COLLINS, Damian

ISBN 978-1-923156-82-1
PAPERBACK

Property Investing Roadmap

How to build an income from property for life

Residential or commercial? Renovate or redevelop? Australians enjoy a feast of options when it comes to the nation’s favourite investment – property. But while most people only achieve one investment property, you can take your wealth to far greater heights using the right strategies.

In Property Investing Roadmap – How to build an income from property for life, Damian Collins, one of Australia’s most respected property experts, guides you through the spectrum of property-related choices, from how to buy your first rental property through to sophisticated strategies such as leveraging equity, property development, and diversifying a portfolio through commercial property.

Inside you’ll discover:

  • Why you need to invest
  • Signs that a property and location have growth potential
  • Strategies to manage cash flow as a property investor
  • How to build a team of experts to guide you on your property journey
  • Why the time to take action is now
  • How to complete a successful development project
  • Why it makes sense to start with residential and end with commercial property
Damian Collins self-published author

About the Author

A professional property investor for over 30 years, Damian Collins left his career as a Chartered Accountant to build a multi-million dollar personal property portfolio. As founder and Managing Director of residential property investment advisory, Momentum Wealth, and Chairman of property funds management company Westbridge Funds Management, Damian has championed opportunities for all Australians to reap the rewards of property investing. A former President of the Real Estate Institute of WA, Damian is regularly sought-after for commentary in media outlets as diverse as the Australian Financial Review, Australian Property Investor and Money magazine.

GILLAN, Kimberley

ISBN 978-1-923156-37-1 
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How Low Can You Go?

Nutritious meals from $30 per week

This book has over 80 recipes that prove it can be down. Yet this is more than a recipe book. It is a book for our times, giving you the edge in a crisis. You will learn what foods to buy and when, supermarket psychology and how to stay ahead of the game when things change. There are tricks for when a favourite food becomes expensive and ideas on free foods that might be right underneath your feet.

Just how low can you go? For most of us, 40% of what we currently spend on food.

A family of four can feed themselves for $90 per week.

When Kimberley Gillan stopped work due to illness, drastic changes were needed for her family to keep a roof over their heads. The challenge was, how low could she go on groceries, while providing the 17 more essential vitamins and minerals her family needed and still having weekly treats, snacks, and celebrations. Over seven years of trial and error she learnt more than how to survive; she learnt a recipe for a better life.

Here it is, a set of instructions on how to play the grocery game and win.

About the author

Kimberley Gillan’s processional career has included being a fairy princess at a theme park, an economic development officer, policy writer and strategic planner. She has a Bachelor of Community, Planning and Development, graduation with honours and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. Her Master’s dissertation was on Food Security.

Kimberley lives with her husband Keith, and his cat, on the Atherton Tablelands and now writes full time.

MARVILL, Christine

ISBN 978-1-923156-35-7
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Fluffy Amigurumi Animals

10 patterns for velvety soft crochet animals

Dive into the Cosy World of Fluffy Amigurumi Animals.

Experience the enchantment of creating irresistibly cute crochet animals using plush velvet yarn. From a snuggly Teddy Bear to a charming Kangaroo, this book offers easy-to-follow patterns that bring a touch of whimsy to your crochet adventures. Elevate your crafting with the luxurious softness of velvet yearn, making each project a huggable masterpiece. Unleash your creativity, one fluffy stitch at a time!

 

ORFORD, David, Peter Rowe & Jim Hennington

ISBN 978-1-923088-73-3
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Retirement Income for Life

Solving the longevity equation

A guide for financial planners

It’s a brand-new world of retirement planning in Australia and this ground-breaking book supports financial planners to empower their clients to manage longevity risk with a lifetime income strategy that seamlessly blends the best of new and traditional retirement products. Written by an elite team of experienced actuaries, superannuation and retirement experts this book introduces a new breed of retirement income streams to help provide Australians with the long-term security they need.

*All the information and calculations are current at the time of writing.

David Orford self-published author

About the Authors

David Orford

David has enjoyed a long career in financial services as an actuary to 4 life insurers, 12 friendly societies and several superannuation funds. He was also the founder of Financial Synergy, which grew to become Australia’s leading provider of superannuation administration software before being acquired by IRESS in 2016. Throughout his career, David has worked towards his personal mission to help Australians lead a comfortable retirement and now devotes his time to researching and creating innovative retirement solutions and directing The Orford Foundation. David has made several submissions focussed on the provision of retirement incomes to financial systems inquiries and strongly believes “The objective for our country should be to provide every citizen in their retirement with an income stream which lasts for the rest of their life.”

Peter Rowe self-published author

Peter Rowe

Peter has spent over 30 years in senior management roles in the superannuation industry, covering a wide range of functions, including administration, finance, investments, members services, IT and Systems. He has had extensive experience with both defined benefit and accumulation plans that included lifetime pensions and account-based pensions as well as a variety of other income products. Peter’s experiences advising retirees, and deep knowledge of the financial services market supports his current passion to increase the use of the new range of lifetime retirement income streams to benefit all Australians.

Jim Hennington self-published author

Jim Hennington

Jim Hennington is an actuary who has spent 30 years working in superannuation, financial planning and retirement software both in the UK and Australia. With over 10 years’ experience as a director of licenced advice firms, Jim has built a strong track record applying actuarial thinking to the personal planning space. A thought leader and financial services innovator, Jim specialises in retirement incomes and advice technology, and was part of the team driving the design and modelling tools to launch Optimum Pensions products to superannuation funds, financial planners and retirees. Jim works tirelessly to educate financial planners and others about longevity risk. He is skilled in unpacking wordy and complex legislation, and he has written landmark papers for Actuaries Institute of Australia, dealing with how to fairly project retirees’ income, expenses etc into the future.

Testimonials

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“Compared to many professions, financial advice as it is becoming, is relatively new. Founded by a combination of broking, accounting, insurance, and legal, combined with a world class superannuation system, the proposition of the adviser continues to evolve, moving from ‘below the line’ (money, products, investments etc) to ‘above the line’ (advice and strategy to help people make smart decisions about money) – or, as I say, from product to people, and from money to meaning.

As our population ages and accrues wealth, conversations shift from accumulation of assets to the focus on retirement planning and the strategic advice provided to prospective retirees. People are living longer, which means that their retirement savings may well need to last longer. Retiring with confidence is important.

As the industry evolves and the profession emerges, visionaries and leaders find solutions out of problems and black spots. Until recently, financial advisers have had to deal with the deck of cards they have. Concerned about fixed term or lifelong annuities, advisers have tended to focus on retirement solutions on account-based pensions (ABPs). The issue with traditional solutions has been loss of capital due to premature death (in the case of annuities), or expiring well after your money does (in the case of an accountbased pension).

Well, retirement planning in Australia has entered a new world with a number of lifetime income options. Efficient and effective investment-linked and Group Self Annuitised (or GSA) lifetime annuities have only become available after legislation has made it possible to invest superannuation money into these products in 2017.

These new products offer “longevity insurance” like guaranteed life annuities, but without locking in low investment returns, and allow the same investment choices as superannuation members have enjoyed through ABPs. By intergenerationally transferring the balances of members who pass away to survivors, they allow the survivors to enjoy a much higher standard of living at a lower risk of running out.

I believe the advice proposition of the future is moving to adviser, coach, educator, mentor, project manager. Combining strategies to increase income, decrease expenses, reduce taxation liabilities, protect assets, ensure security in any catastrophe – in order to achieve all that’s important to them and to live their best possible life… People want to live their best, with confidence. They want to live rich, not to die rich.

I commend the work of David, Peter, Jim and their team in the vision and leadership they have shown to painstakingly drive this necessary and important change into our market, for the betterment of current and future retired Australians.

Important reading for any serious financial advisor in Australia.”

David Haintz
AM Principal
Global Adviser Alpha Pty Ltd

“This book is a must read for planners throughout Australia. David Orford and his team have been trail blazers in the area of lifetime annuities. Their knowledge is extensive.

This is the new emerging market and those who embrace it will be well rewarded as indeed will their clients with peace of mind and a better quality retirement.

I have always been interested in this product solution as I believe that it is in a retiree’s Best Interests to include in their retirement plan, particularly for those poor at budgeting or with relatively low retirement assets and who qualify for the Age Pension.”

Peter Hawks
Annuity Brokers of Australia P/L

“Retirement planning in Australia has entered a new world. The time is therefore ripe for this book, which explains the new opportunities for planners and their clients.
New SIS regulations introduced in 2017 makes it possible to invest superannuation money into a wider range of new product categories. Favourable changes to the Age Pension Assets and Income tests were later introduced to encourage the use of certain product types. Although new products have taken time to make it onto the market, they are now appearing in approved product lists.

By using the new range of products, often in conjunction with existing products, your clients can spread some or all of their financial capital over their own indeterminate lifespan. They provide an income that can meet their spending plan. For your clients, it can be the financial magic pudding – although it will not outlive them.

It may be difficult to believe that regulatory changes can offer new opportunities – but in this case they do. I can recommend the book to everyone who wants to take advantage of the new possibilities for the benefit of their clients. Welcome to a whole New World.”

Dr Anthony Asher
Associate Professor, School of Risk and Actuarial Studies,
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Convenor of the Actuaries Institute Retirement Income Working Group

The views expressed above are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of UNSW nor of the Actuaries Institute.

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KOVACS, Joshua

ISBN 978-1-923088-93-1
PAPERBACK (INGRAM)

ISBN 978-1-923156-12-8
PAPERBACK (AMAZON)

Essentially You

“The most important conversations you need to have are with yourself.”

For your benefit, I’m sharing the physical activities and thought processes I focused on that I accredit my success to through the most challenging time of my life, suffering from poor mental health and low self-esteem.

Once I got myself up and started exercising, it allowed me to start thinking and self-reflect honestly about different situations, choices and interactions from my teen years and throughout my life.

I realised the choices I had made years before only provided limited options. I needed to understand better how I could continually improve my life’s path and create better opportunities going forward.

Over time and with my continual efforts, my mental health improved with my outlook on life being from a more positive perspective, creating greater self-belief and confidence to overcome my challenges.

The lessons learnt via my experiences can provide guidance and support, reducing confusion in your own journey. My dream is to help you continually improve your normal and then be the better you. Read on and believe in yourself.

MORRIS, Don

ISBN 978-1-923589-52-0
PAPERBACK

Role Models, Mentors. Leaders, and Elders

 

Our Potential to Be the Difference that Makes a Difference

To quote Hal David’s iconic 1965 song…

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love Not just for some but for everyone”.

This book suggests that Role Models, Mentors, Leaders and Elders can nurture and build love for one and all. Over time … more and more of ‘us’ … in these roles … can help build loving values in families, relationships, communities, and ecologies … locally and globally.

Through ever-increasing role-modelling, mentoring, leading and eldership, many persons and peoples of the Earth can nurture and proliferate love in the form of dignity, respect, kindness, fairness, generosity, integrity, and accountability.

You and I and ‘a host of us’ can nurture loving-valuesin- action to benefit all people, all our fellow species, and all of Nature. Millions of ‘us’ have the combined potential to fulfil these noble and necessary roles to help serve and heal our World and our Earth.

Over decades, a minority of exemplars can become many. Exemplars of love can become the new norm, the new normal way to be human. We can do this. We must do this.

This book is original and thought-provoking.

It is a quick and easy read.

ISBN 978-1-923443-85-3
PAPERBACK

ISBN 978-1-923523-43-2
EBOOK

Dickheads, Wankers, and Arseholes

 

A bold and cheeky guide to decoding three male types and syndromes

If you haven’t read a book about Dickheads, Wankers, Arseholes? Here it is.

If you haven’t read about the syndromes of dickheadery, wankery and arseholery? Now you can.

It’s about time someone wrote about these bleedingly obvious personality ‘types’ … and about three enmeshed, problematic, and far-reaching cultural syndromes.

This book is plain-speaking, perceptive, penetrating, cheeky, and original. It is widely relevant, practical, and replete with insightful analysis. It is written in a distinctly Aussie voice.

And … it is written by a ‘man’ … with decades of experience through a blend of Policing, Community Corrections, Social Work, teaching at university, Consultancy, and training Police at all levels in a range of subject areas.

For some readers … there may be some seismic shocks. Look out … men.

Get ready to nod and sigh and refl ect on the painfully obvious that you may have intuited and-or observed … but had not crystalized into detailed understanding.

Grab this book … and get reading!

ISBN 978-1-922957-98-6
PAPERBACK

Can We Do Better?

All Don’s books are about hope for us humans to do better than a mishmash of historical and current issues and harms that arise from misguided, dysfunctional and destructive expressions of masculinity. As clarified in all the poems — misguided, dysfunctional, harmful masculinity is not by all men, or even by most men, but is too-often manifested here, there and everywhere by too many men, in too many realms, over too long a time.

The poems weave a detailed network of patriarchal issues in culture, religion, politics, institutions, communities, families, and relationships. They highlight the impact of manmade harms to the earth, First Peoples, women, children, and other often-disempowered societal groupings.

Some men might struggle with this unusual and confronting anthology. In contrast, it is likely that a good proportion of women will sigh and nod as they work their way through the poems and the themes.

The poems advocate that societal evolution is contingent upon a critical mass of us facing key facts, truths and realities about wayward masculinity. The anthology concludes with a range of powerful and hopeful invitations that may help us humans do better than our history of man-made harms to ourselves, our kindred species, and the earth … our Mother.

ISBN 978-1-923156-08-1​
PAPERBACK

Are We Better Than?

ARE WE BETTER THAN? is the fourth in series of books that tackle pervasive and perplexing human issues. It is the scaled-down, abridged little-sister version of Can We Do Better? … which is the first and by the far the largest of the series. Comprising about half the number of pages of Can We do Better? … Are We Better Than? is less daunting and more manageable. This will appeal to people who prefer a smaller, easier, more compact read.

All Don’s books are about hope for us humans to do better than a mishmash of historical and current issues and harms that arise from misguided, dysfunctional and destructive expressions of masculinity.  As clarified throughout the book, misguided, dysfunctional, harmful masculinity is not by all men, or even by most men, but is too-often manifested here, there and everywhere … by too many men, in too many realms, over too long a time.

Are We Better Than? weaves a detailed network of patriarchal issues in culture, religion, politics, institutions, communities, families, and relationships. It highlights the impact of man-made harms to the Earth, First Peoples, Women, Children, and other often-disempowered societal groupings. Some men might struggle with these unusual and confronting themes. In contrast, it is likely that a good proportion of women will sigh and nod as they read.

Are We Better Than? concludes with a range of powerful and hopeful invitations that may help us humans do better than our history of man-made harms to ourselves, our kindred species, and the earth … our Mother.

About the Author

Don Morris is a family man and a retired veteran social worker. His professional background integrates counselling, program management, organisational improvement, cultural change, leadership development, teaching at university, and running his consultancy business.

Don is people-focused, a big-picture thinker, and a change agent. He is dedicated to promoting social justice and critical analysis of human issues. Don is perceptive, an original thinker, and solution-focused. He tackles issues with clarity, focus and determination.

In this anthology, Don is a ‘conscious dreamer’ and a mindful visionary. He is lucid about respective and combined influences of religion, populism, political machinations, pop-psychology, junk-science, conspiracy madness, internet misinformation, and social media inanity. In the face of these, Don is committed to educational processes that give voice to facts, truths and realities. He is also committed to possibilities for us to do better than so much unhelpful stuff that dumbs us down and holds us back.

In all his books, Don drills down into ‘inconvenient truths’ and synthesizes diverse macro and micro issues. He proposes ways for us to build a conscious blend of awareness, dignifying values, rationality, integrity, and accountability. Don reminds us that these interrelated priorities apply to individuals, relationships, institutions, communities, cultures, and governance. They are also crucial to our care and custodianship of human and environmental ecologies.

Don is person of mind, heart and hand. He is thinker, a lover, and a doer. His books encourage readers to think intelligently, rationally and strategically … to feel sentiently, passionately and earnestly … and to act purposefully, constructively and hopefully.