Darren Titmus

Back in my day… If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that over the years! As a financial advisor sharing some tips, I caught myself saying those words only last week! As though channelling my father! The younger generation is so tech-savvy these days that I can’t keep up although we had technology too! Our ‘information revolution’ produced gems like floppy-disks, dial-up internet and entire families sharing a single land-line telephone. Quickly superseded and gone forever, thankfully! When it…

Economies tend to face headwinds every ten years as the business cycle moves from periods of growth to contraction. While recessions are challenging for small and medium businesses across Australia, it doesn’t mean there aren’t significant opportunities to strengthen your business and come out of challenging times stronger and more profitable. In this article, we’re sharing five ways you can recession proof your business.  How is Australia in a recession? Firstly, it’s important to understand what it means for a…

The world is constantly dangling temptations before our eyes, and it’s never been easier to buy stuff, even if we don’t have the money. The upshot is that we are all susceptible to making some basic financial errors. Individually, these money mistakes can be small. Added together, they can really hold us back from financial success.  Adding up the little things Take one simple example. It’s easy to spend $15 on lunch from a café. But make your own and…

Perhaps due to the popularity of do-it-yourself (DIY) home renovation television programs, it has become big business. The rewards are there, but watch out for the hidden costs – and we’re not talking about fancy tap-wear! Australians in increasing numbers are becoming building experts and style gurus. It’s no surprise that Bunnings shareholders are smiling.  Equally unsurprising is the number of DIY injuries treated at hospital emergency centres. Many DIY-ers jump in with bags of enthusiasm but are often unskilled…

A growing number of Australians are choosing to return to study as a mature-age student. Perhaps caught in the hamster-wheel of mortgage and family, furthering their education wasn’t an option when they were younger. But that was then. Harriet had long fancied setting up a home-based book-keeping business. But being a single mum, raising her two daughters and working part-time in a clothing store, kept her too busy for anything else.  After her girls left home to begin their own…

Since precautionary measures were heightened to slow the spread of COVID-19, almost 1 million Australians have lost their jobs. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia lost 7.5 per cent of its jobs between 14 March and 18 April. If you’re one of the many Australians who has lost their job, it’s understandable that you may be feeling stressed about a decline in income and managing your finances.  Put together a new budget The first thing you need to…

Whether it’s doing up the bathroom or kitchen, or adding an entire new wing to the house, some focused planning will help your home renovation project run smoothly. Here are some renovation financial tips to help you get the biggest ‘bang’ for your renovation buck. 1. Budgeting and saving Renovating is a major expense so unless you’ve already saved up the necessary funds you will either need to prepare for increased loan repayments or get cracking on a savings plan. …