Altum Independent Financial Advice

11/08/2026

A significant milestone for Altum — we are now officially independent.

Altum Financial Services has transitioned to Altum Independent Financial Advice and now meets the legal requirements to use the term “independent”.

This is an important change to our licensing structure and legal status, and a milestone we have been working towards for some time.

What hasn’t changed is how we work with our clients. We remain focused on thoughtful, personal advice, long-term relationships and recommendations shaped around each client’s individual circumstances, goals and needs.

Altum also continues to operate without commissions or asset-based adviser fees.

There are many different and valuable models for delivering financial advice. For Altum, independence is the model that best reflects the type of practice we want to continue building.

Thank you to our clients, professional partners and everyone who has supported Altum’s growth.

We’re proud to begin this next chapter as Altum Independent Financial Advice.

01/07/2026

📋 A number of superannuation changes came into effect on 1 July — and they're worth understanding.

Outside of super, tighter rules around trusts and closer scrutiny of income distributions have made tax outcomes less predictable for some investors. Inside super, the settings just became more favourable.

A few of the key changes:
✅ Payday Super — employers now pay contributions alongside wages, meaning compounding starts earlier
✅ Concessional contribution cap increased to $32,500
✅ Non-concessional cap increased to $130,000
✅ Transfer Balance Cap increased to $2.1 million — more capital can move into the tax-free retirement phase
✅ Division 296 introduces an additional tax on balances above $3 million
The carry-forward and bring-forward rules remain particularly useful if you've had irregular income, sold an asset, or received an inheritance.

Full article here 👇
https://altumfinance.com.au/superannuation-more-relevant-than-ever/
If you'd like to talk through what these changes mean for your situation, get in touch.
📞 altumfinance.com.au

30/06/2026

🗓️ Free online session — Wednesday 29 July, 6:30pm

Most people spend more time planning a holiday than planning their retirement.

But the decisions made in the five to ten years before retirement — and the first few years into it — can have a major impact on your long-term financial position.

**The Retirement Game Plan** is a free 60-minute live online session for Canberrans who want a clearer picture of what retirement could look like and what they should be thinking about before they get there.

We’ll cover three key areas:

✅ How super and investments can be used to help create retirement income
✅ How to think about simplifying property and other assets as retirement approaches
✅ How super death benefit tax can affect what is passed on to family

Online. Free. No obligation.

👉 Register here:
https://altumfinance.com.au/resources/retirement-game-plan/

General information only. No personal financial advice will be provided during the session.

09/06/2026

🗓️ Free online session — Wednesday 29 July at 6:30pm

If retirement is five to ten years away — or already here — this session was built for you.

The Retirement Game Plan is a free 60-minute live session for Canberrans who want a clearer picture of what retirement could look like, and the decisions that matter before and during retirement.

We’ll cover:

✅ How to create reliable, tax-effective income from your super and investments
✅ How to think through property, assets and structure as you move toward retirement
✅ How to reduce the risk of unnecessary tax on super death benefits

Retirement planning is not just about how much you have in super. It’s about how the pieces work together.

👉 Reserve your spot here:

Hosted by Handré Vlok, Founder & Principal Adviser, Altum Financial Services Pty Ltd — Authorised Representative of ANIG Wealth Management Pty Ltd (ABN 40 636 343 630 | AFSL 522028). What You’ll Learn in This 60-Minute Session The Lifestyle Income Strategy™ How to turn your super and investme...

01/06/2026

Altum Financial Services is now listed on the ADF Financial Services Consumer Centre.

This program connects ADF members with fee-for-service advisers who do not receive commissions or remuneration from product providers — so the advice you receive is genuinely focused on your interests.

Military service comes with financial decisions that most advisers rarely encounter — transition planning, defined benefit super, DVA considerations, retirement strategy, and long-term wealth structuring. These aren't areas where generic advice cuts it.

If you're a current or former ADF member, or a family member looking for clear and personalised financial advice, I'd love to have that conversation.

👉 Find out more at adfconsumer.gov.au or book an introductory call at altumfinance.com.au

26/05/2026

📈 The news is loud, the worry list is long — but does pessimism actually pay as an investor?

Oil shocks. Budget changes. Rising rates. Social media doom. It's easy to feel like now is the worst possible time to be invested.

But history tells a different story.

We've shared an article on our website by Dr Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist, covering three reasons why cautious optimism — not pessimism — is the smarter long-term approach for investors.

A few things that stood out:

📉 Our brains are wired to feel losses more painfully than gains — which makes us natural receptors of bad news and poor investment decisions

📱 Social media algorithms amplify extreme views and dramatic headlines, making worries feel bigger than they are

📊 $100 invested in Australian shares in 1900 with dividends reinvested would be worth around $3.8 million today — cash over the same period would be worth around $16,000

⏱️ Missing just the 10 best days in the Australian share market since 1995 drops your annual return from 9.4% to 7.5% — missing the 40 best days drops it to 3.7%

The key isn't blind optimism. It's having a framework that keeps you invested through the noise.

Full article here 👇
https://altumfinance.com.au/three-reasons-why-it-pays-to-be-an-optimist-as-an-investor/

If you'd like to talk through how to build that kind of framework for your own situation, I'm happy to have that conversation.

📞 Book an introductory call: altumfinance.com.au

20/05/2026

📊 Oil shocks, rising bond yields, the Budget, and the RBA — what does it all mean for your investments right now?

There's a lot happening at once and it can be hard to know what actually matters for your money. We've shared a Q&A style breakdown on our website that cuts through the noise.

A few things worth understanding:
🛢️ The Strait of Hormuz is still closed — the world has been drawing down oil stockpiles to cushion the impact, but that can't continue indefinitely. If a deal isn't reached soon, oil prices could still push significantly higher

📈 Rising bond yields are putting pressure on share valuations — both Australian and US markets are offering limited risk premium over bonds right now

🏠 The Budget's changes to negative gearing and CGT make shares and super relatively more attractive than residential property for investors

💰 High yielding investments are likely to be favoured over growth-focused strategies under the new tax settings

🏦 One more RBA rate hike in August looks likely — but rate cuts are expected through next year
This is a genuinely useful read if you're thinking about where to put your money in the current environment.

Full article here 👇
https://altumfinance.com.au/investment-outlook/
Happy to talk through what any of this means for your own situation.
📞 Book an introductory call: altumfinance.com.au

12/05/2026

🏛️ The 2026-27 Federal Budget is out — here's what it actually means for you.

Negative gearing changes. Capital gains tax reform. Spending cuts. Rate hike implications. It's a big Budget with real consequences for property investors, small business owners, and everyday Australians.

We've shared a detailed breakdown on our website covering the key winners and losers, what it means for the RBA, and how different asset classes — property, shares, cash — are likely to be affected.

A few things worth knowing:
🏠 Property investors in existing homes face tighter negative gearing rules from 2027-28 — roughly 1.2 million Australians will be affected

📈 The 50% CGT discount is being replaced with taxation of real gains — shares and business owners need to pay attention

💼 Small business gets a boost with permanent instant asset write-offs and expanded R&D credits

📉 The Budget adds near-term stimulus, which won't make the RBA's inflation fight any easier

The full picture is more nuanced than the headlines suggest — read the analysis here

👇
https://altumfinance.com.au/budget-2026/
If you want to talk through what these changes mean for your personal situation,

I'm happy to have that conversation.

📞 Book an introductory call: altumfinance.com.au

06/05/2026

📈 The RBA has lifted rates again, but the bigger question is what comes next.

The focus isn’t just how high rates go, but how long they need to remain restrictive to bring inflation back under control.

We’ve shared an analysis on our website highlighting a key lesson from the 1970s:

👉 Easing policy too early risks a resurgence in inflation, which can ultimately require even tighter policy later.

That experience is one reason the RBA is likely to remain cautious, even as growth slows and cost-of-living pressures persist.

For Australians, this suggests:

- Interest rates may need to stay higher for longer
- Ongoing pressure on household budgets
- Continued uncertainty in investment markets

The broader implication is that the low and stable inflation environment of the past decade may not return quickly.

Understanding that is important when making financial decisions.

Read the full analysis here 👇
https://altumfinance.com.au/the-rba-hikes-again-to-control-inflation-lessons-learned-from-the-1970s/

If you’d like to discuss what this means for your situation, you can book a time via the website.