Australians too 'shy' when it comes to money talk | afr.com
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Home / Personal Finance Dec 21 2015 at 9:47 AM | Updated Dec 21 2015 at 12:50 PM
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As a reader of The Australian Financial Review you are probably in a good position to talk to your friends and family about their finances, writes Sally Patten. Many Australians find money stressful and overwhelming but that can be fixed by talking about it.
Many Australians find money stressful and overwhelming but that can be fixed by talking about it. Kathie Atkinson
by Sally Patten
Readers of The Australian Financial Review are, in theory at least, more financially savvy than the population at large. Fed a constant diet of articles and analysis about price earnings ratios, bond yields, interest rates and the global economy, how could they (you) be otherwise? Indeed surveys show that Financial Review readers have bigger investment portfolios and are far more inclined to be self-directed investors than the average Australian, suggesting they understand concepts such as compounding interest and delayed consumption. So, my challenge to readers this summer is to give family and friends the benefit of some of your knowledge. Start a conversation with friends and loved ones about their finances. There are several reasons to ask someone if they are financially OK, many of them contained in a 2014 Australian Securities and Investments Commission report entitled: Australian Financial Attitudes and Behaviour Tracker. Strolling along a beach might be the ideal time to ask someone if they are financially OK.
Strolling along a beach might be the ideal time to ask someone if they are financially OK. Dave Moore
That report found that 31 per cent of Australians (including 35 per cent of women and 39 per cent of people under the age of 35) find dealing with money stressful and overwhelming and 20 per cent think there is nothing they can do to change their financial situation. Of individuals under the age of 35, 20 per cent of people said they "financially like to live for today", and 21 per cent admitted they have
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Australians too 'shy' when it comes to money talk | afr.com
These are not pretty figures, especially when taking control of our finances is afr becoming increasingly important. The likelihood of being able to rely on a AFR
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"A lot of people don't know where to begin. You don't need to be a financial adviser to give this type of information. It's important to raise these issues and
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help people to get started," says Natasha Panagis, technical specialist at advice business Strategy Steps.
Joyce Tang and Wendy Lin enjoy the sales at the
NOT DIFFICULT Is it time for 'the chat'?
Is it time for 'the chat'?
The frustrating thing for those in the know is that understanding and organising our finances is not overly complex or difficult. Spending less than we earn will enable us to save for a deposit on a house or retirement. Having one superannuation account rather than three or four will mean we spend less money on fees. Leaving money in the bank for years is not as safe a strategy as one might assume because its value will be eaten away by inflation. Credit card debt is about the most expensive debt you can have. Having a will is generally a good idea. It is surprising how many Australians don't understand basic concepts such as these. The upside is that in many of these areas a little knowledge can go a long way to helping someone take responsibility for their personal balance sheets, and quite probably remove some stress from their lives. "Ask people how much they are paying in fees and if they have multiple accounts. There are lots of tools to consolidate accounts," says Joyce Phillips, chief executive of global wealth at ANZ Banking Group. In 2015 ANZ consolidated more than 160,000 super accounts, saving customers a combined $20 million in fees.
ON THE BEACH Given Australians' shyness when it comes to talking about money, kick starting a conversation over the holiday period will no doubt be awkward. It is bound to be even more awkward if you are sitting down at home or in the pub, looking at someone in the eye. Chatting while you are strolling along a beach when both of you can gaze the other way might make it easier. So ask your niece how many super accounts she has or if she puts a bit of money away each week? Ask a friend what they are doing about paying down debt or making voluntary contributions into super, or indeed if they are worried about their savings. If everyone who is financially literate has a conversation with at least one person who is less so this summer, come back-to-school time, it might be a happier place with a higher national savings rate.
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Australians too 'shy' when it comes to money talk | afr.com
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