Rotary club to host financial seminar for all stages of age and earning

The Managing your Finances Seminar will be held at the bowling club on Tuesday, May 14 for an evening that begins with dinner followed by a list of guest speakers offering their professional insights.

"It's an opportunity for people to get impartial advice from some specialists," Rotarian Brian Beesley said.

"It gives young people and particularly those starting off in business a chance to get an overarching look at how they might manage their finances, and also those who are looking at retiring in the near future."

Speakers will cover such topics as financing first homes and investments, using low interest rates to your advantage, legal issues for wealth protection, superannuation and planning for retirement.

Presenting on the night will be two financial planners and a solicitor from Taree, plus an accountant and also a solicitor from Gloucester.

The seminars were a regular event on the Rotary Club calendar until interrupted by COVID, with the May 14 event being the first since the concept has been resurrected.

First home buyers in particular may benefit from the expertise provided on the night, given the dwindling affordability of the national housing market.

CoreLogic data recorded home values reaching new record highs in November 2023, with the portion of household income required to service a new loan on the median dwelling value reaching 48.9 per cent nationally.

This is in contrast to the previous decade which registered an average of 34.6 per cent.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) state that the total number of new owner-occupier dwelling loans fell 2.6 per cent in January 2024.

Meanwhile, household spending was 3.6 per cent higher than a year ago, according to ABS figures released in April 2024.

All of which makes for a challenging financial landscape to be navigated, with the benefit of unbiased advice at a premium.

"It's really a community service thing, the people who come are very good and for those people who already have a financial advisor, it gives them an alternative set of questions and something to look at," Brian said.

The Managing your Finances Seminar will be held at Gloucester Bowling Club on Tuesday, May 14 from 6pm. Tickets are $30 Includes Dinner and seminar and are available from Ray White Rural Gloucester. Ph: 40721714

Bookings Close Friday, May 10. Pre-Booking is essential.