Real-estate investment is big business in Western Australia, like for example much of the world. This is especially true of rental property. A well-maintained rental property in Perth, for example, could net an investor many thousands of dollars every year.

One of the most successful real estate investors own anywhere from a few to dozens of properties within a specific region - enough that managing them all can be quite a challenge. Upkeep, tenant needs, turnover, filling vacancies, and myriad other tasks can keep an investor busy for hundreds of hours a week, especially if each new challenge needs to be researched before it can be addressed. Perth real estate investors would do very well to hire a property management professional.

A Perth property manager knows not only the regular tasks associated with managing investment property, but in addition city and region-specific concerns. They are familiar with the various neighborhoods and know, for example, who to call when they needs reliable plumber at three in the morning or a tow-truck service on a Sunday afternoon. A property owner could spend HOURS trying to arrange for these services and would likely pay much more. Property owners maintain relationships with service providers based on regular communication and need - they can save you money.

Perth property managers are well-versed in the processes of cleaning and repainting commercial and residential properties when tenants move out, and can turn vacancies into desirable new tenants very quickly. This last point alone can often pay for a Perth Property Management service very quickly, as an office or apartment sitting empty cost the property owner money every day that they’re not receiving rent for it. The speed and professionalism with which a good property manager can fill vacancies is usually incredibly valuable.

Could you learn the skills needed to manage your own Perth property? Sure you could, and you’d surely save some money. Let me assure you, though - the money saved will be traded immediately for headaches and late nights. Property management businesses have something that you, as a property owner and investor, will never have - laser focus. You may have a lot of projects going at any given time. You may be searching for new properties or running other businesses on your income from investment property. No matter the reason, a property management professional spends their days dealing with the kinds of issues that distract you from your REAL work.

Maintenance, tenant interviews, chasing down back rent, managing utility service providers, contract negotiations - these jobs are incredible time vacuums, especially for an owner/landlord who deals with them as they arise. Through time management and batching, a Perth property manager can be far more efficient than you can and will provide better service to you AND to your tenants because of it.

Property investment is a fantastic tool for creating income, improving your net worth, and ensuring your financial future, but it’s a game with an incredibly steep learning curve and a lot of potential pitfalls. Hedge against failure and regret with your Perth properties by bringing in an experienced property manager to help. You won’t be sorry.

Maybe this is an obvious tip, but sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious to some (If that makes sense)



Always leave your credit cards at home to remove the urge for impulse buying. Leave them in a locked drawer and only get them out when you need to pay for something like an airline booking and then pay it off within the interest free period that most cards offer.

If your card doesn't offer an interest free period, Shop around for a credit card that does.

Online savings accounts and banking may be a good option for someone who does a lot of financial transactions online. Most ‘brick and mortar’ banks offer online banking, and there are numerous institutions that can only be found online.

The same services can be secured online as at a physical establishment, such as online savings accounts, checking accounts, credit and debit cards, etc., just make sure to check their credentials, for example; is the business a member of the FDIC? There are a number of internet sites that help find appropriate online banks and online savings accounts, they confirm such information as interest rates and monthly balance minimums.

There are other benefits to online banking, such as not having a paper trail, (which means less environmental waste.) The ability to do financial business anytime, from anywhere, usually faster and more efficient than at the counter or ATM, is also one of the benefits. Most online banks are even compatible with Quicken and Microsoft Money, making small business transactions more convenient. If there are trust issues, such as ‘did I click once or twice?’, all internet banking sights offer the option to print off a copy of the transaction and keep it with the rest of the banking documents, so even if a problem does arise, it can be taken care of without difficulty.

Anyone who does a lot of internet transactions, or even just pays their bills online, can benefit from online savings and banking. There are countless online institutions, check them out and see how convenient online banking really is!

It is a common practice for most of us to look for the best deal from any commitment we make but taking time to compare credit cards to choose the best is not practiced by many people; we just pick any card. The fact that credit cards might look the same doesn’t mean they are designed to suit the same needs. Each type of card has some feature incorporated to cater for a particular need. Since we all have different spending habits and different financial plans. In these hard economic times, we should be wary on how we make our financial choices. By comparing credit cards will lead us to choosing the right card that suits our needs.

Always the best card is that which suit your credit behavior and personal circumstances. If you are the type of person who transfers credit card debt to the next month then you are suitable having low interest credit card. Likewise if you are a high spender and clear your balance each month then you might go for high interest credit card that offer some reward programs and grace period.
Sometimes we get into trouble by fail to compare credit cards that we choose. If you can take time to look at different credit cards issued by different banks you will be able to identify different features of various cards e.g. Payment penalties interest rates, balance transfer, purchase interest rates, default interest rates.

Most Australian credit card issuers charge between 7%- 19% interest rates.
Apart from interest rates you will get to know other benefits and feature that different banks offer if you take time to compare credit cards.

There has been so much said about the credit crunch lately that casual listeners could be forgiven for thinking that it was some new kind of cereal being advertised. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The credit crunch is well and truly here and looks like staying for some time to come. How will it affect the ordinary man in the street? To find out we first need to know exactly what the credit crunch is.

The credit crunch, credit squeeze or whatever other name you care to give it simply means that it is now much harder to get a loan. This is because banks and other lending institutions have tightened the conditions of lending. When money is loaned, the lender needs to be reasonably sure of getting his money back, plus interest. Therefore, he will certainly not lend to anyone who does not have a steady and reliable source of income. Further, the lender will also be very likely to require a deposit on the loan and will probably not offer the buyer a very good interest rate.

This will affect not only homebuyers, but also those who need a loan to start a business, or they may have started a business but need a loan to expand it. The flow-on effect to the nation’s economy can be felt in every sector.

Once you decide to start stock broking - buying stocks, shares and bonds or other investments, you will probably need to get stock broking advice from a professional stock broker, who can tell you what and how much of each to buy. Many people have lost money by investing in shares, so you need to be careful. Those shares that are considered high-risk will give you a higher return, but of course you may also lose money if the stock market crashes.

If you are not comfortable with a high level of risk, then choose those managed funds that are considered low risk or safe, and even though your returns will be lower, the risk of losing all your money is much smaller. When choosing a managed fund, look carefully at the product disclosure statements. You may find that due to the fee involved you would get just as good a return on your money by having it in an e-saver account where there is a good rate of interest and no fees at all.

If you do decide to go ahead and invest in stocks and shares, you have the choice of a managed fund, where a team of professional stockbrokers do all the work for you. Naturally, you must pay them to do this, but if you choose a fund with low fees, it won’t be too much of a slug. Even if you decide to do the buying and selling yourself, you will still need a stock-broker to follow your instructions as to what to buy and sell and when.

A stockbroker has been trained to invest in the share market and must be registered to do so. You may have a stockbroker who gives you the benefit of his experience and tells you what you should buy or sell, then does it for you. Many times he will do this work without letting you know, because there may not be time. Of course, he will have consulted you about your general wishes and needs beforehand, then work to the best of his ability to fulfill them. For instance, if you tell him to only buy low-risk shares, then he will certainly confine his activities to those.

Or you could have a stock broker who advises you what to do, then leaves it up to you to do it. This can be done online or by phone. This option is the less expensive of the two, since you are doing most of the work. Buying and selling online or by phone is using technology to cut costs. One thing is for sure, once you start into stock broking, you life will never be boring.

Most of us dream of the day we retire - especially if that retirement also means we have a guaranteed income for life without working for it. To some this is an impossible dream, but it can happen if we take the proper steps beforehand. What do we have to do to make the dream a reality?

Investing in managed funds could be the answer. You don’t need a lot of money to invest in a managed fund. Some let you start with as little as $500, others prefer twice that amount. In today’s climate, nearly everyone can save that. Even those who have no job can find ways to save a little at a time until they have the necessary amount. So what if it takes a whole year - or even two?

With a managed fund, lots of investors pool their money and the fund manager invests it for them. This is the easiest and simplest way anyone can start to save for their future. The profits from the initial investment must be ploughed back into the fund of course, otherwise it will all be spent on present needs or wants. But after a lifetime of re-investing the profits there will be a significant amount to retire on. And those who are wise enough to see the benefits will continue to save for investment purposes so that the initial deposit will swell a great deal over time.

Self-managed superannuation is another option for making the dream come true. This option should not be taken up lightly as there is a lot of work involved with running a self-managed superannuation fund. You will have to be the trustee and you are directly accountable for everything that happens to the fund.

The responsibilities of a trustee are many. There are strict guidelines that you must comply with and failure will bring down the wrath of the tax office upon your head. You must lodge both an income tax return and a superannuation fund return on an annual basis. As well, there must be superannuation member contribution statements lodged every year. An approved auditor must be appointed to do an audit annually. And records must be kept for ten years. There are also restrictions on investments that must be complied with.

In fact, many people feel that the amount of work involved is not worth the benefit and so go with managed funds. Unless you have experience and plenty of time, this is a good decision.

Years ago the time-honoured way of investing was t o simply have a savings account in a bank. These days, if you want a retirement income you have to invest in a more aggressive manner. There are various asset classes that can be considered for this investment strategy. Fixed interest investments or securities can make some capital growth and profits when they are traded in the latter case.

Equities (shares) have the potential for good capital growth over a term of 3-6 years. Tax imputation is also available. That is, if the company has paid tax on their profit that is then paid to you as a dividend, you will be entitled to a tax credit.

Property investments can be real estate or listed property trusts (LPT). Real estate includes residential (houses) retail (e.g. shopping complexes, industrial (factories etc) and others. LPTs are bought sold and traded via the stock exchange.

Multi-sector funds are good because they allow you to invest across a wide sector of asset classes, including internationally. Each multi sector fund has a specific focus i.e. income or capital growth.

Managed funds are often preferred by the small investor as a way of investing without all the trouble of doing it. Numerous investors provide a pool of finance and a person hired for the job, or more often an investment company manages the investment. Many banks provide managed investments.