The ability for life insurers to discriminate based on adverse predictive genetic test results will be banned under a new Government proposal. Predictive genetic tests detect gene variants associated with heritable disorders that appear after birth, often later in life, but are not clinically detectable at the time of testing. To overcome concerns about discrimination...

New nationwide research released by ASIC’s Moneysmart reveals that 47% of Australian adults with debt, the equivalent of 5.8 million people, have struggled to make repayments in the last 12 months. Alarmingly, the research revealed that more than half surveyed, said they are not aware that they are entitled to ask their bank or lender...

Not so many years ago a new scheme was introduced which also established a national register that could affect anyone who answers “yes” to any of the following scenarios — are you in business, and do you: sell goods on retention of title terms? hire, rent or lease out goods? buy or sell valuable second-hand...

Did you know that dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians[1] with data indicating that it will likely soon be the leading cause of death? It’s a scary thought but at some point in the future, you may not have capacity to make important legal or medical decisions. This article summarises what you...

Following a recent cyber-attack, Optus customers are advised they could be at risk of identity theft. While Optus has not yet revealed how many of its 9.7million customers were impacted, they did confirm that the number was “significant”. Importantly, the breach has affected past Optus customers back to 2017, as well as current customers. Customers...

From floods to fires, Australian businesses have been hit hard by a range of natural disasters in recent years, below are some things to consider if you have been impacted or are so in the future. Financial assistance For affected residents and businesses, there is often a range of assistance available at both a State...

The government has made a number of changes to temporary visa holder arrangements during the COVID-19 crisis. The Department of Home Affairs says these measures have been made to protect the health and livelihoods of Australians, to support critical industries, and to boost recovery afterwards. Home Affairs records show that there are 2.17 million temporary...

A major change in the way employers report the tax and super information for their employees to the ATO has been on the way for a while now. The single touch payroll (STP) system started to be rolled out gradually from 1 July 2018 for what the ATO refers to as “substantial” employers (those with...

A novated lease is a popular way for employers to reward and incentivise their staff. Through a salary sacrifice arrangement that includes a novated lease, employees are provided with a vehicle and can also reduce their personal tax liability. However, employees should understand how fringe benefits tax (FBT) might apply to their arrangement and what...