Habits to Build vs Habits to Break Wealth
Most financial success isn't the result of one lucky break or a single "win" on the market. Instead, it’s built on the small, repetitive choices you make every day. As we move further into 2026, let’s analyse which behaviours are helping you grow and which might be quietly holding you back.
The Mid-January Financial Reset
Welcome back! It’s wonderful to be writing to you again as we kick off a brand-new year of financial updates. I hope you had a relaxing break and a fantastic start to 2026. By the third week of January, the initial excitement of New Year’s resolutions often starts to fade. If your financial goals feel a little harder to stick to than they did on January 1st, don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone. Now is the perfect time for a "mid-month reset" to ensure your bank balance and your goals are heading in the right direction for the rest of the year.
High-Level Financial Objectives for 2026
As the year wraps up, it's the ideal moment to transition from day-to-day money management to strategic wealth building. If you're currently generating strong income and have achieved basic financial security, your 2026 goals should centre on optimisation, expansion, and protection. We'll use the S.M.A.R.T. framework to set some sample goals that could move you closer to financial independence or early retirement.
Budgeting for the Holidays Without the Debt Hangover
Christmas is a wonderful time, but it’s also the most financially draining period of the year. It's easy to get swept up in the festive spirit, promising yourself you’ll worry about the bills in the New Year. The problem is, that post-holiday stress and high-interest debt can linger long after the decorations are packed away. You don't need to cut back on joy to have a financially responsible Christmas. You just need a practical, realistic budget. Let's look at how you can plan for the holidays now and avoid that unpleasant debt hangover in January.
November 2025 Market Updates
November 2025 has presented a stark divide for Australian investors, with significant volatility shaking the share market while the property sector continues its relentless climb. As the ASX 200 suffered a drop of nearly 5% due to banking sector weakness and global uncertainty, residential values surged on the back of supply shortages and the government’s expanded 5% Deposit Scheme. Underpinning these movements, the RBA kept the cash rate on hold at 3.60%, dashing hopes for a pre-Christmas cut as persistent inflation delays any easing of monetary policy until 2026.
A Practical Checklist for End-of-Year Financial Review
The end of the year often feels like a rush towards the holidays, but the weeks leading up to December are the perfect time for a quick, essential financial clean-up. A few hours spent reviewing your details now can save you money and stress when the new financial year rolls around. This simple checklist will guide you through the often-forgotten administrative tasks that ensure your money is working as efficiently as possible.
Term Deposit vs Term Account
When you're looking for a simple, fixed-rate investment for your cash, you might come across two terms that sound almost identical: a Term Deposit and a Term Account. Don’t let the similar names fool you; these are two completely different financial products with vastly different levels of risk.
Setting Up Your Financial Shock Absorber
We often treat our finances as a simple monthly cycle: get paid, pay bills, save what's left. But in reality, money never flows that smoothly. Life is full of 'lumpy' expenses which are costs that aren't monthly but are absolutely predictable and guaranteed to arrive, like quarterly insurance premiums, annual registrations, or unexpected medical fees. These costs are often too big for your regular monthly budget, but too small or predictable to be covered by your massive, long-term emergency fund. This is why you need a dedicated financial buffer fund.