Winter Edition: 2010

Happy New Financial Year!

Dear Valued Client

What's new in 2010-11

• Team Changes:  Out: Rudd, Resource Super Tax  In: Gillard, Resource Rent Tax
• Personal Income Tax changes - slight improvements
• Medical Expense Rebate - gets tougher
• Account Based Pensions - 50% minimum income rate to continue
• Centrelink Health Cards - are you a chance?

Read more...

Quality Control at Muirfield

You have placed in us the trust of looking after your financial planning and investment needs. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly. Whilst we can’t control the movements in investment markets we can ensure that what we do is appropriate to your financial circumstances, well researched, accurate and provide you with excellent service.

So how do we do this?  Read More...

Why Aussie Shares?

During times of market unrest you might wonder why we still think Australian shares should remain a major component of your portfolio.  To find out why, Read More...

SMA's in Navigator

Muirfield clients have embraced the use of Separately Managed Accounts in Navigator and all clients with accounts in excess of $200,000 that have a minimum of 40% of their portfolio in Australian shares will now have the ‘Blue Chip Top 20 SMA’. Navigator advised that Muirfield was the earliest and largest planning firm to utilize SMA’s. After just 6 months more than $100 million has been invested by financial planners on behalf of their clients in SMAs.

The virtues of the SMA’s are:
•   their low fees (0.2% pa),
•   transparent investments – you can see each of the 20 shares you hold and track their daily price changes, and
•   you do not have inherited tax issues.

It’s a compelling proposition to include them as part of your investment portfolio.

Frozen funds in Navigator

As you would be aware all Mortgage funds froze redemptions in October 2009 as an indirect consequence of the government guarantee on bank deposits. For many this has been an annoyance and even more so for us! However, mortgage funds continue to pay interest and do allow partial redemptions from time to time.

It is our intention to submit an application in for a partial redemption for you each time a mortgage fund allows. You will get confirmation of this redemption and the deposit to your Navigator cash account when it occurs.

Footy Tipping - Halfway Leaders

Muirfield’s annual footy tipping competition has again been popular and the leader board is extremely tight. It has been an interesting year in football! This has resulted in the top 11 tippers within 3 points of each other only to be separated by margin.
Our current leader is Eric Olthwaite on 72 followed by Wanga & Colstug who are both on 71.
We have awarded several movie tickets to those tippers who have successfully tipped 8 this season and achieved the highest margin for that round. The wooden spoon award mid season goes to our very own Carl Creasey.
There will be some terrific prizes at the end of the season for the winners, so Good Luck to all you tippers. Keep on Tipping!