THT Financial

15/07/2024

We have been very quiet on the social media front lately as we have been focusing on new and existing clients and with End of Financial Year things were very busy. We had a short break and are back in the office now ready for another great year.

Its time to re introduce ourselves for those of you that are new here.

Hugh Todhunter is the business owner and financial planner for THT Financial and has been working in the industry for over 18 years. After completing a Bachelor of Business degree at the University of Newcastle in 2005 Hugh worked for several financial planning firms in various roles and went on to complete a Diploma in Financial Planning and is currently undertaking further study. He became an Authorised Representative in 2012 before opening THT Financial in 2017.

He has been married to his wife Tara for 15 years and they make a great team working together to run THT Financial. They have a 13 year old son together.

Did you know THT Financial can help with the following things

*Superannuation
*Retirement planning
*SMSF
*Aged care advice
*Life insurance and income protection
*Wealth Building
*We also work with trusted professionals that can help with tax, estate planning and all your finance needs.

For more information please visit our website www.thtfinancial.com.au or give us a call on (02) 6559 3051 or Hugh on 0450 605 065

19/12/2023

From the team at THT Financial we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Our office will be closed from Friday 22nd December 2023 and reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

As always, for any urgent matters you can still contact us via email or Hugh's mobile 0450 605 065.

14/11/2023

We have not posted for a while with the last 6 months focusing on new and existing clients and managing what has been an eventful period.

Inflation, rising interest rates, global unrest and a looming US election have all added to ongoing market volatility, resulting in Australian and overseas share markets reasonably flat since January 1.

This has presented both challenges and opportunities for portfolios but maintaining a long term investment outlook remains paramount.

Taking advantage of tax savings, government incentives and estate planning remain a priority for our clients to ensure we continue to provide sound strategic advice.

If you are nervous about your current situation or unsure if you are on the right path feel free to reach out for a no cost obligation free meeting.

14/03/2023

SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION ABOUT SILICON VALLEY BANK (SVB)

SVB is a California-based bank that had considerable exposure to the venture capital, or VC, industry. Over the past two years, the bank’s balance sheet expanded rapidly. VC companies had deposited cash with the bank, which then bought government bonds and mortgage-backed securities with that cash. Loan demand was not strong. So the bank invested in financial instruments instead of lending.

Problems arose when the VC firms recently asked for their deposits back because of cash-flow problems and the challenges faced by the technology industry in the past six months. To refund deposits, SVB was forced to sell some bond holdings. Due to the decline in bond values in the past 12 months, these sales resulted in a US$1.5 billion loss on those investments. On Thursday, when this loss was revealed, SVB’s stock price fell 60% as the bank tried to raise capital to cover those losses. The stock fell another 60% on Friday before the company stock was suspended from trading and regulators and the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC) closed the bank. This is the largest bank failure in the world since 2008.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The FDIC insures deposits up to a maximum of US$250,000 per depositor. However, most of SVB’s clients are companies not individuals. Many of the companies that bank with SVB face a significant short-term funding crisis. Regulators and the FDIC are trying to work through the liquidation of SVB’s bond portfolio and a possible sale of parts or all of the bank. We may not know the outcome of such discussions until Tuesday morning in Australia.

DOES THE FAILURE OF SVB MEAN WE ARE FACING ANOTHER GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS?
The issues facing SVB are likely to be bank-specific due to the nature of its client base and balance sheet. Large banks in the US and Europe are much more diversified and do not face the funding problems that SVB had. It is a reminder that there are certain parts of the economy, especially in technology, that are facing headwinds and, in some cases, significant shortages of cash. We do not see this as the start of another banking crisis.

02/01/2023

Happy New Year!

Our office will re open on Monday 9th January 2023.

If you would like to book a no cost obligation free meeting to discuss your financial needs now is the time.

Give us a call on 02 65593051 or email [email protected]

06/09/2022

As expected the RBA has raised interest rates again today, putting pressure on some already stretched household budgets and the property market more broadly.

Navigating the next 12 to 24 months may be difficult for some but if you have not overstretched yourself this is an opportunity to tighten the budget, get ahead and give yourself the best opportunity for further investment down the track.

If you would like a no cost, obligation free chat with an independent and professional financial planner please don't hesitate to reach out.

0450 605 065
02 6559 3051
[email protected]

The Reserve Bank of Australia has delivered the fourth double interest rate rise in a row, but may now slow down the pace of its hikes.

24/07/2022

We are all talking about rising interst rates for the first time in years. For recent first home buyers and property investors the next 12 to 24 months will present challenges, however if you have been responsible with your investment choices and made sure you have a safety buffer with cash flow you should be able to navigate the inevitable further rate rises.

House prices may decline as a result of forced sales and supply over demand but for those that can hold on history has shown us that markets will always recover.

Why is the RBA raising rates? To put it very simply, we have an inflation problem and the best way to combat this is to raise interest rates, force the country into recession by removing cheap money from the economy and try and bring inflation back to around 3% (from the current high of around 7%).

Since Covid-19 hit us interest rates have gone to almost zero, social security payments have been extended, businesses have been granted tax breaks and incentives and some questionable government policies have flooded our economy with cheap or free money. Could they have fixed this problem earlier? I will leave that to others to debate...

The good news is, retirees are now being paid to keep money in the bank. This allows us to take less risk with client portfolios in order to generate safe returns to meet needs.

If you would like a no cost, obligation free chat with an independent and professional financial planner please don't hesitate to reach out via phone or Email.

02 6559 3051
0450 605 065
[email protected]

ANALYSIS

09/05/2022

We are fast approaching the end of financial year so tax planning should be something we are all thinking about.

However at the same time we are experiencing some of the most volatile share markets of recent memory so I understand why people may be nervous.

I have said it before but if you have a diversified portfolio with the appropriate mix of growth and defensive assets you can comfortably navigate through any downturn.

My role is to ensure each and every asset you hold is a strong and sound investment that will provide a return over the long term so you have confidence that your retirement is in safe hands.

If you are a current or prospective client that is concerned about how you are placed right now, are considering making some changes to your portfolio or overall strategy or just want some advice on opportunities before 30 June please don't hesitate to reach out.

Contact us today @ THT Financial
02 65593051
0450 605 065
[email protected]

22/03/2022

Where to from here?

I have been asked for my opinion from several new, long term and prospective clients over the past several weeks on the state of the market, where we are heading and how they should be investing their hard earned money.

Without going to deep into what's going on with Russia and the Ukraine I think it is clear that we are in volatile and unprecedented times so predicting what will happen next is a difficult proposition.

Australia, the USA and the Western world has taken a strong political stance against Russia and how they respond to this remains to be seen. The idea of a military invasion of Russia has been ruled out at this stage to avoid inflaming an already volatile situation.

Closer to home most people are concerned about what message this position sends to China. Do they see this as a soft response and a "free pass" to take over Taiwan? is Australia safe from any potential global conflict?

The short answer is I don't know.

However what I do know is that in the last 25 years we have been through a major terrorist attack in New York City, a war in Iraq, countless Australian Prime Ministers and change of parties, a global health pandemic, a trade war with China, civil unrest in the US and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

All of these events have had immense impacts on the way we live our lives. But share markets and global economies have been quite resilient. My job is to understand when is time to be more conservative, when to be more bullish and making sure we are protecting for the next hurdle.

Right now I am cautious and a little more conservative with my clients retirement savings but at the same time I have a long term view that we will be OK.

That means keeping a diversifed approach, invest in line with your risk tolerance and protect against the next negative event.

If you would like to speak to a professional and independent financial planner please don't hesitate to call us today.

Hugh Todhunter 0450 605 065
(02) 6559 3051