We don’t just talk finance! So you’ll find everything you need to know about lifestyle here.

House prices projected to jump 30% in three years: RBA

It’s the document that was never meant to see the light of day.     But a Freedom of Information request reveals the Reserve Bank of Australia projects a 30% increase in house prices if interest rates remain low for the next few years.

 

The internal, not-meant-for-public-viewing analysis by the RBA looks at the impact of low interest rates on asset prices, including property.

The November 2020 document projects that housing prices could increase by 30% after about three years, so long as the official cash rate remains near record low levels (at or below 0.5%).

And that part of the equation looks promising, as the RBA board said they “weren’t expecting to increase the cash rate for at least three years” when they cut it to 0.1% in November.

What does this mean for property owners?

A lot more than just a potential 30% increase in the value of their property.

The RBA says both households and businesses can expect their borrowing capacity to increase, too.

That’s because low interest rates will lift asset prices (including property), which in turn will boost wealth, household spending and the value of collateral.

And as the value of collateral increases, so too will the borrowing capacity of households and businesses, the RBA document states.

What about prospective property owners?

With house prices projected by the RBA to rise 30% over the coming three years, it begs the question: is now a good time to jump into the property market?

Well, like most things in life, it will depend on your earnings, savings, borrowing capacity, goals, and where you’re at in life right now.

But it’s worth noting that there are a wide variety of generous federal and state government initiatives currently on offer, including the First Home Loan Deposit SchemeHomeBuilder and stamp duty exemptions/concessions.

The quickest way to find out whether you can finance that home you have your eye on is to get in touch with us today – we’d love to explore your financing options with you.  Just call us …..

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

New year, new you : three easy resolutions to improve your financial wellbeing in 2021

Whenever we think of New Year’s resolutions, the first thing that comes to mind is a health kick. But here are three (easy) New Year’s resolutions that’ll help improve your financial wellbeing in 2021.

 

Below we’ll run you through three straightforward, and most importantly, achievable New Year’s resolutions to set yourself this year.

1. Get a home loan health check

Quick question (no judgement): do you know the interest rate on your home loan?

Don’t stress if you don’t, studies show that about half of mortgage holders can’t recall their home loan interest rate.

But it does beg the question: if you don’t know your rate, how do you know whether or not you’re getting a good deal on your loan? You could very well be paying too much.

This is why making a home loan health check your New Year’s resolution is so important, particularly with interest rates at record low levels after a series of RBA cash rate cuts.

Indeed, a recent RBA study found that for loans written four years ago, borrowers are charged an average of 40 basis points higher interest than new loans.

So if it’s been a while since you’ve refinanced – so long that you can’t recall your rate – then it’s probably time to get in touch for a home loan health check to see if you can get a better deal.

Rest assured we’ll make it quick and painless. Simply get the ball rolling by giving us a call today.

2. Set yourself a financial or lifestyle goal

If you’re not back at work yet, use this precious time to carefully consider what financial goals you want to achieve in 2021.

With renewed post-COVID optimism on the horizon, now might be time to launch that business idea you’ve been thinking about.

Perhaps it’s time to upgrade from an apartment to your first house. Or with international travel on hold for a while, maybe now’s a good opportunity to explore Australia with a new set of wheels.

Whatever your flavour, consider taking stock of what you want to achieve in 2021 so that you can work out a plan to achieve it.

And if you’re unsure about how you’ll finance that goal, we’re here to discuss your funding options. We can help you work out whether you might be able to make them a reality in 2021, or if it’s more realistic to work towards 2022 instead.

3. Cut back on your microtransactions

Once you’ve identified a big financial goal to hit in 2021, you’ll want to start saving towards it.

But micro-transactions – purchases that are low in cost and trivial in nature – can be a real obstacle.

For example, did you know that buying a $4 takeaway coffee each day costs you a whopping $1460 per year, whereas making it yourself using a french press or aeropress costs just $260.

That’s a saving of $1200.

Other micro-transactions that most families can cut back on include alcohol, take-away food such as Uber Eats, gym memberships, and multiple entertainment subscriptions such as Spotify, Netflix and Foxtel.

With a little bit of budget tinkering, you can save yourself hundreds – even thousands – of dollars each month.

So what’s your first step?

That’s easy – get in touch today for resolution #1: a home loan health check.

There’s a reason tens of thousands of families are currently refinancing their home loans: competition among lenders is fierce.

And by getting the ball rolling on resolution #1, you’ll also be contributing towards resolutions #2 and #3 by saving money that you can put towards your 2021 financial goal.   Just call us !

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Happy New Year! Here’s to a successful 2021!

Well, that was a year for the history books.   Time to start looking forward and be thankful.  And the good news is 2021 offers plenty of promise. So what’s your New Year’s resolution?

While we saw the national housing market dip throughout the middle of 2020, it’s already started to recover, and many experts predict it’ll rebound even stronger in 2021 as the COVID-19 vaccination is rolled out across the country.

With that optimistic outlook in mind, now’s a great time to sit down and ask yourself: what am I aiming for in 2021?

A new home? A caravan to explore Australia in? Or now that you’ve had a taste of working from home, possibly a new business idea?

Because, let’s face it, while we’re all for health-inspired New Year’s resolutions , it doesn’t hurt to have a financial resolution too.

And usually the two work hand-in-hand quite well.

For example, the less you spend on booze, take-away coffees or Uber Eats, the more you can put towards savings to your 2021 financial goal.

So over this New Year’s long weekend have a little think about what you might want to achieve in 2021.

Whatever it is, rest assured that we’ll be here for you to help you achieve it.

And if you just want to enjoy 2021 after enduring the horror show that was 2020, we’re all for that too!

Happy New Year and all the best for the year ahead!

 

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Be careful of loading up on ‘buy now, pay later’ purchases this Xmas

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but it’s important not to get carried away when using ‘buy now, pay later’ providers to fund that festive spirit. That’s because one-in-five users struggle to make their repayments, new research has found.

 

“Christmas is a time for giving” – it’s a line that’s been drummed into us since we popped our first piece of chocolate out of an advent calendar.

But it’s important not to go overboard and spend more than you can afford to pay back if you use ‘buy now, pay later‘ services such as Afterpay and Zip Pay.

That’s because a new report from ASIC shows one-in-five users were late paying their other bills, including home loan repayments, as a result of using the services.

Below we’ll discuss why it’s important to budget properly if you plan on using a ‘buy now, pay later’ service this festive season.

But first, what are ‘buy now, pay later’ services?

‘Buy now, pay later’ arrangements allow you to buy goods and services immediately, and repay the amount over a series of instalments.

If you make a purchase using market leader Afterpay, for example, you’ll pay your first instalment at the time of purchase, and then the remaining three instalments over the next three fortnights.

If you pay on time, there’s no fee for you (that’s charged to the merchant). However, if you’re late to make a repayment, you’ll cop a small fee (usually $10).

On the face of it, it’s a pretty good arrangement. And don’t get us wrong – these are perfectly legitimate companies.

But where you can run into financial trouble is using several ‘buy now, pay later’ services without a plan to pay the money back over the coming fortnights, especially over the holiday season when your focus doesn’t tend to be on the household budget.

One-in-five consumers miss paying other bills on time

As mentioned earlier, 20% of ‘buy now, pay later’ users miss or are late to pay other bills in order to make their ‘buy now, pay later’ payments on time.

The bills most commonly affected are household bills (44%), credit card payments (32%), and, worryingly, home loan repayments (22%).

“[Some consumers] are experiencing financial hardship, such as cutting back on or going without essentials (e.g. meals) or taking out additional loans, in order to make their ‘buy now, pay later’ payments on time,” the ASIC report says.

Some final considerations

Look, we’re certainly not trying to play Grinch this Christmas.

But with many families doing it tough right now, it’s important not to take on any debt that you can’t afford to comfortably pay back – no matter how straight forward and low risk it might seem.

It’s also worth noting that while the Afterpay approval process doesn’t (generally) involve credit report checks, Afterpay (and its competitors such as Zip Pay) is still a credit liability that needs to be disclosed when applying for a home loan.

So if you have any doubts about whether a ‘buy now, pay later’ purchase might affect your ability to secure a home loan – or pay off your existing one – then feel free to get in touch.

We’re happy to chat in more detail to help you make this Christmas more jolly, and less folly.   Just talk to us.

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Freedom to move: stamp duty reforms gain momentum

Stamp duty: two of the most dreaded words in the world of property and finance. Fortunately, NSW and Victoria have unveiled some big changes to the inefficient tax this week, and there’s hope it’ll inspire other states to review their own stamp duty arrangements.

If you’re unfamiliar with stamp duty, it’s basically a state/territory government tax you pay on certain transactions, such as a car or real estate.

How much it costs depends on what state you’re buying in, the value of the property you’re buying, and whether you’re eligible for a first home buyer concession.

The problem is that it’s often regarded as an inefficient tax because it requires a large upfront sum (usually tens of thousands of dollars) from home buyers and therefore is sometimes a hurdle for people buying property.

It particularly tends to restrict young families who want to upgrade from their first home, and downsizers who want to move into a smaller place.

So why does it still exist?

State governments have been slow to overhaul the current system because it’s their biggest source of revenue.

In fact, stamp duty raises about $21 billion a year, including $7.5 billion for NSW and $6 billion for Victoria.

However, with the economy in need of a rebound due to COVID-19, the state governments of NSW and Victoria have made some big stamp duty announcements in their 2020/21 budgets.

NSW has flagged a complete overhaul of the system with a shift towards a property tax, while Victoria has announced short term discounts.

“Reform of the inefficient stamp duty system could create and support thousands of jobs to boost the economy and kick-start our recovery for a prosperous, post-pandemic NSW,” explained NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet during the announcement.

And make no mistake: this isn’t just good news for NSW and Victoria.

As the two most populated states in Australia, a move in these property markets may put pressure on other state governments to follow suit sooner rather than later.

Below we’ll outline the announcements in NSW and Victoria, as well as the current state of play around the nation.

New South Wales

The NSW state government will open for public consultation a property tax model that it says will make homeownership more achievable.

NSW Treasury says stamp duty adds $34,000 to the upfront cost of buying the average home, and takes an average 2.5 years to save (compared to one year in 1990).

The consultation will begin with a proposed model that would include giving property purchasers the choice between paying stamp duty upfront or opting to pay an annual property tax.

Victoria

The Victorian government announced it will be waiving 50% of stamp duty on newly-built and off-the-plan homes valued below $1 million.

Existing homes will also be eligible for a 25% stamp duty discount.

The discounts will apply to contracts signed on or after 25 November 2020 and before 1 July 2021.

Elsewhere around the country

The ACT has already started phasing out stamp duty and replacing it with a land tax as part of its 20-year tax reform program.

And in Queensland, the Property Council of Australia says it’s time to review property taxes following NSW’s bold move.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, however, has ruled out announcing a similar scheme ahead of this year’s state budget on December 1.

In the meantime, most states are offering concessions and exemptions for first home buyers, and some may even follow Victoria’s broader discount waiver over the short term.

Here’s where you can go to find out more about first homeowner concessions and exemptions for NSWVictoriaQueenslandWestern Australia, and Tasmania.

Get in touch

Obviously, the less stamp duty you pay, the more of your money you can put towards a home loan deposit.

If you’re interested in exploring your options,  please don’t hesitate to reach out.   Just call us.

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

8 ideas to improve your business’s cash flow over the festive season

The festive season is fast approaching and this year, more than ever, it’s important for businesses to ensure they have their cash flow management in order. Here are our top 8 ideas to help you through the upcoming period.

While the holiday period is usually a boon for retailers, cash flow problems still hamper many businesses, as accounts departments across the country take a much needed holiday.

With COVID-19 causing all sorts of headaches and heartaches for businesses big and small in 2020, you’ll want to make sure you’re transitioning into 2021 with your best foot forward.

So, with the festive season just around the corner, below are 8 cash flow tips for navigating the silly season.

Top tips

1. Invoice now: Begin sending out your invoices now, and start with clients who have a history of being tardy.

2. Discounts: If you want invoices paid super fast, consider offering a 10% discount to clients who pay within 7 days.

3. Extension, please? Chat to your major suppliers about possibly extending your terms over the upcoming period to 30 days (or more, if possible).

4. Outsource: If you don’t want to personally ask clients to pay overdue invoices for fear of getting them offside, use accounting software such as Xero, or hire a third-party bookkeeper, to chase up the payments on your behalf.

5. Invoice Financing: If you don’t want to hassle your clients to pay you promptly, another option is Invoice Financing, which is a line of credit secured by unpaid sales invoices (get in touch to find out more).

6. Request deposits: For new projects over this period, consider requesting a 20% to 50% deposit from the client.

7. Minimise expenses: Minimise unneeded expenses where possible. For example, if you don’t have the personnel to onboard new clients during the holiday period, consider switching off or dialling back your Google and/or Facebook ads.

8. Last but not least, get in touch

If you think you’ll still have a gap in your business’s funding over the months ahead – especially with JobKeeper winding down – then it’s important to start considering your financing options as soon as possible.

It’s worth noting that the RBA recently cut the official cash rate to record low levels, and many lenders are offering competitive financing options to businesses as a result.

So to find out more about what financing options are available to you and your business, get in touch today.  Just talk to us.

 

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

RBA trims cash rate to new record low 0.10%

If you didn’t back a winner on Melbourne Cup Day then fret not: the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has delivered mortgage holders a win by cutting the official cash rate by 15 basis points to a new record low of 0.10%.

RBA governor Philip Lowe says the cash rate cut is part of a package of measures to support job creation and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Given the outlook for both employment and inflation, monetary and fiscal support will be required for some time,” Governor Lowe said in a statement.

As such, Governor Lowe added the low cash rate is likely here to stay until actual inflation is sustainably within the 2 to 3% target range.

“Given the outlook, the board is not expecting to increase the cash rate for at least three years,” Governor Lowe said.

Want to know what this rate cut means for your home loan?

This is the last rate cut the RBA is able to make before venturing into negative territory (which it’s previously indicated it won’t do).

It’s also the sixth RBA rate cut since June 2019, which means if you haven’t had a home loan health check in the past year, there’s a good chance you’re paying too much in interest on your home loan each month.

So if you’d like to explore your options – whether that be refinancing with another lender or renegotiating with your current one – then get in touch today.

We’re here and ready to work through your options with you.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Housing affordability best it’s been in a decade: report

Great news for homeowners and prospective buyers: housing affordability is at its best level in a decade and should continue to improve throughout 2021.

Housing affordability improved in all major Australian cities over the year to September 2020 despite the ongoing global pandemic, according to a new report by investor service Moody’s.

“Owning a house was the most affordable it’s been in a decade in most major capital cities during the last six months,” Moody’s says.

What is housing affordability?

Put simply, improved housing affordability means that households are spending a smaller portion of their monthly income on their mortgage.

Two-income households, for example, needed 23% of monthly income to repay new mortgages in September 2020, down from 25.1% a year earlier.

Better yet, Moody’s predicts that housing affordability will continue to improve moderately over the next 12 months because of low mortgage interest rates and a continuation of the mild dip in housing prices.

How is housing affordability measured?

Alrighty, so Moody’s measures housing affordability based on three things: median housing sales prices, average discounted variable mortgage interest rates, and average household income.

Let’s start with median housing sales prices.

Australian median housing sales price fell 1.5% over the six months to September 2020, according to Moody’s.

With a number of economists predicting housing values will continue on a mild downward trajectory until about mid-2021 (before going on a two-year surge), that would continue to assist housing affordability over the next year.

Next, interest rates.

At present, the RBA’s official cash rate is at historically low levels, and competition amongst lenders for borrowers is fierce.

That all spells extremely low interest rates for borrowers, which allows for lower monthly mortgage repayments.

And the good news is that most experts expect interest rates to stay low for the next few years while the economy gets itself back on track.

Finally, let’s look at income.

As mentioned earlier, the report found two-income households needed 23% of their monthly income to repay new mortgage loans in September 2020, down from 25.1% a year earlier.

How is this possible during COVID-19?

Well, no doubt a big factor in keeping the nation’s average household income buoyant was the federal government schemes JobKeeper and JobSeeker.

And although household incomes will come under pressure as these support measures come to an end, Moody’s says “this should not outweigh low mortgage interest rates and lower housing prices”.

So is now a good time to buy?

With all of this positive housing affordability news in mind, is now a good time to buy?

Well, more than a quarter of Australians (26%) believe now is the time to invest in property to safeguard their future, according to the latest ING Bank survey of 2,000 people.

And Tim Lawless, head of research at leading property expert group CoreLogic, agrees:

“For people with confidence in their own financial circumstances and household balance sheets, arguably this is a good time to be considering a home purchase thanks to the low cost of debt and certainty that rates will remain low for at least the next few years.”

There is also a raft of federal and state government incentives you could take advantage of, including the $25,000 HomeBuilder scheme, first home buyer grants and stamp duty exemptions.

So if you’re looking to buy your first home, or add to your existing portfolio,   just call us !

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Flow of credit to small businesses remains strong

Small business owners in need of credit will be buoyed by new data that shows the approval rate for loans has remained strong throughout the coronavirus crisis.

In fact, about 70% of SME business loan applications received by lenders have been approved since early February, according to Australian Banking Association (ABA) statistics.

That’s resulted in more than 128,000 Australian sole traders, small businesses and medium-sized businesses receiving loans, with an average loan size of $320,000.

Breaking it down further, that’s 500 new SME loans a day for more than 250 days.

The ABA data is in line with the latest Sensis Business Index, which shows 26% of businesses that applied for finance over the past three months were knocked back.

Why the flow of credit remains strong despite COVID-19

The figures have no doubt been assisted by the relaxation of business lending rules, the federal government’s Instant Asset Write-off Scheme (now expanded to “temporary full expensing”), and the Coronavirus SME Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Temporary full expensing allows businesses, both big and small, to immediately write off any eligible depreciable asset, at any cost, up until 30 June 2022.

This can help improve your business’s cash flow by allowing you to reinvest the funds back into your business sooner.

The Coronavirus SME Loan Guarantee Scheme, meanwhile, allows businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million to apply for loans of up to $1 million with participating lenders.

The loans can generally be offered by lenders “more cheaply and more freely” compared to ordinary business loans, as the government will guarantee 50% of the new loans.

How we can help

While 70% of loans being approved is great news, it’s obviously not quite a done deal when you apply for finance in the current financial landscape.

So let us do the leg work.   Then you can focus on your business while we focus on getting you the finance that your business needs.  Just talk to us.

 

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Housing market confidence ‘booms’, cash rate cut expected

Consumer sentiment is surging, confidence in the housing market is booming, and the number of experts tipping a Melbourne Cup Day cash rate cut is increasing. Let’s look at why households and businesses are becoming increasingly optimistic.

Ahh, spring. It’s fair to say we love it around here.

Not only do we usually see an uptick in property market activity (houses always look much nicer in spring), but this year – in particular – we’re seeing consumers more upbeat about what lies ahead.

This can be seen in the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment survey, which saw consumer sentiment increase by 11.9% to 105.0 in October (up from 93.8 in September).

“This is an extraordinary result,” says Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans.

“The index has now lifted by 32% over the last two months to the highest level since July 2018.”

Confidence in the housing market is also high

One of the biggest takeaways from the latest consumer sentiment survey is that more and more people believe now is a good time to purchase property.

“Confidence in the housing market has boomed,” explains Mr Evans.

“The ‘time to buy a dwelling’ index increased 10.6% to its highest level since September 2019.”

House price expectation sentiments also rose strongly, up 31.5% to 117.3 (from 89.2), with all states registering impressive recoveries.

Why is consumer sentiment soaring?

While leaving the doom and gloom of a COVID winter behind and entering spring sure doesn’t hurt, it’s not the only reason for the uptick in consumer sentiment.

This latest survey came right off the back of the federal government’s October Federal Budget, which allocated a record amount of spending and support measures to businesses and households.

There’s also an increasing “expectation that the Reserve Bank (RBA) board is likely to further cut interest rates at its next meeting on November 3”, says Mr Evans.

In fact, according to financial market pricing, there’s now around a 75% chance that it will happen.

That’s because, while previous communications from the RBA indicated that the “effective lower bound” of its official cash rate was 0.25%, in recent weeks it’s changed its tune, hinting at a willingness to cut it to 0.10% on Melbourne Cup Day.

“Recently, we have detected a change in attitude (from the RBA) indicating more confidence that the plumbing of the financial system can operate effectively at an even lower set of policy rates,” says Mr Evans.

“With that in mind, and the commitment towards full employment and the target for inflation, there seems to be no reason for the board to delay its decision.”

How’s your outlook at the moment?

So, how about you?  Have things on the financial and property front started to look a little rosier recently?

If so, feel free to get in touch with us today. We’d love to run you through some of the financing options that may be available to you.  Just talk to us.

 

 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.