Call Now (02) 9300 3000
9am-5pm, Mon-Fri

Latest News

2023 Federal Budget: Stronger foundations for a better future

‘Seeing our people through the hard times – and setting our country up for a better future’

“While Australia may have a lot coming at us – we have a lot going for us too” – Dr Jim Chalmers, 2023-2024 Federal Budget Speech.

.

Summary

  • Superannuation
  • Taxation
  • Individuals living with disability and senior Australians
  • Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme modifications

 

Summary

This year, four central themes have emerged in The federal Government’s 2023-24 Budget

  • responsible cost of living relief,
  • further support to Medicare and the care sector more broadly,
  • building a framework to address the dual challenges of funding clean energy programmes whilst reinforcing areas associated with economic innovation and new skills acquisition; and
  • leveraging the forecast Budget surplus to strengthen the Australian economy and lay a foundation to weather expected weakness in global growth in the coming years.

The 2023 Federal Budget seeks to respond to the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous issues facing the world today.  It looks to be a Budget that emphasises the fundamental importance of fiscal responsibility in the domestic context.

Funding for vulnerable Australians will be directed towards boosting assistance with:

  • utility and medical costs,
  • furthering of affordable housing schemes,
  • enhanced access to welfare measures targeting the older unemployed, and single parents, and
  • increasing the wages of aged care workers.

To further sustainable jobs growth, 300,000 free TAFE places will be created to invest in the training of Australians in key occupations and up-and-coming sectors.

 

Superannuation

‘Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions’

The generous tax concessions available to superannuation fund members will be oriented towards those with more modest account balances.

This will be implemented by individuals being subject to a 15% tax on the corresponding earnings of their total superannuation fund balance that exceeds $3 million. This measure is anticipated to commence on 1 July 2025. It will not be retrospective in nature. And, earnings associated with fund balances below $3 million will carry on being taxed at a maximum of 15% in accumulation phase, and have zero tax continuing to apply to retirement phase income streams.

Defined benefit scheme interests will have aligned treatment under this measure.

Greater equity for Superannuation Guarantee recipients

From 1 July 2026, the payment of Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’) entitlements will be brought into line with an employee’s salary (or wages) cycle. Currently, SG is only required to be paid quarterly, which can create opacity surrounding the correctness of entitlements paid within any particular timeframe, especially for those in part-time or casual roles. Furthermore, increasing the regularity of payments into superannuation is intended to assist in enhancing retirement balance outcomes for all Australians – irrespective of the nature or type of work undertaken.  

 

Taxation

Revenue protection

Ensuring taxpayers meet their correct personal income tax obligations is an ongoing priority of the Federal Government. Additional funding will be provided to the Australian Taxation Office and Treasury to allow them to proactively develop and implement appropriate revenue protection strategies. Such a move is intended to specifically address known areas of revenue risk, such as the availability of tax deductions for short-term rental properties. 

Small business support

From 1 July 2023, the instant asset write-off threshold will be temporarily increased to $20,000, with small businesses having aggregated turnover under $10 million able to obtain an immediate tax deduction for a single asset or multiple assets acquired up to this threshold, which are installed or ready for use by 30 June 2024.

 

Individuals living with disability and senior Australians

Implementing Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

The Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was tabled in 2021, and outlined a number of recommendations to improve the aged care system. In this Federal Budget, the Government has proposed to allocate substantial funding to implement some of those recommendations, specifically aimed at:

•     Ensuring stronger regulation for the aged care sector and putting measures in place to improve the health and safety of older Australians in care

•     Increasing pay for aged care workers by 15% from 30 June 2023

•     Revamping the in-home aged care system, including increasing accessibility to Home Care Packages, establishing a single aged care assessment system and enabling the creation of a new consolidated Support at Home Program. The Support at Home Program will commence on 1 July 2025 following feedback from the sector, and

•     Enhancing the delivery of aged care services, including extending the Disability Support for Older Australians Program, incentivising the continuation of primary care in residential aged care, improving the viability of the aged care sector more generally as well as creating placement systems to allow the selection of an aged care provider.  

One-off Work Bonus Credit for Pensioners

Age and Veteran Age pensioners will receive a one-off $4,000 credit to their Work Bonus, and their maximum Work Bonus income bank will be temporarily increased to $11,800 until 31 December 2023.

This measure should benefit clients who are receiving the Centrelink or Veteran’s Age pension, and wish to either start work or increase their work hours without jeopardising their entitlements.

 

Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme modifications

Increase of Medicare low-income thresholds

The Medicare levy low-income threshold for singles, families, seniors and pensioners will modestly increase from 1 July 2022, making this measure applicable for the current financial year. The increase in these thresholds is intended to address cost-of-living concerns following the recent uplifts in the Consumer Price Index, and enable low-income individuals to remain exempt from paying the Medicare levy.

Improved access to medical care

Accessibility of medical care will be extended in several ways, including funding:

  • that provides bulk-billing incentives to General Practitioners for Commonwealth concession card holders and those aged under 16
  • enabling further access to after-hours medical care services, and
  • which improves the ability of frequent hospital patients to access multidisciplinary care services, especially for those living with chronic health conditions or in remote communities.
 
 
 
 
Plannerweb

Latest Articles

Downsizer contributions can be time critical

With the expansion of the downsizer contribution, the timing of when it is used can affect how to use...

Read More

Deeming freeze a win for Age Pensioners

Why the decision to keep deeming rates on hold may be a window for interest rates.   . In...

Read More

Plan now to take advantage of stage 3 tax cuts

With the stage three tax cuts set to be implemented in around six weeks, opportunities for tax-saving...

Read More

Investment and economic outlook, May 2024

Region-by-region economic outlook and latest forecasts for investment returns. . For the last...

Read More

Middle-to-higher incomes boosting SMSF growth

The SMSF sector experienced healthy growth over the March quarter, with men and women on middle-to-higher...

Read More

ATO warns trustees about increasing crypto scams

SMSF trustees are being warned to be on the lookout for crypto investment scams. . The Australian...

Read More

The Shortest-reigning Monarchs in History

Check out the Shortest-reigning Monarchs in...

Read More

ACCC scam report

Australians made more than 600,000 reports about scams in 2023 — about 18 per cent more than in 2022.(AB...

Read More

Connecting an adviser with your children

How parents and advisers can work together to manage intergenerational wealth transfers. . We’re...

Read More

Australia’s debt service ratio ‘extraordinary’: CBA

The change in the debt service ratio has been ‘extraordinary’, according to the major bank. . The...

Read More

Winners & Losers

Jim Chalmers has handed down the government's third budget, with a $300 power bill boon for every...

Read More

Federal Budget 2024

Four main components of this year's Federal Budget can be seen by using the following...

Read More

Retirement Planning

Retiring on your own terms is not always easy to achieve, however it is evident that those who plan for retirement are more likely to do so. Results also show that obtaining professional help during the pre-retirement years further improves the probability of attaining your retirement objectives.

The earlier you start implementing a plan the better the outcomes.

During one’s working life there is always an income to make ends meet when raising children, paying off a mortgage, etc.

Retirement planning is about the lifestyle you will have after you stop work and receiving employment income.  Planning focuses on issues such as how much superannuation is enough, taking a super pension, claiming the Age Pension, making superannuation contributions while receiving a pension from a super fund, estate planning and looking after your family.

Planning properly is becoming even more important now we are expected to live longer.  This greater need means that professional help has never been more important.

At Wybenga Financial we will provide the time and expertise needed to help you implement the best pre-retirement plan possible.  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together on: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Building Wealth

Investing your hard earned savings can be a complex task.  There are many issues such as levels of risk, market timing, asset classes, and your own goals, objectives and preferences that need to be considered. It can often seem a daunting task. At Wybenga Financial we have the expertise to assist you in taking control of your finances and making sure you are generating the wealth you need both now and in the future.

The first step is to create a plan. At Wybenga Financial we take great care in getting to know our clients and their future goals and objectives. We combine our knowledge of your personal goals together with an analysis of your current situation, to create a detailed, personalised plan that will help you meet your objectives. This plan will become your road map which outlines how we are going to meet your goals, whilst aligning all investment decisions to your specific risk tolerance.

After we have created your personal plan, we move to implementation. This is where we action the immediate changes set out in your plan, and put in place reminders for anything that is to occur in the future. As your professional advisers, we can action many steps on your behalf making the implementation of changes as painless for our clients as possible. We aim to make the process smooth and seamless, providing a holistic service that can be executed with ease.

The final and most important phase of the relationship with Wybenga Financial is the ongoing management and monitoring of your wealth. This ensures you are sticking to your plan and that your portfolio is aligned to your needs and attitude toward risk. An ongoing relationship ensures that we know when your circumstances change and that these can be recognised and reflected in changes to your investment approach.

While we are monitoring your portfolio from the perspective of your personal goals and situation, we also take into account the wider economic landscape and changes to legislation. We continually review and analyse our preferred investments in a structured and objective way. The benefit to our clients is that we are unemotional. This can be significantly beneficial over the long term.

At Wybenga Financial we can provide the time and expertise that will help you invest intelligently and prudently.  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Personal Insurance

Life insurance isn’t just a cost, though it often feels like it.  You buy peace-of-mind that should a serious issue effect you then the consequences won’t unduly affect your family.  Insurance provides you with the ability to manage the financial and emotional impact of some of the more drastic events, whether personally or in your small business.

Insurance can’t replace a loved one but it can help reduce the financial burden by providing the capital to ensure your family has choices.

Many Australians are underinsured and the consequences can be very serious for families should there be a death or serious injury. A yes to any of the following questions means you may have a need for insurance coverage:

  1. Do you have a mortgage?
  2. Do you have school fees?
  3. Do you have any personal loans?
  4. Do you have any credit card debt?
  5. Do you have dependents?
  6. Would your financial position be affected if you were to suffer from an illness or injury?
  7. Do you want to have enough capital to look after your dependents if you were unable to care for them for an extended period of time or perhaps indefinitely?

We understand that it can be difficult determining the type and level of cover you might need, let alone choosing an insurer. We can assist by helping you determine your needs and recommend an insurer that is right for you.

At Wybenga Financial we know how to protect your wealth and will recommend solutions that best suit your needs. Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Superannuation

Superannuation is mandatory but taking an early and active interest in your retirement planning is critical to ensuring your benefits are maximised by the time you retire.  Many will have a superannuation scheme through employment but increasing numbers are starting their own Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF).

For many, simply relying on employer contributions may not be enough to provide the lifestyle you desire at retirement. We can assist in building strategies to ensure your retirement goals are met and your required lifestyle is maintained throughout retirement.

It is always best to start saving and planning for your retirement as early as you can. 

At Wybenga Financial we know our job is to help you meet your retirement needs and we have the skills and experience to do this for you.  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Self Managed Super Funds

Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs) offer a good strategy option for many individuals, families and small business owners to build tax effective wealth and to protect assets over time. SMSFs are becoming popular for those who are ready to take control of their own super investments as they give you ultimate control and flexibility to manage your retirement benefits.

It must be noted though, that you will have increased responsibilities as a trustee of the fund. As a SMSF Trustee you need to keep up to date with all required regulations and keep up with the fast paced financial markets.

Wybenga Financial can work with you to understand your personal financial situation and decide whether a SMSF structure is appropriate for you. We will also make sure your assets are invested in the most effective way to maximise your retirement benefits.

Should you wish to consider establishing a SMSF then we can help with all aspects of the process from establishment to managing your compliance obligations.

Wybenga Financial would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can help maximise your opportunities to grow your wealth through a Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF).  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Estate Planning

Your estate is made up of everything you own. This includes your home, property, furniture, car, personal possessions, business, investments, superannuation and bank accounts.

Having an estate plan is extremely important.  Having a will is just the first step in your estate plan. It is critical to consider what outcomes you would like for your estate and to ensure a plan is in place to achieve those outcomes, both including and beyond the terms of your will.

Wybenga Financial would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can help ensure your estate is organised to ensure your plans are implemented as you wish.  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Finance

Loans and loan management are central to overall financial management.  Obtaining the best loans for your needs is crucial and Wybenga Financial can help you with solutions that meet your short and long term needs.

At Wybenga Financial we work with experienced mortgage brokers that can assist you in obtaining the best loan for your needs and objectives. Whilst this is an external service, we work closely with the brokers to ensure the process is as easy and smooth as possible.

Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Property

We have partnerships with many respected property agents and research firms. This enables us to source suitable properties for individuals, couples and families looking to make an investment into property.

At Wybenga Financial we will provide the time and expertise needed to help you implement the best property investment plan possible.  Contact us today to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is determining how an investor is going to meet their goals and objectives. It is about helping clients define their goals, gathering information and analysing data to make a plan, then implementing the plan and monitoring the results. It is also monitoring and updating goals and objectives as clients move through different phases of life.

At Wybenga Financial, this is the most critical service we provide. For more information please visit our Building Wealth through Strategic Planning page or contact us to discuss how we can work together: (02) 9300 3000 or .

Financial Videos

 

Secure File Transfer

Secure File Transfer is a facility that allows the safe and secure exchange of confidential files or documents between you and us.

Email is very convenient in our business world, there is no doubting that. However email messages and attachments can be intercepted by third parties, putting your privacy and identity at risk if used to send confidential files or documents. Secure File Transfer eliminates this risk.

Login to Secure File Transfer, or contact us if you require a username and password.

Tess Uncle

B.Sc, M.Com, CA, DipFP

Tess has over 22-years experience in Chartered Accounting Firms and in this time has had a broad range of experience in superannuation, taxation, business services, and financial strategy.

Over the last seven-years, Tess has turned her attention to Financial Planning, earning a Diploma of Financial Planning in 2015 and leading the newly established financial division of the Wybenga Group as a director of Wybenga Financial.

Tess’s mission is to bring the ethics and integrity of her Chartered Accounting background to the area of wealth management.

As a woman in a male dominated field, Tess is active in promoting gender equality in the industry through various programs and mentoring opportunities.

Using her depth of knowledge and experience in tax and accounting Tess is able to demonstrate a level of competence that is unique in the Financial Planning sector.

  • 2001 – Commenced employment with Wybenga & Partners and part-time accountancy studies
  • 2004 – Graduated Masters of Commerce from the University of New South Wales
  • 2005 – Admitted as an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia
  • 2007 – Promoted to Manager at Wybenga & Partners
  • 2012 – Appointed as Associate Director
  • 2015 – Awarded a Diploma of Financial Planning
  • 2016 – Appointed as Partner of Wybenga Group and Director of Wybenga Financial

Schedule a Meeting with Tess


Adam Roberts

B.Bus, B.Sc, CA, DipFP

Adam has over 18-years experience in Chartered Accounting Firms and in this time has had a broad range of experience in superannuation, taxation, business services, and financial strategy.

Over the last seven-years, Adam has turned his attention to Financial Planning, earning a Diploma of Financial Planning in 2015 and leading the newly established financial division of the Wybenga Group as a director of Wybenga Financial.

Adam’s mission is to bring the ethics and integrity of his Chartered Accounting background to the area of wealth management.

Combining traditional accounting and financial services has been a welcome move for Adam, allowing him to operate and advise in the financial sector that has been a long time personal passion.

Using his depth of knowledge and experience in tax and accounting Adam is able to demonstrate a level of competence that is unique in the Financial Planning sector.

  • 2005 – Graduated Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Sydney
  • 2005 – Commenced employment with Wybenga & Partners and part-time accountancy studies
  • 2007 – Graduated Bachelor of Business from the University of Western Sydney
  • 2010 – Admitted as an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia
  • 2010 – Promoted to Manager at Wybenga & Partners
  • 2012 – Appointed as Associate Director
  • 2015 – Awarded a Diploma of Financial Planning
  • 2016 – Appointed as Partner of Wybenga Group and Director of Wybenga Financial

Schedule a Meeting with Adam


Advisory Cadetships

What is an Advisory Cadetship?
An Advisory Cadetship enables you to commence your career whilst attaining the necessary university qualifications by studying part-time.

How does it work?
Generally, our cadets complete a relevant business or accounting degree at the University of New South Wales, the University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University, or the University of Western Sydney.

The Firm provides 3-hours paid study leave per week to attend university. This can either be taken at the one time or broken between days depending on the individual’s requirements. In addition, the Firm provides paid study leave for both mid-semester and end-of-year exams.

We take the work life balance very seriously at Wybenga Financial and our cadets are encouraged to have a fulfilling life outside the office. A typical day will have you arriving at the office at around 8.30am with most days concluding at 5.30pm.

What are the benefits of an Advisory Cadetship with Wybenga Financial?
Our cadets benefit from the following:

  • Career path – on completion of their degree our cadets have significant practical experience which will assist them in advancing their careers
  • Work helps your studies – by working full-time our cadets are able to apply their practical knowledge in the university subjects
  • Camaraderie with other cadets – the Firm has a number of cadets at various stages of their career
  • Mentoring – cadets are paired with a senior staff member who oversees their progress and training both at work and with their studies
  • Communication and feedback – the Firm has an open door policy which enables all cadets to interact with all members of staff including Directors
  • Culture – the Firm promotes a friendly social culture with a number of functions throughout the year
  • Modern environment – including ‘socialising’ areas such as pool table and break out area
  • Training – ongoing support and technical training. We also provide internal and external training on a monthly basis
  • Remuneration – working full-time provides a market salary and independence with salaries being reviewed every 6-months

What happens when I complete my degree?
The completion of your degree is the first step of what we hope to be a long and successful career with us. The next step is the commencement of a Diploma of Financial Planning followed by completing the requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

There are always progression opportunities for the right cadets and we are dedicated to the long term development of our staff.

Who should apply?
Current Year 12 students or first/second year University Students who:

  • want to commence their career in financial advisory;
  • are due to commence or are currently completing a part-time business or commerce degree at university with an advisory major;
  • want to gain valuable hands-on experience while completing their qualifications;
  • are looking for a friendly working environment;
  • are team players who display initiative;
  • have a commitment to self-development;
  • possess excellent personal presentation and communication skills; and
  • are motivated and mature minded.

How do I apply for an Advisory Cadetship?
To apply for a Cadetship position at Wybenga Financial send us your details. Please also include in your covering letter why you wish to do a cadetship, include relevant qualities you possess, main interests / achievements, and any previous employment.

Interested candidates should initially forward a resume/covering letter of no more than 3-pages. Please provide full details of contact information (telephone or e-mail).

What if I have more questions?
For further information about our Cadetship program, please send your enquiry to .