George Lucas

The property market is heating up. So even before you start looking for a property to buy, get your finances in order to determine how much you will be able to borrow, says George Lucas, Founder of ‘Wealth Know How’.

It’s important to get basics in order before investors make one of their biggest purchase of their lifetime, he adds.

“The ‘borrowing and credit’ video channel on Wealth Know How is attracting viewers of all ages who are keen to hear more about home loans and related topics.”

“The highly watchable video on mortgages gives tips to consider before taking on a home loan.”

“Like any other loan, you should put together a budget to show that you have the discipline to repay the mortgage. This is not just for appearances, you’ll need to have saved a deposit of at least 20% of the value of the home. If your deposit is not 20% a lender will generally charge you lenders’ mortgage insurance. This seems like a fundamental advice but is often neglected. ”

“When working out if you can afford the repayments on the mortgage you should calculate repayments on interest rates that are higher than the current rates. For a variable interest rate loan, as the interest rate goes up, you’ll have to make bigger repayments. Fixed rate mortgages don’t last forever and once you come off the fix rate interest rates may be higher.”

“By doing this use you will know if you can afford the loan if interest rates start to rise.”

“It’s important that investors don’t overlook all the extra costs of buying a house, like stamp duty, loan set-up fees, legal costs, and inspections. You should also plan for unexpected costs and minor maintenance once you move in.”

“Also, find out if you can ‘top up’ the loan, for example if you need extra cash to fund renovations. This will obviously increase the term and/or repayments. Find out by how much.”

Other tips in the video include appointing a mortgage broker.

“A mortgage broker will take time to understand your circumstances, guide you on how much you can borrow and attempt to source the best interest rate.”

“Always review the contract closely before you sign up. Find out up front exactly what you’re committing yourself to. Lots of financial institutions offer home loan calculators on their web sites, and it’s definitely worth doing the sums and researching before you sign on the dotted line.”

The channel can be viewed here.

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Fiona Parker

Too often property investors haven’t done their homework before they buy, according to Wealth Know How’s General Manager Fiona Parker.

“You have to know the compliance rules particularly if you are making a property investment for your SMSF,” said Ms Parker. “And our videos are designed to help you understand your options.”

“Being able to demonstrate you’ve ‘done your homework’ before buying is just one of the many issues which we explore in our most recent financial investment video on property investment,” says Ms Parker.

“If you want to make property an asset in your SMSF investment strategy it is possible to buy most kinds of established property, providing the purchase is made at arm’s length.”

Parker said common residential property investment choices such as houses and apartments are popular but it is important to comply with the strict rules when buying property for a SMSF.

You are allowed to buy off-the-plan, for example, but you cannot buy vacant land and then build a house.

“It is important to remember that if you’re borrowing, there can be no alterations that change the character of the property until the SMSF property loan is paid off.”

“It’s safest to stick with residential properties that are ready to rent, as these can be justified as investments that will meet the investment objectives of a SMSF,” said Parker.

“Some might find it safer and best to use a licensed advisor to assist so you can demonstrate that your fund has conducted the prudential research into the property that is required before buying.

Parker said that the three important attributes to think about are location, yield and maintenance needs.

“Ideally, you should look for a reasonably new property, in a good location, with a healthy rental market and a diverse employment mix, which will help you attract a high quality of tenant,” she said.

“The property should also have strong long-term capital growth prospects and a relatively high rental return.

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“Any income you receive from an investment may be added to your taxable income, and taxed at your marginal tax rate,” said Dunn.

‘Be savvy about tax’ is part of Wealth Know-How’s continuing financial educational video series. Hosted by Dunn, the video looks at what tax implications investors need to take into account.

“First of all in Australia, any income you receive from an investment may be added to your income, and taxed at

Benjamin Franklin was right: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” That’s certainly true in investment, where any investment has tax implications. First of all in Australia, any income you receive from an investment may be added to your income, and taxed at your marginal tax rate, which is the rate of tax that applies to the income range into which your taxable income falls. Australia currently has four marginal tax rates, or five if you count nil as the tax rate on for low incomes below the tax threshold.

“So if you have interest from cash or bonds, dividends from shares, or rental income from a property, that is added to your assessable income and will be taxed at your marginal tax rate.”

“There is so much added value to being informed about tax implications because some assets are known as tax-effective, and you can pay less tax than you would have paid on another investment with the same return and risk.

“The best example of tax-effectiveness is the effect of fully franked dividends on shares, where shareholders get a personal tax credit linked to the dividend based on the tax already paid by the company, and they can use these ‘franking credits’ to reduce their tax liability.

This has a particularly powerful effect in superannuation where tax rates are significantly lower than corporate tax rates. The property equivalent of franking credits – although they are not as effective – are the tax deductions you get for the depreciation, expenses relating to financing, maintenance and repair, and occupancy of an investment property.

Another example is the capital gains tax – CGT – which can be lessened by holding the asset in question for more than 12 months, in which case a CGT discount is applied which may halve your marginal rate of tax for this capital gains, Or in super, the discount is one-third.

“While franking credits and property deductions help you pay less tax – and thus can help your savings grow faster – you should never base an investment decision on the tax benefits alone,” says Dunn.

Wealth Know How videos provides financial education to help people manage their wealth through its network of online educational videos.  Videos are also available to professional advisors for education and engagement.

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Fiona Parker

The large majority of consumers simply do not understand the basic value that financial planners offer according to Wealth Know How’s General Manager Fiona Parker.

“Consumers are telling us they want the role of planners demystified so they can better understand how even the basic problems and investment strategies will be addressed.

Ms Parker said that Wealth Know How’s ‘Why get financial advice’ video content series, are designed to provide an accessible overview for consumers trying to understand the value of financial advice.

Wealth Know How is as an online resource helping people manage their wealth through financial education

“Managing finances and investments is often made to seem complicated  and we are increasingly finding that consumers of our videos are looking for a basic understanding of what is on offer with financial planners  before making that ‘first call’ to engage them.

“It is clear from recent research by the Financial Services Council that people who get financial advice get real value from it so it is important that it is made more accessible,’ said Ms Parker.

“Taking into account the cost of advice, an individual who has had financial advice generally saves $1,590 each year more than a similar individual without a financial adviser.”

“Our videos spell out in simple terms what financial advice really means to the regular investor.

“We set out to explain how financial planners can help consumers to create simple ways to better manage cash, offer complete investment strategies and how best to save for retirement.

“The videos highlight how planners help you minimise tax, how you qualify Government benefits, deal with Centrelink or retirement transition as well as providing specific knowledge to deliver financial success.”

“Another good reason for getting good advice is that people with a financial plan in place are happier because they are much more likely to understand and be in control of their future.”

“Good financial advice can give you confidence that your future plans are achievable, and that can’t be under-estimated in terms of freedom from worry.

“We have seen an increased interest in our easy to digest videos that cover a range of wealth creation topics, “said Ms Parker. “The average Australian faces complex pressures on their finances and so are interested in going back to the basics to learn more.”

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Fiona Parker

Did you know that all employer’s default super funds must offer a minimum level of life insurance?

There are benefits to having your insurance cover in super but it’s important to be aware of the finer details says Fiona Parker, General Manager of Wealth Know How, Australia’s fastest growing independent online financial education website

“Our new video ‘Life insurance through superannuation’ looks at all aspects of insurance including how super funds typically have three types of insurance for members, the sort of conditions to expect and what this really means to fund members.

“Insurance can be complex and this series will help consumers to better understand the different types of insurance available, how much is needed, and exactly how insurance works within superannuation,” she said.

“We have seen an increased interest in our videos covering insurance over this last financial year,” said Ms Parker.

“The average Australian faces complex pressures on their finances and so are interested in going back to the basics to learn more,” she said. “Our online videos offer viewers quick, easy to understand ways on how to manage different aspects of their finances.”

“Insurance lies at the foundation of every financial plan” says co-Founder, George Lucas.

“It can be a real challenge to understand the range of insurance available and which serves your needs best, particularly when you have to factor in superannuation.

“The Wealth Know How series of insurance videos is designed to help people understand the basics so that they can ask the right questions in order to find the right solution for themselves and their family,” he said.

The Wealth Know How website enables consumers to go online to learn how to take charge of their own finances.  It offers short, easy-to-watch videos on a range of personal finance topics.

These easy-to-understand financial education videos on the Wealth Know How website cover areas such as term deposits, self- managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), shares, tax, and property investment.  The video clips are free to consumers online.

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Fiona Parker

“Property as an asset class is a long-term investment, which suits the time horizon of many SMSFs,” says James Dunn, presenter of the first of a series of four Wealth Know How videos that look at property as an asset class for Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs).

“Like any investment in a SMSF, the fund’s trust deed must enable property to be bought and property must form part of your fund’s prudent investment strategy,” Dunn says in the recently posted video.

Australians are increasingly going online to educate themselves about their investment options, says Fiona Parker, General Manager of Wealth Know How, Australia’s fastest growing independent online financial education website.

“Residential property is a very popular topic so it is natural that we should explore some of the opportunities as well as point out some of the pitfalls for anybody looking to use property in their SMSF portfolio,” she said.

“We have noticed a marked increased in investor interest related to videos showcasing property themes. This series of videos go a long way to explain the appeal of this type of investment such as stability and capital growth of property investment, and provide a perspective on why they might suit individual SMSF trustees,” said Ms Parker.

“Good research is the foundation of all good investments,” said co-Founder, George Lucas. “These videos offer investors the opportunity to educate themselves about the value of using residential property in their SMSFs.”

“Overall, since the launch of Wealth Know earlier this year, we are seeing an increasing interest in our easy to digest video clips on financial investment opportunities,” Lucas said.

The Wealth Know How website has a range of quick, easy-to-understand financial education videos, covering areas such as term deposits, self- managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), shares, and property investment.

The video clips are free to consumers online. This content is also regularly used by professional financial advisers as a digital marketing tool to help educate and engage their clients.

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George Lucas

Wealth Know How, Australia’s fastest growing provider of independent financial videos and Announcer Financial Planning, an independent financial planning group, have partnered to educate and engage clients with online videos.

Announcer’s new website will now have a cross section of educational videos from Wealth Know How.

Announcer Financial Planning’s Managing Director Andrew Rocks says: “We are delighted to be working with Wealth Know How who are leaders in their field for financial videos. We immediately saw the value of providing high quality and unbiased video content to clients.”

“Wealth Know How offers us independent educational information that is professional and credible.   We will utilise their educational videos to further earn our client’s trust and confidence and we see video education as a key tool for business growth”.

“Our marketing department has made definite plans to use the videos to connect and educate clients and prospects via email marketing campaigns and social media,” he added.

Wealth Know How’s Co-Founder George Lucas said: “We are excited about our relationship with Announcer Financial Planning and see firms such as Announcer gaining market share by using professional videos to educate their market.”

“Announcer have a sophisticated communication and marketing strategy and are positioning their business at the forefront of client engagement through financial education.”

“Our alliance allows them to access a diverse library of video content that will help engage their target market. The real outcome for Announcer will be that viewers will spend longer time on the website and as a result will develop a more meaningful interaction with their brand”.

Wealth Know How offers an extensive and growing library of short, easy to understand financial educational videos for use on websites and across a range of digital marketing tools.

Announcer Financial Planning, is a national, privately owned financial planning group, delivering a holistic one stop wealth shop experience.   It provides financial experts across financial planning, tax, property, law, mortgages and lending.

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Fiona Parker

Financial planners risk losing market share if they don’t quickly adopt video for their communication and marketing strategies, says Fiona Parker, General Manager, Wealth Know How.

“Video content will account for 69% of all consumer online traffic by 2017, according to a recent global Cisco study,” Ms Parker said.

“This research confirms that planners need to move with the times as their clients are embracing digital media, and many are already viewing video to explore and address their financial planning options.

Ms Parker says that Wealth Know How, Australia’s fastest growing provider of video financial education topics for financial planners, has been able to compete successfully because they provide clients with information in the form they want it. Wealth Know’s short, professional educational videos meet a gap in the market for credible and non-product based information on financial topics.

“All of the research points to video dominating email marketing, social media as well as online,” said Ms Parker. “We are already seeing big financial institutions leading the charge by embracing video in their overall marketing strategies,” she added.

Phaedon Vass, Co-founder of Wealth Know How, says that small and medium businesses who put videos front and centre of their internet and email marketing strategies will capture growth in the market.

“Nielsen research states 64% of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies in the near future,” he said. “It is becoming apparent that the potential reach of video is beyond comparison with any other form.”

“YouTube receives more than one billion unique visitors every month – that’s more than any other channel, apart from Facebook.”

Vass says that part of Wealth Know How’s success is because financial planners are always looking for new and creative ways to get their content to prospective clients.

“Video offers an easy, direct way to engage directly consumers, particularly when providing financial education,” he said “We are also finding that users are increasingly sharing the video with other consumers.”

“Our approach is to try to attract consumers who are wary and weary of traditional sales approaches and win their trust.

“The real outcome for Wealth Know How clients is that viewers are spending longer on financial planner’s websites and spending more time interacting with their brands.

Wealth Know How offers an extensive and growing library of short, easy to understand financial educational videos for use on websites and across a range of digital marketing tools.

“Its important that video content is professional, credible and cost effective in delivering positive outcomes for both our clients and consumers,” says Ms Parker.

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George Lucas

Australians are going online more and more to learn about how to take charge of their own finances, says Fiona Parker, General Manager of Wealth Know How, Australia’s fastest growing independent online financial education website.

“We have seen an increased interest in our easy to digest video clips covering budgeting this financial year,” she said.

“The average Australian faces complex pressures on their finances and so are interested in going back to the basics and looking at some quick, easy to understand ways on how to manage their finances.”

“Investors will click on video content if it offers real educational value so we are not surprised that the budgeting videos have proved so popular.

“Budgeting lies at the foundation of every financial plan,” said co-Founder, George Lucas.  “It can be a real challenge to prepare a budget unless you take the right steps from the start.”

“At a time when so many of us are time-poor and have a variety of different expenses , these video clips offer some basic principles that can make the each individual’s budgeting  process clear and secure.

“Our videos provide some simple tips and steps in setting out a budget that can work for you.”

“Learning about budgeting online is a great entry point for first time investors who are looking to be slowly introduced to the principles of investing.”

The Wealth Know How website has a range of quick, easy-to-understand financial education videos, covering areas such as term deposits, self- managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), shares, and property investment.

The video clips are free to consumers online. This content is also regularly used by professional financial advisers as a digital marketing tool to help educate and engage their clients.

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Wealth Know How (www.wealth-knowhow.com.au), Australia’s fastest growing independent online financial education video channel, has appointed Fiona Parker as General Manager. Fiona will lead the business in its strategy to position the brand as the “go to” marketing channel for financial services retailers.

Fiona has more than 20 years’ experience in media and financial markets, including as a senior executive for Thomson Reuters Financial in both Sydney and Hong Kong.  She will be responsible for executing WKH’s B2B strategy in Australia and key Asian markets.

Co-Founder, George Lucas, says “We’re very excited to have Fiona on the WKH team. She has already made strides in growing our business with her deep skills and experience in both the finance and media sectors. She talks our language and that of our financial planner clients”

The WKH website, through quick, easy-to-understand videos, covers areas of keen interest to financial services consumers.

WKH has seen a consistent demand for digestible, easy to understand video content which can explain financial subjects in a single trusted destination.

Videos topics such as budgeting, term deposits, self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), shares, and property have proved popular.  The company now also offers targeted financial content videos for use by financial clients own digital marketing materials.

Fiona adds;  ”With over 56% of Australians going online in 2013 to conduct financial services research before making their financial decisions, Wealth Know How has been able to position itself as a trusted destination for Australian consumers.

“We also know that it’s not just direct investors looking at WKH’s growing video library. Financial planners are sharing these videos with their own clients to improve their financial literacy and this is helping financial planners reposition their role as educators.

“We are growing quickly as the videos are offering an accessible financial content source for all Australians.

“ Wealth Know How is free to all users and its content is sponsored by leading financial organisations such as Lonsec, and Netwealth.  I am delighted to be a part of such an innovative business which directly addresses the challenges of communicating financial services offerings to end users”.

Parker has more than 20 years working closely with CEOs and COOs throughout Asia Pacific to develop the opportunities that the digital distribution realm creates for business improvement and customer intimacy. She has consulted on many financial services digital initiatives reaching end consumers including HSBC’s first FX trading portal and China Merchant Banks first retail banking site.

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