Money Expert

Jim Kilkenny

The Financial Services and Investment Veteran
‘If I’m in a tough spot financially, is it smart to move to an income stream?’
Jim Kilkenny avatarJim Kilkenny
Retirement Income
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This reader wants to know when the right time is to take the first dip into super. Source: Getty.
Retirement Income

‘Can a 58-year-old, full-time worker use their super to pay off a mortgage?’

‘Can a 58-year-old, full-time worker use their super to pay off a mortgage?’

Heard of unrestricted non-preserved benefits? Nope? Nor have most people, but there's a slim chance they could hold the answer.
As the financial world changes, should the fee structure of financial advisers balance out to match? Jim Kilkenny explains. Source: Getty.
Money

‘What’s fair for a financial adviser to charge in the current financial climate?’

‘What’s fair for a financial adviser to charge in the current financial climate?’

"There is a famous and very apt adage applying to this issue which goes 'price is only a concern in the absence of value'!"
Choosing the right path for your money can be a tricky task. Source: Getty.
Retirement Income

‘Is adding my inheritance of about $100K to my super the smartest choice?

‘Is adding my inheritance of about $100K to my super the smartest choice?

This reader wants to know whether she's better off adding her windfall to her income stream or investing elsewhere.
Comparing the two options is like comparing apples and oranges. Source: Getty.
Retirement Income

‘Should we stick with our SMSF or transfer our $570K to a super fund?’

‘Should we stick with our SMSF or transfer our $570K to a super fund?’

Controlling your own destiny versus a time-and-cost headache is the usual SMSF conundrum.
At this stage, people with account-based pensions really only have one option. Source: Getty.
Experts

‘Why must I take a super income if I’m happy living on a full pension?’

‘Why must I take a super income if I’m happy living on a full pension?’

Is it fair to prevent non-working Australians over pension age from making super contributions? One reader says no.
Which door would you head through when it comes to investing extra cash? Source: Getty.
Investment

‘Should I put any extra money into super or my investment house?’

‘Should I put any extra money into super or my investment house?’

If you're lucky enough to have extra cash after covering your expenses, putting it to work for you gives you extra bang for your buck.
Depending on your financial wellbeing, it might be better to unlock your funds as you get older by reinvesting in assets with more accessibility. Source: Getty.
Retirement Income

‘I’m selling my home. Do I put the proceeds into super or buy a rental house?’

‘I’m selling my home. Do I put the proceeds into super or buy a rental house?’

Money expert Jim Kilkenny has an unusual suggestion that could benefit the reader AND her daughter.
A bridging loan would help ease the urgency of making the sale in order to downsize. Source: Getty.
Money

‘We need to downsize but can’t sell our home. Can we get a bridging loan?’

‘We need to downsize but can’t sell our home. Can we get a bridging loan?’

In the current interest rate environment, a bridging loan is a relatively cheap solution.
Don't let the financial market clear your plate by constantly moving your money around. Source: Getty.
Investment

‘Help! The market’s eating away at my retirement funds and frankly, I’m scared’

‘Help! The market’s eating away at my retirement funds and frankly, I’m scared’

"It's “time in” markets rather than “timing” markets that pays off in the long run."

About Jim Kilkenny

Accountant, financial adviser, company director and investor; you name it, James ‘Jim’ Kilkenny’s seen it in almost 40 years in the financial sector. Having started his career at some of the biggest names in the financial services industry – KPMG, PriceWaterhouse, Bain & Co and Deutsche Bank – Jim went on to co-found financial planning company Kilkenny Rose and act as a regular public speaker on financial services issues, as well as to serve on the boards of several companies, including that of ASX-listed SFG Australia. Jim ‘retired’ in 2015 but remains an enthusiastic personal investor, is a director of aged-care start-up Care 360 and works as consultant. He’s a certified financial planner (retired), a fellow with the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a specialist adviser to the Self-Managed Superannuation Funds Association of Australia.