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Homework For Australian Expats Over the Summer Break

Homework For Australian Expats Over the Summer Break –  The Northern Hemisphere summer break is a great time for Australian expats to take stock, think back at the last 12 months and make some changes for the next 12 months (if that’s what you decide).

It is easy to neglect thinking about yourself and your family’s life when caught in the daily routines around work, school, and your communities.

So set aside some time to look at these key issues you might want to address.

Obviously, as Financial Advisors we will tend to focus on money but all these issues are important and many of them are actually hygiene factors that need to be right for you to be happy.  So here goes:

 

Careers

 

  • Did you earn what your thought you should have over the last 12 months, and do you need to consider your current position?
  • Does your current role make good use of your skills and qualifications?
  • If you asked for a pay rise can the company you work for pay for it?
  • Are there reasonable opportunities in your profession elsewhere?

 

Finance

 

  • Did you hit your savings goals? What goals are you setting for the next 12 months?
  • Have you set a retirement savings goal for 12 months time? If not establish this goal.
  • Have you set other saving and investment goals? If not establish these goals.
  • Review your loans/ mortgages in an increasing interest rate environment.
  • Have you reviewed investment portfolio performance? Does it require a review in light of current markets?
  • Do you have the correct investment structures?
  • Review your insurances.
  • Do some tax planning (NOW).

 

Fitness / Health

 

  • Fitness and Health Goals are often the shortest-lived commitments we make to ourselves, so how did you do (better than me I hope)?
  • Set some achievable goals for doing things that you like to do instead of aggressive 90-day transformations (tennis or football instead of gym workouts). (90-day goals are great as long as they link cohesively into a longer picture of activity and health.)

 

Friends / Family

 

  • If the Covid pandemic taught us anything is that a lot of Australian expats are pretty lonely, and sometimes it’s because we just can’t be bothered with the inevitable drama that comes with family.
  • Be bothered, it’s better for your well-being and even token communication with the family will widen your social circle.
  • Friends require effort and commitment as well, but don’t underestimate your importance to other people, and them to you.
  • Make a commitment to maintain or increase your pool of friends this year.

 

Significant Others

 

  • If you are in a relationship, is it in better or worse shape than a year ago?
  • What needs to occur to maintain or improve that situation? If it’s financial revisit your financial goals.

 

Physical Environment / Home

 

  • Does your home environment meet the needs of all the people in your household?
  • For Australian expats this can be a vexed issue, and may need to be considered with a fixed time frame in mind.
  • And the planning might need to involve, perhaps purchasing a home where you intend to retire.

 

Fun / Recreation

 

  • Covid had a lot of people giving up on their normal recreational activities to the detriment of people’s well-being.
  • Let’s get the whole family back to doing what they liked doing before.
  • Plan your vacations and sporting events and family holidays, and make sure they are front and centre of your budgeting.

 

Personal / Spiritual Growth

 

  • Be the change that you want to see in the world!!! (apologies Ghandi)

 

 

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