Bruce Jennings, Author at Jennings Financial Services

About Bruce Jennings

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So far Bruce Jennings has created 69 blog entries.

Risks of moving to Cash…

The risks of moving to cash in times of crisis When it comes to investing through a crisis, are investors better off in the market or in cash? A look at 4 scenarios. As markets unravelled early 2020, there were few places for investors to hide. As the coronavirus spread at an alarming rate across the globe, equity markets sold off indiscriminately, causing many panicked investors to sell riskier assets in exchange for cash. Flight to cash Parting ways with equity investments at or near a market bottom isn’t a new trend. Many investors have approached equities with caution since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008-09. During times of crisis, many investors who’ve worked their whole lives saving for retirement, start thinking about what happened during past recessions, such as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Memories of these prior events, coupled with the barrage of frightening headlines from media outlets, can make it tough to maintain a planned asset [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-11-04T11:34:17+11:00November 4th, 2020|Tips and Other News|0 Comments

Take Control Of Your Retirement

Are you affected by the increase in the Age Pension’s qualifying age? Take steps now to avoid getting caught short on retirement income. The minimum age to qualify for the Age Pension has started going up. For those born on or after 1 July 1952, the qualifying age increases by six months every two years until it reaches 67 in July 2023. It rises to 66 in July this year. So if you’re turning 45 this year and plan to retire when you reach 60, you will need to wait until you’re 67 before you can apply for the Age Pension. You’ll have to rely on your own savings and super in the interim, making it crucial to ensure you have enough money put away for later years. But the good news is that there’s still time to grow your retirement savings. Boost your super Contributing more to your super can be a reliable route to bolstering your retirement [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-09-29T13:17:03+10:00September 29th, 2020|Retirement|0 Comments

Australia’s Recession – Don’t Panic

Folks, these are scary times. So I give you the following seven reasons why you do not need to add to your list of worries the fact that Australia has just clocked up its sharpest decline in economic output on record. 1. It’s old news. The national accounts figures released on Wednesday refer to the value of goods and services produced in the months of April, May and June this year, when severe coronavirus restrictions were in place across the nation. It is entirely predictable those restrictions would mean that Australians were able to produce and sell a lot fewer goods and services during that period. 2. The figures are much better than originally feared. Until quite recently, both Treasury and the Reserve Bank had been anticipating a fall in gross domestic product (GDP) in the June quarter of about 10 per cent. It didn’t happen. It was only 7 per cent. That’s good news. 3. We have done much better than other countries. Britain [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-09-04T10:54:36+10:00September 4th, 2020|Community Activity|0 Comments

Looking after your Household Expenses

Take the pain out of managing your family’s finances. Taking care of household finances can be taxing, especially if you have a big family. But with proper planning and budgeting, there’s no need to stress. Here are some tips to help you effectively manage your household finances. 1 | Examine your finances Sitting down as a family and figuring out how much money is coming in and going out may help you gauge the state of your family’s finances. A clear picture of your household income and expenses could set you up to manage your cashflow better. 2 | Rein in spending Keeping expenses under control can be tough in a large household. But if you’re spending as much as or more than you’re earning, you might want to consider limiting your family’s discretionary costs by buying only what you can afford. 3 | Set financial goals Setting financial goals as a family may help you work towards future aspirations instead of [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-08-25T11:05:21+10:00August 25th, 2020|Tips and Other News|0 Comments

What Drives Member Outcomes

Fees and returns are important drivers of a member’s super balance. They’re also easy to measure and for members to understand. That’s why super funds have focused on delivering competitive returns and low fees for their members. But CoreData research shows that fees and returns are not important drivers of retirement outcomes. In the real world, retirement outcomes are about more than money. They’re about more than the super balance; and they’re about more than fees and returns. Please click on the link below to see the article in full https://www.newmodeladviser.com.au/2505/start-making-sense-episode-4-why-super-fund-fees-and-returns-dont-drive-member-outcomes/ CoreData is a research house. If you would like to discuss further, please contact our office. Author: Jason Andriessen

By Bruce Jennings|2020-07-01T12:40:17+10:00July 1st, 2020|Tips and Other News|0 Comments

End Of Financial Year

The financial year is a 12 month time period that is used for tax purposes. For Australians, the financial year ends on 30 June, with the next financial year beginning on 1 July. From 1 July through to 31 October both individuals and businesses are required to submit a tax return form to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The ATO then use this form to determine how much tax is owed to the government, or how much the government needs to reimburse the individual/business if they have paid more tax than was owed. End of financial year checklist Before you get stuck into your tax return this year, make sure that you have considered the following: Credit cards Make good use of your tax return by using to pay off any credit card debt you may have. Rather than using the cash you receive to fund more purchases, use it to pay off your debts and get your financial [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-06-18T14:09:53+10:00June 18th, 2020|Tips and Other News|0 Comments

‘Wall of Worry’

Shares Climb a 'Wall of Worry' - but is it sustainable? by Dr Shane Oliver - Head of Investment Strategy and Economics and Chief Economist, AMP Capital After a roughly 35% plunge from their February high point to their lows around 23 March on fears regarding of global recession on the back of the coronavirus shutdowns, share markets have since rebounded sharply, led by US shares. The rally has pushed the Australian ASX 200 back through 6000 for the first time since March. A common concern is that the rebound in share markets is “too optimistic” and “irrational” – how can share markets rebound so rapidly when economic conditions are so weak, coronavirus uncertainty remains high, the US is seeing civil unrest and US/China tensions are rising? I must admit that I have also been surprised by the speed of the rebound and think maybe the markets are ahead of themselves. But I have seen this happen before and [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-06-16T10:28:36+10:00June 16th, 2020|Market News|0 Comments

Three realities and three mistakes

If market declines make you nervous, then you’re not alone. Especially now, when COVID-19 and its economic impact are fuelling feelings of uncertainty around the world. But while bear markets can be extraordinarily difficult, they also can be moments of great opportunity. Investors who find the courage and conviction to stick to their long-term plans are often rewarded as markets bounce back. To help put recent markets into perspective, we outline three facts about market recoveries and three mistakes that investors should avoid. Three facts about market recoveries Fact #1: Recoveries have been much longer and stronger than downturns The good news is bear markets have been relatively short compared with recoveries. They can feel like they last forever when we’re in them but in reality, they are much less impactful compared to the long-term power of bull markets. Although every market decline is unique, in the US, the average bear market since 1950 has lasted 14 months. The average [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-06-10T14:10:02+10:00June 10th, 2020|Market News, Tips and Other News|0 Comments

GFC vs Coronavirus

GFC vs Coronavirus – The current pandemic is like nothing the world has ever seen before. This time last year we were in a very different place. Many people are now questioning whether we are heading into a period of economic crisis reminiscent of the days of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Let’s compare this current Coronavirus crisis to the GFC of 2007/2008. Whilst it is still early days in the current crisis, there are similarities and differences we can make with the GFC. We believe an investor’s response to these crises should be similar, with the adage “time in the market is more important than timing the market” remaining appropriate. This is illustrated in the following chart; As you can see above, even if you had invested just prior to the start of the GFC in late 2007, in the following years you would have reaped the benefits of a strongly rising market, in both Australian and [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-04-08T14:59:09+10:00April 8th, 2020|Tips and Other News|0 Comments

Uncertainty, fear, toilet paper and investing.

Uncertainty, fear, toilet paper and investing An article from Bruce Apted - Head of Portfolio Management - Australia Active Quantitative Equities • What can panic buying of toilet paper tell us about investing? • Has the baby been thrown out with the bath water? • Recent correction largely typical What panic toilet paper buying can tell us about Investing Most of us have seen photos of empty toilet paper shelves in the super markets. What was your emotional response? Did you think about buying toilet paper too? Despite assurances from the government and suppliers that we have no shortages, fear can take hold of our decision making especially when there is uncertainty. As humans we are deeply influenced by the crowd. Faced with uncertainty our decisions tend to be more emotional. In this monthly note we take a look at the recent market correction in the context of human behaviour. Uncertainty and emotional decisions are part of everyday life [...]

By Bruce Jennings|2020-04-01T10:34:04+11:00April 1st, 2020|Market News|0 Comments