennial Independent Advice focuses on people still building wealth, not just retirees.

Why the time until you buy matters most when deciding where a home deposit sits, with a GFC example. Written in 2019.

How investment fees compound over time, with a worked example comparing a 0.2% and a 0.8% fee over 30 years. Written in 2019.

Is the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme good for first home buyers? My take on the policy when it was announced in 2019.

How to get the finances together, and what the process involves, when buying a home in Australia. Written in 2019.

When life insurance becomes relevant for young people, and what life, TPD, income protection and trauma cover each do. Written in 2019.

A plain-English guide to the jargon of ethical and responsible investing, and what to check in how an option applies it. Written in 2019.

Your bank offers a lower fixed rate than your variable rate. What that says about market expectations, and the pros and cons of fixing. Written in 2019.

How the First Home Super Saver Scheme works, where the tax saving comes from, and the catches to know about. Written in 2019; caps have changed since.

How investment bonds are taxed, where their convenience comes from, and why the tax benefit is often smaller than it looks. Written in 2019.

The difference between a redraw facility and an offset account on an Australian home loan, and why it matters for tax if your home becomes an investment.

The four main types of personal insurance in Australia, what each covers, and the inputs that go into working out an amount of cover. Written in 2019.

Halfway through spending a large inheritance with no plan? How to slow the spending, lift your income and give the rest a purpose. Written in 2019.

Own your home with money in the offset? The after-tax maths of keeping it there versus borrowing to invest. Written in 2019.

My take on Scott Pape's The Barefoot Investor: what it gets right, and where one-size-fits-all rules may not fit everyone. Written in 2019.

What independent, impartial and unbiased mean in Australian financial advice, and why commissions and conflicts of interest matter. Written in 2019.