2018 July Newsletter

by Diamond Blue Financial Services | July 10, 2018

July is here along with freezing temperatures and good snowfalls in the south and east of the country.

As the financial year ended, Australian investors had reason to be optimistic despite ongoing global tensions. Our economy grew 1 per cent in the March quarter, lifting the annual growth rate from 2.4 to 3.1 per cent, marking 27 consecutive years of growth. Unemployment eased from 5.6 per cent to 5.4 per cent in May while inflation is a benign 1.9 per cent. The cash rate remains at a record low of 1.5 per cent while the 10-year government bond yield finished the year little changed at around 2.6 per cent.

The Australian dollar fell below US74c, down from its January high of US81c, due largely to the stronger US dollar. This helped push Australian shares to 10-year highs in June, with annual total returns from share prices and dividends up 14 per cent. Commodity prices are also broadly higher for the year, with Brent Crude oil up 63 per cent to US$77 a barrel and iron ore firming 8 per cent to US$67 a tonne.

Despite modest annual wage growth of 2.1 per cent, rising petrol prices and falling home prices, consumers remain positive. The ANZ/Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating was up 6 per cent over the year to 121.4 in late June. The CoreLogic Home Value Index fell 1.1 per cent in the year to June, with Hobart, Adelaide and Brisbane the only capital cities posting gains in May.

A little adrenaline can be a good thing

We all know what it feels like to be stressed. For most of us, it is a hallmark of our daily lives. While the word has very negative connotations, stress can actually drive us forward. That surge of adrenaline we get when tackling something out of our comfort zone helps us to achieve our goals. The challenge is managing stress so that it helps rather than hinders us.

In our lives we move between brief periods of 'fight or flight' and longer periods of 'rest and digest'. These are governed by the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in our system, and all sorts of things can trigger them. Obviously, these days we are very rarely in mortal peril, so more often than not stress is triggered by simpler things in our lives; our job, our relationships, and our ability to achieve our goals.

What is good stress?

Known as eustress by psychologists, good stress gets us off the couch and helps us get things done. It is a driving force in our life: that feeling of getting excited by a new challenge, a scary ride, or the burgeoning phase of a new relationship. By definition eustress comes in waves, meaning you will have brief periods of it followed by a sense of accomplishment and relaxation. These brief periods of stress have been found to be beneficial to our health in that they can improve cognitive function and protect us from some effects of aging.i

It is when stress moves from being acute and short term to chronic and longer term that it becomes harmful to our health and well-being.

When good stress turns bad

Bad stress develops when we have no breaks from the stress in our lives. Rather than motivating you, this type of chronic stress can leave you depressive and unable to cope with the problems in your life. If we do not have adequate lengths of ‘rest and digest’, the resulting excess of cortisol in our system and depleted adrenals can leave us at risk of longer term health problems such as high blood pressure, insomnia, cardiac arrest, diabetes and depression.

Is there such thing as too little stress?

Indeed there is. People without a heathy level of stress in their lives can end up feeling unmotivated, directionless and passive. We all need a bit of excitement in our lives to feel like life has meaning, and a dearth of healthy stress can lead us into a rut.

So how do we maintain a healthy level?

Given that our adrenal systems that respond to stress are built to handle a sprint not a marathon, it’s important that we relax and recharge in between stressful events.

A common cause of long term stress is a perceived disconnect between a situation and our resources to deal with it. Often if we are in periods of distress it might mean some of our circumstances need to change. If you’re under the pump at work, you may need time off or a distraction in the form of a hobby.

Changing the way we perceive the obstacles in our lives is also an important step towards maintaining a healthy amount of stress. Instead of seeing obstacles as insurmountable, reframe them as short term challenges to be overcome, and equip yourself with the tools to do this.

Another tool that has been proven to combat stress is mindfulness, as when we are faced with only our immediate concerns we are able to function in a rational and calm manner. When we live in dread of future outcomes or regretting past mistakes eustress becomes distress.

Moving forward

We shouldn’t be afraid of stress. In short bursts it helps us to get things done and realise our dreams. We need to find ways to manage and get respite from constant, unrelenting stress. These tools are harder to put in place once you are already in a place of extreme anxiety, so why not start thinking about it today? It might just make a huge difference to your long term wellbeing.

i https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23440-stress-has-unexpected-health-benefits--sometimes/#.UdyzY79zbmI

Super and inheritance: making your wishes known

People often think their superannuation will be treated as part of their estate when they die and distributed

according to their Will, but that’s not the case. Unless you have nominated your beneficiaries, the decision

as to who receives your super is in the hands of the trustees of your fund.

When that happens, the trustees normally direct all funds to your dependants – your spouse, your children, financial dependents and people with whom you had an ‘interdependency relationship’ such as living together.

But wouldn’t it be better to nominate exactly who you want to inherit your super death benefits? (Death benefits is the term for all of the money in your super account plus any life insurance.) You can generally nominate beneficiaries with either a binding or a non-binding nomination, although some super funds only provide a member with the ability to make non-binding nominations.

Make your wishes binding

For binding nominations, the trustees have to carry out your wishes, provided you have nominated eligible recipients. If a nomination is non-binding, it tells the trustee how you would like your benefits distributed, but leaves the ultimate discretion with the trustee, taking into consideration your circumstance and relationships at the date of death.

Under super law, death benefits can only be left to a dependent or your personal legal representative (the executor of your Will), in which case it will pass into your estate for distribution according to the terms of your Will.

It’s important to note that a binding nomination generally only has a limited life. Every three years you need to advise your super fund in writing of your nominated beneficiaries or it becomes invalid.

If you have not nominated a beneficiary and have not yet organised a Will, then your super will be distributed according to a state-based formula which may not reflect your intentions.

Consider taxation

It’s also important to take tax into account when nominating beneficiaries. If your spouse is alive then it is likely your death benefits will go to your partner as a lump sum and/or an income stream referred to as a reversionary pension. There is no tax liability if it’s paid as a lump sum unless both you and your spouse are aged under 60 when you die. Also, the maximum your spouse can have in their pension account is $1.6 million. So there are considerations if the death benefit pension causes your spouse to exceed this income.

If your spouse predeceases you then the benefit will be divided between other dependants. Be aware though that there’s a difference in the definition of dependants under super and tax law.

Under super law, a child of any age may receive your death benefit, but under tax law if they are aged over 18 and not financially dependent on you, they will be subject to 17 per cent taxation on the taxable component of the sum they receive. For this reason, your adult children may be better off receiving the money through your estate as they will only pay 15 per cent tax, saving the 2 per cent Medicare levy.

Non-dependent adult children cannot receive a reversionary pension; instead they must take a lump sum.

If you are legally divorced, then your ex-spouse is no longer deemed a dependant under super law. However, if you still want to leave your super to your ex-spouse it must go to your estate and be paid from there. Interestingly, your ex-spouse will receive the money tax free.

Self-managed funds

For those with a self-managed super fund, you can use a clause in the fund’s trust deed to either nominate a valid dependent who will receive the benefit or else have the money paid to your legal representative who will pay the money into the estate.

Making sure your hard-earned money is distributed according to your wishes is not an onerous task, but it is an important one. Not nominating a beneficiary, or nominating someone who is not eligible to receive your super, can lead to lengthy delays and emotional upset at what is already a difficult time for your family.

Seeking professional and legal advice can help to ensure that your death super benefits are considered as part of your overall estate planning and that your wishes are carried out.

Ref : Advant Plus

Advised life insurance beats group cover

Group life insurance is only prima facie cheaper than buying corresponding cover via standalone advised retail policies and this reality should inform consideration of making all insurance within superannuation “opt-in”, according to ClearView Wealth managing director, Simon Swanson.

To read the full article regarding the differences in advised retail insurances versus default group cover. Click this link to access the article.

Ref : Money Management

Please note this information is of a general nature only and has been provided without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, we recommend you consider, with or without the assistance of a financial advisor, whether the information is appropriate in light of your particular needs and circumstances.

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