Category: Feature Stories

MoneyCentral Magazine Presents a Grand Finale: Join Us for an Opulent Year-End Celebration at Sir Stamford Circular Quay!

Posted on by Gary

MoneyCentral Magazine, part of the StarCentral Media Group, is preparing for a spectacular year-end celebration at the prestigious Sir Stamford Circular Quay on December 17th, starting at 11 am. This event will joyfully conclude a vibrant year, commemorating the Christmas spirit and a year of accomplishments, uniting sponsors, collaborators, friends, and industry partners for a grand celebration.

In collaboration with MS Entertainment Network, Flagcom, and APCO, this highly anticipated event promises an evening filled with elegance and splendor. It will feature special events, including the much-awaited StarCentral Magazine’s People of the Year Awards and the captivating Kings and Queens fashion exhibition.

The opulent affair will unfold at the esteemed Sir Stamford Circular Quay, located at 3 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000, providing a luxurious backdrop for this glamorous occasion.

Esteemed sponsors supporting the event include Cubecorp, PW Mortgage Partners, and Parramatta Community College. Their invaluable contributions have played a significant role in making this event a reality.

To enhance the event’s allure, GEM Models and TV6 Network will make a special appearance, promising an evening brimming with talent and excitement.

This event serves as the perfect occasion for networking, merriment, and a celebration of the achievements and collaborations of the past year. StarCentral Media Group warmly invites everyone to join in this prestigious gathering, set to be a truly memorable and grand finale to an eventful year.

For more information or to participate in the Kings and Queens fashion exhibition, kindly get in touch with us at your earliest convenience.

Let’s celebrate the end of this fantastic year with an evening of opulence and joy at the Sir Stamford Circular Quay.

For further inquiries, please contact Krissy at krissy@starcentralmag.com.

5 Tips for a Safer Online Shopping Experience In 2023

Posted on by Gary

For many shoppers, the online marketplace has been one of the best features of the technological age – you get what you want without travelling to the shops and negotiating the long queues and the arduous effort of getting there. For business owners, it’s a cost-cutting strategy to get their products out without costly overheads.

However, how sure are you that you are not paying more than you think you’ve bargained for? Horror stories of buying fakes and low-standard materials have been seen on posts and other online platforms. So how do we protect ourselves from these possible threats?

It would be very hard to figure out if what you’re buying is the real thing or a triple-A imitation. So we sought out brand maven Barbs Aguirre-Miravalles, the Division General Manager for Fragrances of LUXASIA – the leading omnichannel partner for luxury beauty and lifestyle brands to reach Asia Pacific consumers for some tips to help consumers figure out what they are buying.

Find a reliable source

Most e-commerce platforms have a marketplace where in it is open to all resellers. It is difficult to spot authentic resellers from counterfeit resellers as most would put 100% authentic on their product pages. When in doubt, I recommend shopping at the retailer.com sites or brand.com sites so you can be guaranteed that the products come from the original sources.

Compare and review

It would help to read reviews, but it would still help to compare prices and product details/ specifications from the original brand websites to know what you are buying. Check the source of the products.

Beware of cheap items

Counterfeit items are sold at cheaper prices precisely because the ingredients/materials used to create this is not comparable to the authentic item. We suggest watching Netflix’s ‘Broken’ to understand the danger of counterfeit items. This is dangerous to one’s health, especially for cosmetics and ingestible. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. You get what you pay for, so the lower money you spend equates to the quality you will receive in return.

To further help our readers, we dug deeper into precautions necessary for doing online purchases courtesy of the Australian Filipina:

Always make your purchases from a secure connection.

After clicking the link to the site, check out the prompt in the address field. It would usually read https://www, but if you read “Not Secure,” then it’s not worth your while.

Create a unique password.

If you keep on forgetting your password, get a secured password keeper like dashlane which keeps all your unique passwords that can be generated by the system or from a story of your life that no one knows about.

Be mindful of the information that you provide the sites

Identity theft is one of the most rampant crimes going around, and giving more information than you have to may just be the biggest mistake you can ever make. Standard information would be information on the payment method, shipping address, telephone number and/or email address. If the merchant asks for more, walk away.

Check the shipping details.

Some merchants charge exorbitant shipping fees that can turn a shopping bargain into an expensive mistake. Look to see if they provide tracking and insurance. Understand what carriers they use, and be particularly cautious if the item won’t be shipped within ten days.

Always remember, before you CLICK & SHOP, STOP & THINK.

Source: The Australian Filipina

Swarovski and EssilorLuxottica announce a ten-year licensing agreement

Posted on by Gary

Swarovski and EssilorLuxottica announced recently that they have signed an exclusive license agreement for the design, manufacture, and worldwide distribution of Swarovski Eyewear.

The agreement will be effective until December 31, 2028, with an automatic renewal option of an additional five years. The first collection under the agreement will be available on the market from September 2023.

This agreement combines Swarovski’s creativity and savoir-faire with the knowledge, innovation, and expertise of EssilorLuxottica.

The partnership builds on Swarovski’s luxury credentials alongside its enduring commitment to eyewear as a key fashion accessory. Swarovski Eyewear, which features designs inspired by the brand’s jewelry families, brings an additional facet to Swarovski’s customer offering, and complements its extraordinary jewelry, home décor and accessories collections.

The first collection will be developed under the leadership of Swarovski Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert and launched in time for the FW23 season.

Alexis Nasard, CEO of Swarovski, said: “We are delighted to further evolve our Swarovski Eyewear business with global leader EssilorLuxottica. This is in-line with our LUXignite strategy, and is a natural partnership for us, forged from a shared passion for beautiful design coupled with impeccable quality and savoir-faire.”

Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica said: “We are excited to embark on this journey with Swarovski, a brand known for its artful design and incredible attention to detail. We have always seen each pair of frames as a piece of art to be worn, which makes Swarovski and its story such a wonderful fit.”

About Swarovski

Swarovski is a place where magic and science meet. Swarovski unifies all parts of its organization under one spellbinding idea and brings forward a wondrous new world of crystal craftsmanship. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and sells the world’s highest quality crystal, gemstones, Swarovski Created Diamonds and zirconia, jewelry, and accessories, as well as crystal objects and home accessories. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. A responsible relationship with people and the planet has always been an integral part of Swarovski’s heritage. This manifests today in the company’s well-established sustainability agenda with youth-focused education programs and foundations to promote human empowerment and conserve natural resources to achieve positive social impact. For more information, please visit swarovski.com.

EssilorLuxottica

EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. Formed in 2018, its mission is to help people around the world to see more and be more by addressing their evolving vision needs and personal style aspirations. The Company brings together the complementary expertise of two industry pioneers, one in advanced lens technology and the other in the craftsmanship of iconic eyewear, to set new industry standards for vision care and the consumer experience around it. Influential eyewear brands including Ray-Ban and Oakley, lens technology brands including Varilux and Transitions, and world-class retail brands including Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Salmoiraghi & Viganò and GrandVision are part of the EssilorLuxottica family. EssilorLuxottica has approximately 180,000 employees. In 2021, the Company generated consolidated pro forma revenue of Euro 21.5 billion. The EssilorLuxottica share trades on the Euronext Paris market and is included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices. Codes and symbols: ISIN: FR0000121667; Reuters: ESLX.PA; Bloomberg: EL:FP. For more information, please visit essilorluxottica.com.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Swarovski

Editorial credit: Luca Lorenzelli / Shutterstock.com

Prominent Buyer’s Agent launches Australia’s first ever simple step-by-step guide for everyday Aussies looking to invest in commercial property

Posted on by Gary

Chinese-Australian buyer’s agent Helen Tarrant is Australia’s number one commercial property buyer’s agent. With house prices fluctuating and interest rates continually rising, she believes it’s time Australians end our ‘love affair’ with residential property. Having built a multi-million-dollar property empire herself, Helen is finally unmasking the hidden secrets surrounding the alternative investment pathway – commercial property.

Traditionally, this property market area has felt confusing, inaccessible, and unaffordable for many investors…and this is where Helen’s new book comes in.

This Spring, Helen’s first book Cashed up with Commercial Property: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Cash Flow Positive Portfolio, will launch in bookstores Australia-wide. Published by Wiley, the book will be a first-of-its-kind educational guide that makes commercial property investment easy to understand and accessible to all – no matter your age, ethnicity, or background in investing.

Whilst most of us feel like we need to either win the lottery (or have cashed up family members) to get our foot on the property ladder, Helen’s own story proves this doesn’t have to be the case. After migrating to Australia from China as a young girl, Helen’s family had only $70 to their name. She moved house 9 times and worked three jobs to support her family throughout high school. After completing a Master of Laws at university, she founded her own beauty therapy business. She was burning the candle on all ends, yet still felt like she couldn’t save, or find any work life balance. It was during this time that a single moment with her landlord changed the course of her life forever…

“My landlord would show up, collect my rent, and then just go out fishing. That was all he did. His income from the rent of his tenants in our building meant he could live the life he loved. Cue my light-bulb moment…maybe I should look into commercial property. After doing some research I found that commercial property had the potential to halve my investment journey time and help me make ten times as much cash flow than investing in residential. And so, I took a leap of faith and never looked back,” Helen says.

In 2012 Helen purchased her first commercial property, a Japanese restaurant in North Sydney for $395k. Fast forward a decade, Helen’s property portfolio is worth over $30 million.  And due to the way that commercial property is geared, during that time, Helen was also able to build her income, earning an additional $20k plus in positive cash flow per week from her investments alone.

These simple ideas and lessons Helen learnt along the way was what eventually inspired her to become a buyer’s agent. Realising there were many misconceptions in the market and no one really educating everyday investors about commercial property, she found a niche providing essential education and strategies for the average Australian seeking to get their foot in the door. Helen now has helped over 1,000 Australian investors find financial freedom through commercial investment, with a total property portfolio worth over half a billion.

Cashed Up with Commercial Property is unique in its category, as it features real life case studies and practical guides for what is required to invest in commercial property. It provides helpful comparisons on investments between residential and commercial, as well as sound strategies that any Aussie can use to generate additional income as they work towards their property/investment goals.

One such case study is Sydney mum Joey. With three kids under five, Joey works as a compliance consultant while her wife, Diane, is a dentist in her own practice. “Joey first approached me when she had 11 residential properties, was negatively geared and in desperate need of some cash flow so she could support her growing mortgages and family lifestyle. Over the past three years we have helped her source excellent commercial investments that would drive a sound return and help her reach her cash flow goals. In that time, we have secured her three properties and close to $100k in passive income, and that’s after outgoing expenses,” Helen explains.

In her book, Helen debunks the biggest myths about commercial property and provides encouragement that no matter who you are or what your property goals are, she can help you on your journey. Three simple pieces of advice her book, includes:

  1. Embrace the Mindset ChangeTrying something new always comes with uncertainty and a bit of gear-shifting. But embrace the mindset changes and don’t apply the same things you know about residential, to commercial. It’s a learning curve, but the payoff (literally) is worth it.
  2. Don’t wait!Ever heard the old idiom, there’s no better time than now? Well this is completely true in commercial property. The market is always changing, so no matter who you are, I recommend getting some advice and starting now, even if it’s small, because the longer you wait, the lower the yield. Build the right strategy and don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone.
  3. Allow Yourself to Dream Big!We can so often feel despondent about property – whether you’ll own the dream home or are scared of being priced out of the market. But with commercials, we encourage you to dream big no matter where you’re at in your investment journey. Map out your big-picture goals, and then with the help of your team, we can help you work backward so you can figure out the best way to start now.

Cashed Up with Commercial Property is published by Wiley and is available for purchase through all good book retailers for $32.95.  For more information or to purchase a copy, visit: https://helentarrant.com/

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Medianet

Banking and finance executive develops technology that is set to significantly boost the performance of Australia’s superannuation industry

Posted on by Alex

One of Australia’s most experienced banking and finance executives has developed world-leading technology that is set to boost Australia’s superannuation industry’s performance significantly.

Douglas Bucknell, Founder and CEO of Tailored Superannuation Solutions (TTS) was the CEO of Anglican Investment Development Fund (AIDF) and Senior Policy Advisor for the three Commonwealth superannuation funds and APRA.

He has developed the world’s first ‘Smart Default’ fund that will significantly increase superannuation members’ retirement balances.

“This ‘Smart Default’ fund will greatly impact the quality of life for Australians entering retirement because it will boost their retirement balances by, on average, at least 35%.

“We’re able to do this by replacing the one-size-fits-all ‘balanced option’ and simple age-based life-cycling default design, with this ‘smart’ fund,” Mr. Bucknell said.

“The days of simply dumping all members in the same investment option for life should be over,” he said.

Last year, 13 super funds were found to have failed the Federal Government’s new performance test. Since then, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has released all the funds it assessed showing another seven, including some of Australia’s biggest MySuper funds only marginally passed the test.

“Superannuation trustees need to focus on improving retirement outcomes for their members – that’s what they’re paid to do.

“Our technology delivers on the Productivity Commission’s finding that well-designed life-cycle solutions are better than the single strategy, one-size-fits-all, approach,” he said.

The ‘Smart Default’ fund uses a SAAS (software-as-a-service) solution to automatically tailor the existing investment options of superannuation funds to a member’s own projected retirement outcomes.

“We improve the competitive performance of superannuation funds enabling them to exceed the Federal Government performance targets and deliver superior outcomes to their members,” Mr. Bucknell said.

TTS is Australian-owned and operated. It was established in 2016 and backed by some of Australia’s leading business and government figures.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Medianet

8 Surefire Ways You Can Save Money As Prices Soar

Posted on by Alex

Recent data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed prices climbing by 6.1% in the June quarter, driven primarily by the increasing cost of food and fuel.

Especially for those with kids, financial outgoings such as education, grocery, and days out can set you back.

Nick Drewe, money-saving expert at Australian discounts platform, WeThrift, shares his top tips on how you can cut your everyday costs. From energy bills to travel and grocery shopping, he shares his top tips below.

1. Keep checking your bills regularly: As some energy suppliers have been known to either make changes to tariffs or make mistakes when charging customers, it’s always a good idea to check your regular household bills.

With winter approaching, those who continue to work from home or have flexible conditions may opt to not return to the office Therefore, bills for water, energy and mobile data are likely to increase.

2. Reduce activities and classes: Whilst it is important for a child to have a routine, there seems to be pressure around keeping children busy with activities from a young age.

If you can’t quite afford every single activity, why not keep it simple and cost-free and encourage time to play in the backyard, playgrounds and explore the local creek. Children enjoy picnics, playdates and time at the beach, which will help reduce time spent in the car and spending money on petrol, entry fees, registration, tuition fees, uniforms or costumes.

3. Have a cap on present spending: Once your child starts school, they will begin to get more invitations to birthday parties. While this is lovely, this can also get expensive. Decide on a limit for presents early on and stick to it, unless it is a close friend where you may want to spend more.

Simple gift ideas that can work for both genders could be a pencil case filled with nice new stationery, a piece of sports equipment or a water pistol. 

Also, start collecting generic things throughout the year and put them in a gift collection cupboard. You never know, they may come in handy.

4. Choose inexpensive holidays: Once you have children, it is not as easy to travel interstate and overseas. Camping, particularly with young children, is fairly inexpensive to do once you are set up with some gear. 

Children love to ride their bikes around, meet other kids and roam the extra space, which is a great way for families to interact without spending too much money.

5. Share school trips with other parents: The cost of petrol adds up when taking the kids to school every day, and being able to do alternative trips with other parents nearby will definitely help cut your costs. 

If you can arrange to do alternative days or even alternate between the morning and afternoon drop off, this will cut your journeys in half. 

6. Look for discount codes before ordering takeaways: If you’re treating the family to a well-deserved takeaway at the weekend, before clicking ‘checkout’ on sites like Deliveroo or Menulog, it’s always worth a search on voucher sites for any discount codes or free delivery incentives that could knock your basket price down. 

Also, always check your emails for any promotional vouchers that may have been sent following your last order. Often delivery couriers will offer customers small incentives ahead of their next purchase, to retain their loyalty and avoid them being tempted to order elsewhere.

Deliveroo customers have the option to ‘Refer a friend, which will secure both of you $10 off your next order.

7. Time your grocery trips wisely: Try to time your grocery trips for when your local stores are likely to have just added yellow ‘reduced’ stickers to stock that needs to be sold that day. Making the most of these heavily discounted deals will help you to fill your freezer up with discounted meat, fish, and freezer meals for cheaper food options in the coming days and weeks.

Normally workers will start discounting products that are about to pass their sell-by-date later on in the afternoon or early evening, so a food shop after work is the perfect time to grab a  bargain.

Many supermarkets also have clearance sections where products that cannot be sold at their RRP or may have damaged packaging can be found. Just make sure to check you are happy with the item and that the goods aren’t compromised before heading to the checkout.

8. Cancel any unnecessary direct debits: Now is the perfect time to log on to your online banking and scour your direct debits and standing orders to see if you can cancel anything that’s become an unnecessary spend. 

Whether it be a gym membership you aren’t quite getting your money’s worth for, or a streaming service you signed up for during lockdown that you no longer make the most of, cutting these small outgoings will make a difference to your bank balance in the long run.

Also, make sure all of your monthly direct debits look correct, and if there are any questionable outgoings from your account to immediately address it.

Source: https://www.wethrift.com/tag/australia 

3 Killer Tips For Smart And Safe Online Shopping You’ll Be Glad You Read

Posted on by Gary
By Chi de Jesus
Shoppers, the online marketplace has been one of the best features of the technological age – you get what you want without travelling to the shops and negotiating the long queues and the arduous effort of getting there. For business owners, it’s a cost-cutting strategy to get their products out there without the costly overheads.

However, how sure are you that you are not paying for more than what you think you’ve bargained for? Horror stories of buying fakes and low-standard materials have been seen on posts and other online platforms. So how do we protect ourselves from these possible threats?

It would be very hard to figure out if what you’re buying is the real thing or a triple-A imitation. So I sought out brand maven Barbs Aguirre-Miravalles, Division General Manager for Fragrances of LUXASIA – is the leading omnichannel partner for luxury beauty and lifestyle brands to reach Asia Pacific consumers for some tips to help consumers figure out what they are buying. 

FIND A RELIABLE SOURCE

Most e-commerce platforms have a marketplace wherein it is open to all resellers. It is difficult to spot authentic resellers from counterfeit resellers as most would put a 100% authentic on their product pages. When in doubt, I would recommend shopping at the retailer.com sites or brand.com sites so you can be guaranteed that the products are coming from the original sources.

COMPARE & REVIEW

It would help to read reviews but it would still help to compare prices and product details/ specifications from the original brand websites to know what you are buying. Check the source of the products.  

BEWARE OF CHEAP ITEMS

Counterfeit items are sold at cheaper prices precisely because the ingredients/materials used to create this is not comparable to the authentic item. I suggest watching Netflix’s “Broken” to understand the danger of counterfeit items. This is dangerous to one’s health, especially for cosmetics and ingestibles.  If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. You get what you pay for so the lower the money you spend equates to the quality you will receive in return.  

To further help our readers, we dug deeper into the precautions necessary for doing online purchases:

  1. Always make your purchases from a secure connection. After clicking the link to the site, check out the prompt on the address field. It would usually read https://www but if you read, “Not Secure” then it’s not worth your while. Click on this link to give you more ideas on securing your connection.
  2. Create a unique password. And if you keep on forgetting your password, get a secured password keeper like dashlane which keeps all your unique passwords that can be generated by the system or from a story of your life that no one knows about. Click this link to find out more.
  3. Be mindful of the information that you provide the sites. Identity theft is one of the most rampant crimes going around and giving more information than you have to may just be the biggest mistake that you can ever do. Standard information would be information on the method of payment, shipping address, telephone number, and/or email address. If the merchant asks for more, walk away.
  4. Check the shipping details. Some merchants charge exorbitant shipping fees that can turn a shopping bargain into an expensive mistake. Look to see if they provide tracking and insurance. Understand what carriers they use, and be particularly cautious if the item won’t be shipped within 10 days.

Always remember, before you CLICK & SHOP, STOP & THINK. 

Source: The Australian Filipina

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

New Research Report Points To Growth In Private Real Estate Debt

Posted on by Gary

More than three million Australians now have access to an expanded range of asset classes as sophisticated investors. And that gives them the opportunity to grow their wealth through alternative investment strategies, including private real estate debt.

What is a sophisticated investor?

If you have a gross annual income of $250,000 and/or at least $2.5 million in net assets, you’re classified as a sophisticated (or wholesale) investor – and that gives you more options to diversify your investment strategies. With the rapid growth in property prices and incomes, more Australians are reaching sophisticated-investor status – by 2031 that cohort will double to more than six million investors.

So what drives the decisions of this group of investors? Like all investors, they are currently most concerned about two main things: equity market volatility and how to earn yield in a long-term low-interest environment. A recent survey of AltX investors revealed just how important a proven track record of returns is when allocating funds to non-traditional asset classes like private real estate debt. And 38% say they plan to increase their allocation to this alternative asset class in 2022.

Private real estate debt is a core income strategy

In the wake of widespread market disruption, sophisticated investors are looking for greater certainty – and for a higher income return than banks can currently offer. With interest rates in Australia remaining at all-time lows, private real estate debt provides an alternative to more traditional fixed-income options like term deposits or bonds.

As Nick Raphaely, Co-founder of AltX puts it: “Money needs to earn its keep – it should be working as hard as you do. But it’s not doing that in the banks right now.”

AltX investors are ahead of the curve when it comes to private debt. The majority (61%) say that private real estate debt is already a core part of their investment strategy in retirement. It’s not just that the yield is higher than with other asset classes, or the predictability of regular monthly interest income. The most important reason for investing in real estate debt is knowing their investment is secured against a first mortgage, as well as the diversification benefits for their portfolio.

Finding the right investment amid market uncertainty

According to AltX’s 2022 Private Real Estate Debt Investor Outlook, nearly one in four investors (24%) either fear a bubble in the equity market or worry about the impact of ongoing low-interest rates and what this means for their ability to earn yield. This makes it increasingly difficult for investors to generate stable returns while still protecting their capital against riskier investments.

Private real estate debt is one solution. Because this investment type is linked to the asset and the borrower, it’s less likely to be impacted by external factors that can heighten volatility. And that’s why 59% of respondents said private real estate debt would give them the best downside protection over 2022 and 2023 – far higher than direct property (16%), bonds (5%) and equities (3%).

Raphaely equates those who invest in private debt to sellers of picks and shovels during the Gold Rush era: “Very few people made their fortunes mining for gold, but the people who consistently made money provided services to them. That’s what we do every day – we enable borrowers to take a risk on property assets and projects, and we do it in a very disciplined way.”

Meeting the changing needs of investors

With banks scaling back their direct lending in response to regulatory reforms, it’s creating new opportunities for private lenders. And that’s just one reason industry experts believe the private debt market could double by 2025. This comes at an ideal time for sophisticated investors who are approaching retirement – as income certainty and capital preservation become a priority, alternative strategies step in.

As an accessible online platform, AltX gives investors a user-friendly way to analyse the suitability of a wide range of private real estate debt deals, daily. And in turn, this also helps them have more confidence in a dependable income stream through to retirement.

With a growing cohort of sophisticated investors in Australia concerned by a market mired by low-interest rates and external market uncertainty, the need for more diverse investment options is likely to grow. Private real estate debt is one-way investors can take greater control of their capital and continue to earn stable returns despite the disruption of recent years.

Looking to diversify your portfolio with an asset class that offers the security of a first mortgage? There’s a reason why more and more investors are turning to private real estate debt. Find out more about how it works and get started by registering your interest with AltX today.

Download the report upon release at https://www.altx.com.au/2022-private-real-estate-debt-investor-outlook/

About AltX

AltX (www.altx.com.au) is a market-leading alternative investment platform. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Sydney, AltX provides bespoke access to alternative income-generating products which have traditionally been inaccessible to individual investors.  AltX has funded more than $2bn of transactions since inception with zero loss of investor capital.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Medianet

Expert Shares How To Save Money As Australian Inflation Surges

Posted on by Gary

Inflation surges in Australia, climbing by 3.5 percent, meaning you may have to pay an extra $500 every month for your mortgage.

With the cost of petrol and building materials soaring, Westpac, Australia’s second-largest bank, is also forecasting six RBA rate rises within the next two years

Nick Drewe, money-saving expert at Australian discounts platform, WeThrift, shares his top tips on saving money on energy bills, tax, and other daily costs including supermarket shopping and travel and ahead of the upcoming hike.

1. Keep checking your bills regularly: Whilst some energy suppliers have been known to either make changes to tariffs or make mistakes when charging customers, it’s always a good idea to check your regular household bills.

With winter approaching, those who continue to work from home or have flexible conditions may opt to stay at home, therefore bills for water, energy, and mobile data are likely to increase.

2. Research before choosing a supplier: While many billpayers may instinctively choose an energy supplier they are familiar with, this may not always be the most cost-effective option. Really delve into a wide range of energy suppliers available and compare their prices.

Also note, if you are looking to switch energy suppliers, be sure to analyse each company’s exit fees, and opt for one that won’t charge the earth if you want to leave.

3. Understand your energy bill: Whilst there are often a lot of terms and conditions to read, attempting to understand the information related to your energy tariff and household consumption could help you keep the costs of your bills down.

The personal projection on the bill is the amount your household is expected to spend over the next 12 months, and the tariff comparison rate figure helps you understand how much you’re spending per kilowatt-hour of gas and electricity.

Knowing this information will make it easier when comparing energy deals if you are planning to switch to a cheaper one, or help you monitor your current energy consumption.

4. Book travel tickets early: If you’re someone who likes to plan ahead for the coming months, then this could help you make significant savings when it comes to booking your rail travel. Securing your train tickets between one and three months ahead of time could benefit you hugely when it comes to saving pennies.

If possible, always try to book train times that don’t clash with rush hour periods too (06:30 – 09:30 and 15:30 – 18:30).”

5. Look for discounts codes before ordering takeaways: If you’re treating yourself to a well-deserved takeaway, before clicking ‘checkout’ on sites like Deliveroo or Menulog, it’s always worth a search on voucher sites for any discount codes or free delivery incentives that could knock your basket price down.

Also, always check your emails for any promotional vouchers that may have been sent following your last order. Often delivery couriers will offer customers small incentives ahead of their next purchase to retain their loyalty and avoid them being tempted to order elsewhere

Deliveroo customers have the option to ‘Refer a friend, which will secure both of you $10 off your next order.”

6. Find the best exchange rates: With foreign travel allowed once again, many are looking for a last-minute getaway to enjoy some much-needed sand and sunshine.

Despite booking a last-minute trip, when it comes to gathering your currency, it is best not to exchange your money last minute at the airport. This is because the rates are generally much less favourable than online or high-street alternatives, therefore preparation is key.

When booking a last-minute break, try to order your euros for collection in advance of your travel dates to take advantage of the best possible rates.

Getting yourself a money travel card will help you get the best rates and whilst it doesn’t fully replace having currency in hand, once you are there you can use these at no cost for spending or withdrawing from a cash machine.”

7. Time your grocery trips wisely: Try to time your grocery trips for when your local stores are likely to have just added yellow ‘reduced’ stickers to stock that needs to be sold that day. Making the most of these heavily discounted deals will help you to fill your freezer up with discounted meat, fish, and freezer meals for cheaper food options in the coming days and weeks.

Normally workers will start discounting products that are about to pass their sell-by-date later on in the afternoon or early evening, so a food shop after work is the perfect time to grab a  bargain.

Many supermarkets also have clearance sections where products that cannot be sold at their RRP or may have damaged packaging can be found. Just make sure to check you are happy with the item and that the goods aren’t compromised before heading to the checkout.”

8. Cancel any unnecessary direct debits: Now is the perfect time to log on to your online banking and scour your direct debits and standing orders to see if you can cancel anything that’s become an unnecessary spend.

Whether it be a gym membership you aren’t quite getting your money’s worth for, or a streaming service you signed up for during lockdown that you no longer make the most of, cutting these small outgoings will make a difference to your bank balance in the long run.

Also, make sure all of your monthly direct debits look correct, and if there is any questionable outgoings from your account to immediate

Source: https://www.wethrift.com/tag/australia 

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Laura Burns @ JBH

NSW & QLD Voters Say Clean Industries Are The Key To Future Jobs & Prosperity… According To A New Poll

Posted on by Gary

A new poll of over 2000 voters in regional, rural and metropolitan Queensland and New South Wales released recently reveals that 6 in ten believe the states’ future economic prosperity lies in clean industries, such as renewable energy exports (e.g. green hydrogen), critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, and manufacturing renewable products.

Notably, only a quarter of voters in Queensland (26%) and about one-fifth in New South Wales (21%) believe their state’s future prosperity lies in coal and gas.

New South Wales and Queensland dominate Australia’s coal export sectors, with New South Wales being home to the world’s largest coal port, in Newcastle. Three of Australia’s major liquefied gas export facilities are located in Queensland.

Yet two-thirds of voters say clean jobs in renewable energy will be the best source of future employment (63% in QLD and 68% in NSW). Overall, less than a quarter of respondents back fossil fuels as the best source of future jobs (27% in QLD and 19% in NSW).

The survey, commissioned by the Climate Council and conducted by YouGov, also found that:

  • 6 in 10 say the government’s top investment priority should be in renewables (60% QLD; 62% NSW). In QLD, only 20% nominated coal and 15% said gas. In NSW, the figures were 15% for coal and 17% for gas.
  • More than 6 in 10 overall agree that further cuts to carbon emissions will deliver economic benefits to workers (58% in QLD and 64% in NSW) and to businesses (59% QLD and 66% NSW).
  • 6 in 10 agree that regional areas will benefit most from the global transformation to renewables (60% QLD; 61% NSW).
  • Only 2 in 10 believe workers who rely on fossil fuels are getting enough support to prepare for a decarbonised future without coal and gas (19% in QLD; 21% in NSW).

Leading economist and Climate Councillor Nicki Hutley said:

“This polling reveals that people in New South Wales and Queensland understand the era of coal and gas in this country is coming to a close as the world rapidly decarbonises. They strongly support government investment in new, clean industries that will future-proof jobs and secure our economic prosperity.

“There is a huge opportunity for the historical coal and gas heartlands of New South Wales and Queensland to grasp the economic rewards of the global zero emission transformation, and the people see this.

“Significantly, voters recognise that further cuts to carbon emissions – critical if we are to keep global warming in check – will increase jobs and lift economic growth.

“They also think regional areas will benefit the most. However, there is a strong view that there needs to be better support from government for communities that currently rely on fossil fuels in order for them to adjust to the changes.

“All governments should pay attention to this public groundswell of support for clean industries, and commit to credible carbon cuts this decade. The Federal Government can play a huge role in helping Queensland and New South Wales harness their immense natural advantages and put these states on a path to becoming clean industry and renewable superpowers.”

Dr Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, a not for profit that works with business, local government and the community to manage the transition from fossil fuels to clean new industries, said:

“There are so many opportunities for regional areas and they’re crying out for support from government to help them diversify their economies.

“This poll reaffirms what I’ve been hearing on the ground. Workers, businesses and investors are ready to take advantage of the opportunities in the new economy, but they need the government to back them in with clear targets, regional development funding and planning support.

“The countries we export to are already on the road to net zero emissions and we have a choice – help them do it or lose out on those new export opportunities.”

Other spokespeople include:

NSW (quotes available here):

Sam Mella, Hunter Engagement Lead, Beyond Zero Emissions

Geoff Bragg, solar installer and trainer Armidale, NSW, who can’t keep up with demand and sees a critical shortage of workers.

QLD (quotes available here):

Dr Heidi Edmonds, Gladstone Engagement Lead, Beyond Zero Emissions

Jason Sharam, CEO of Mackay based renewables company, Linked Group Services

Luciano Giangiordano, CEO of Enertech PV, a renewable energy company designing and developing large-scale solar farms in Queensland, based on Sunshine Coast

The full statewide poll findings from NSW and QLD, the full questions, and a methodology statement are available here.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Medianet