Today I’d like to offer a list of simple strategies that can help Australians improve their financial fitness. If done properly, this includes assessing all aspects of personal finances, including strategies to boost retirement investments, such as including property and super, savings, a review of insurance policies, staying ahead of tax obligations and making an…
Articles by Ken Raiss

Ken is director of Metropole Wealth Advisory and gives strategic expert advice to property investors, professionals and business owners. He is in a unique position to blend his skills of accounting, wealth advisory, property investing, financial planning and small business. View his articles
All parents want to provide for their children and hopefully create wealth to leave to them and their children, too. These days, with higher property prices, many people also want to help their children financially so they can buy their first home or property investment. However, sometimes these desires outweigh practicalities, such as tax planning…
Superannuation is frequently misunderstood as merely an investment vehicle to accumulate wealth for your golden years. However, in reality, it’s also a structure designed to hold various types of investments which offers a plethora of tax benefits that can result in substantial financial gains, especially for those savvy enough to exploit them effectively. Please note…
Too many people consider life as a game of Monopoly. They think they can gamble on property, or the share market, without the right knowledge or advice. But unlike the famous board game, there is no miraculous pot of money in real life that we can dip into whenever we need it. Launching yourself into…
There are more than 600,000 self-managed super funds (SMSFs) in Australia controlling more than $700 billion – so on average each fund holds more than $1.2 million – and many people who set up an SMSF do so to have greater control over their investments and operating costs. And it makes sense given that so…
Some say that Australia has an ageing population crisis, with 558,000 Australians now aged 85 years… and in 13 years that’s expected to hit 1 million. And that means there will soon be billions, if not more, of dollars transferred to our younger generations. The problem is, many of these heirs aren’t prepared, and a…
There’s a common saying that you should ‘begin with the end in mind’ – this is especially true for property investment. The problem is that too many investors begin their investment journey without considering what will be the best ownership structure. Without much thought to it, they put their entire portfolio in their personal name….
Do you make the most out of your potential tax deductions? Do you keep good records to substantiate your tax claims? Well, you should because the ATO regularly targets property investors, so it’s important that you know what you can and cannot claim as a tax deduction. What can you claim as a tax deduction?…
Parents often ask me how they can help their children into property. Some even contemplate giving one of their existing properties to their children. For those more financially free, giving a property while they are still alive so they can see the joy it creates can be very heart-warming. But there are a number of…
Are there ways to avoid or reduce paying capital gains tax (CGT) on an investment property entirely? Yes, there are! It’s an unfortunate part of every property investor’s journey that they will most likely eventually be liable for Capital Gains Tax or CGT. However, there are a few strategies that can help you minimise your…