All posts by Robert Wright

Should you give your teenager a credit card?

By Robert Wright /July 20,2020/

We live in a culture of smartphones, WIFI, home delivery, online shopping and online gaming, where most needs and wants can be met almost instantly. With so much temptation to spend, it’s vital to teach your kids the money skills to help them enjoy financial wellbeing as adults. But should you give your teenager a credit card?

Pre-paid, debit or credit?

You might like to start with a pre-paid card or a debit card, so there’s a limit on what they can spend. Set the rules on what it can be used for and how much they can spend. If they manage the process well, and if you’re confident that they’re responsible enough, you could give them a credit card (which would be a supplementary card connected to your own, as children under 18 cannot have their own card).

Before you give your teen a credit card, take the time to have a conversation about credit card fees, interest rates, and how spending irresponsibly can give you a bad credit rating, which is bad news for their future. Be clear that they will be responsible for all expenditure on the card – if they can’t afford it with cash, they shouldn’t put it on the credit card.

Rules, limits and know-how

Giving a teenager a credit card may seem risky or even irresponsible, but it can be a great teaching tool if the right conversations, rules and limits are put in place.

Before you give your teen a card, be sure to speak to them about how it works, how to be responsible with it and how to avoid financial trouble, including:

How interest works – it’s important that they understand that a credit card is like a loan and if they don’t pay it back on time, they’ll be charged interest.
Paying it off in full every month – show your teen a credit card statement and explain that if they only pay the minimum amount, they’ll still be charged interest.
Paying on time – show them where they can find the due date for payments and help them to set up reminders to pay on time every month to avoid interest.
Avoid overspending – teach your teen to keep track of their spending, and to never spend more than they earn. Use the credit card’s app to keep a tally on spending.
Start with a credit limit lower than they earn – it’s a good idea to start with a credit limit that is not more than what they earn in a month. For example, setting a low limit for a teen may be $500 maximum so they can consistently pay it off at the end of each month.

Understanding ‘buy now, pay later’ services

The growing popularity of ‘buy now, pay later’ services such as Afterpay, Openpay and zipPay means it pays to help your teen understand how they work, and what the risks are.

These services allow shoppers to buy a product, take it home and pay for it in instalments via an online ‘buy now, pay later’ account, which deducts your preferred debit or credit card. Added to that, while the buy now, pay later provider might not charge interest on your purchase, you may still have to pay interest to your credit card provider if you don’t pay the full amount owing on your credit card by the due date.

Leading by example

While knowing the ins and outs of debt is important, one of the most powerful ways to help your kids develop healthy money habits is to lead by example. Our ideas about money are formed in our childhood, so if your kids see you living with healthy financial habits, they’re more likely to form those habits themselves.

Source: AMP

Why it’s important to think about insurance ahead of retirement

By Robert Wright /June 01,2020/

Finding the right level of insurance cover is important when you’re thinking about retirement.

If retirement’s coming up on your horizon, the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) may have thrown a warehouse-sized rack of spanners in your planning.

It makes sense to concentrate on things you can control, such as insurance. Too-high premiums can chew away at the foundations of your savings, at a time when they’re more important than ever. Under-insure and one day your floor may collapse, undone by events you can’t foresee.

Cover for a changing life

A good way to get started is to think about what you really need, and what you don’t. As you get close to retirement, you may want to make sure you’re holding the right insurance for the lifestyle you want.

Here’s a simple checklist that may help:

Ask yourself how much money your family would have if you were to pass away or become disabled.
Compare that with how much money your family might need in the same situation, including how they’d manage paying for day-to-day costs like child-care and mortgages.
The difference between the two can help you work out how much insurance you may need.

Many of us take out insurance and are done with it – it’s enough to know we have the proverbial rainy day covered off. However, with economic clouds gathering, now’s a good time to review what you’ve already got and assess if it’s still right for you and your needs.

So, dig out your existing insurance agreements, taking special note of when they’re due to expire and your continued eligibility for the policies they hold.

An important area for many Australians is insurance held inside superannuation.

Insurance inside super

Insurance inside super can help us out when we really need it. Like any type of insurance, it works best when you’ve got the right level of protection for your situation. As you head towards retirement and your life changes, so might your priorities.

As well as life insurance, you might have total and permanent disablement (TPD) inside super. TPD cover may provide you with a lump-sum payment if you suffer a disability that prevents you from ever working again.

TPD could help you pay for ongoing medical expenses, alterations to your home to make day-to-day life easier and help provide future financial stability.

Total salary continuance, also known as income protection, is designed to pay a monthly benefit of up to 75% of your pre-disability regular income if you’re unable to work due to injury or illness.

Typically, within super, income protection provides you with cover either for a two-year or five-year period or until you turn 65, depending on the terms in your employer plan.

What to look out for

There are pros and cons of insurance within super. Things to think about if you’re approaching retirement include:

Cover through super may end when you reach a certain age (usually 65 or 70). That’s generally different to cover that’s outside a super account.
Taxes may be applied to TPD benefits depending on your age.
Claim payments may take longer, as the money is normally paid by the insurer to the trustee of the super fund before it’s paid to you or your dependants.

Don’t double up and stay flexible

As part of your review, it’s also a good idea to check insurance you hold inside super against other policies you might have outside super.

Then compare your cover, check whether you have any insurance double ups – if you have more than one super account with the same type of insurance, you may be paying for more insurance than you need.

As well as comparing the level of cover you get, consider any exclusions, such as the treatment of any pre-existing medical conditions, and waiting periods. Remember that if you do cancel your insurance, you might lose access to features and benefits and may not be able to sign back up at the same rate.

It’s also important to disclose your situation to your insurer honestly. Otherwise, the insurer may be entitled to refuse your claim.

Tricky times call for flexible thinking. Volatility can be daunting, whatever age you are. Fortunately, you’ve got the life experience to look beyond the headlines and adapt to changing circumstances. Reviewing your insurance is as good as any place to start.

Source: AMP

Digital payments and online banking explained

By Robert Wright /June 01,2020/

Face-to-face encounters have become less frequent in so many areas of our lives – and banking and shopping are no different. So, now’s an ideal time for older Australians to start integrating more digital transactions into their everyday banking. Using these methods for the first time can be intimidating, so we’ve answered some of the key questions you might have about digital transactions and online finance.

What are contactless payments?

In the wake of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) health crisis, many shops and businesses have moved away from cash and are accepting payment by credit or debit card only. If you go into a store to buy something, you’ll likely be asked to use the ‘contactless’ payment method. This is simply a payment that’s processed in real time by holding your debit or credit card near the card reader without the need to swipe or insert it.

Also known as Tap & Go, this method allows you to make a purchase of up to $200 (temporarily increased from the $100 pre-COVID-19 limit) by simply hovering your card above the machine – you won’t need to enter a PIN.

If your transaction is in excess of $200, you’ll need to enter a PIN. Use one hand as a barrier over the keypad to prevent anyone else seeing your pin entry.

It’s also worth mentioning that some merchants may pass on the costs they incur to use these processing systems. If you are charged, the surcharge varies between merchants. You may find you’ll have to pay a small percentage for credit and debit purchases; however, merchants will generally let you know before the transaction.

How do I pay bills online?

Generally, a bill that you’d normally pay in person or at the post office can be paid online through online banking, using the secure and safe electronic payment system of BPAY, a widely used bill payment service.

Each bill you receive has its own unique BPAY information, which is located at the bottom of the bill. To pay a bill using BPAY:

you’ll need to log in to your own online banking system
go to the section where you pay someone or transfer money
select BPAY as the payment method, and
enter the information you find on your bill.

What details do I need to give when I’m shopping online?

While older Australians are still the most likely age category to prefer paying with cash, habits are changing we’ve seen a steady and significant move to payment methods other than cash in the over-65 age group.

When you purchase something online, you’ll be asked to enter your details, including your name, address and contact details for the delivery. You’ll also be asked for the debit or credit card number that appears on the front, as well as the CVC or CVV number, which is the three-digit number printed on the back of your card or four-digit number on the front of the card above the main numbers. This is an important anti-fraud measure to ensure that only you, the card holder, can make purchases online.

As a convenient feature on your computer or mobile phone, you may be prompted with a pop-up message to save your debit and credit card details for quicker checkouts when online shopping in future. If you don’t feel comfortable storing them digitally on your computer or mobile phone, you can reject or opt out of the pop-up request.

I’ve heard that online banking and shopping can be unsafe. How can I reduce this risk?

It’s true that if you’re online, there can be a risk of online fraud and ‘phishing’. Phishing is the sending of fraudulent messages through channels such as email, social media and text messages that are designed to steal your confidential information. However, there are several steps you can take to increase the safety of your finances and details online.

Never give out your personal information or details via email, text message or over the phone, unless you have called your financial institution directly.
Never enter sensitive details into a website you’ve arrived at by clicking on a link, including any links you’ve received in an email or text message. In particular, you should always go directly to the website of a financial institution or online banking system, rather than via a link.
Familiarise yourself with scams that are circulating so you can stay informed. A regular update of these appears on the Stay Smart Online website.

Looking out for fraud during COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak provides a further smokescreen for fraudsters. Pretending to be legitimate businesses, from charities to your local supermarket, they hope to exploit confusion and the absence of face-to-face contact to gain your money and information.

If you suspect suspicious activity online or have been contacted via email or phone by someone who you think could be running a scam, it’s important that you contact your financial institution immediately to discuss the details.

Source: AMP

How fit are your finances?

By Robert Wright /June 01,2020/

Wearable technology can monitor our heart rate and tell us how much sleep we’ve had, but what about our financial wellbeing? If you could benefit from a Fitbit for your finances, read on.

Just like your physical health, the more you can monitor what’s happening with your finances, the easier it will be to improve your financial fitness.

We all know that financial stress can have a negative impact on our physical and mental wellbeing, leading to stress, anxiety and depression. Research has even shown that employees suffering high financial stress are “more than four times as likely to complain of headaches, depression and other ailments.”

So, if you could get a Fitbit for your finances, what would it track? Keep an eye on these key metrics and you could be feeling financially fit in no time.

1. Spending

Expenses are a fact of life, but this is one area where things can easily get out of hand. Much like overeating, it’s all too easy to buy too much and spend on things you don’t really need, especially if you’re not keeping track of where your money is going. And technology sometimes makes it even easier to overspend.

Buy Now Pay Later and tap and go payments make it harder than ever to keep track of what’s leaving your account.

What to do:

Make a list of your essential costs, such as rent or mortgage, utilities, food, fees and regular bills.

Try using a spreadsheet or budgeting app to make tracking your spending as easy as possible. Many banks now offer breakdowns of your spending by category in their apps, so take advantage of these free tools. By monitoring where you’re actually spending money each day, you’ll quickly get a true picture of your financial health. If your spending habits are putting you on the wrong path, learn how to plan and stick to a budget.

Debt

Like carrying a few extra kilos, debt can creep up on you and weigh you down more than you realise.

Reserve Bank data shows consumers have nearly twice as much household debt as income. Meanwhile, the average Aussie tips the scales at $3271 in credit card debt, adding huge pressure to their daily lives.

What to do:

Detox your debt. The first step to financial health includes keeping levels of personal debt to a minimum.
Look at consolidating your debts onto one card or personal loan, so that you’re only dealing with one repayment each month.
Take advantage of interest free periods to pay down your debt.
Put a repayment plan in place – and stick to it!

Savings

Once your debt reduction strategy is underway, you can focus on another key aspect of your financial health: Savings. How much you have stashed for a rainy day is a strong indicator of your overall financial health.

What to do:

Open a dedicated high-interest savings account that’s separate from all of your other accounts.

Make regular, consistent deposits – weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Add any extra cash windfalls to your savings account, such as tax returns or bonuses. Sit back and watch the power of compound interest at work.

Superannuation

If you want to stay financially fit and healthy into your old age, you need to lay the groundwork now. That means knowing how much you need to maintain the lifestyle you want and working towards that figure.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) estimates that for a couple to have a ‘comfortable’ lifestyle they need at least $640,000, while a single person needs $545,000.

Emergency fund

Like health insurance for your finances, having an emergency fund gives you a buffer against unexpected hard times. You should aim to have enough in your emergency account to cover six months of living expenses, including housing, to protect you in the event of losing your job, falling ill or any other major disruption.

Insurance

If you should lose your income for longer, or permanently, there are several types of personal insurance that can help protect you and your family from financial hardship.

Life insurance, total and permanent disability (TPD) and income protection all have a role to play in your financial wellbeing. Depending on your stage of life, financial situation and responsibilities, it’s worth ensuring that you have a mix of all three types of insurance.

A financial planner can help you understand what you need and get the right level of cover to protect your lifestyle.

Credit rating

A good third-party check-up of your financial health is your credit rating. Compiled from your personal financial information by a credit reporting agency, it’s one important indicator of your overall financial fitness.

Several things can affect your credit score, including your borrowings, number of credit applications and whether you make repayments on time.

Source: Money and Life