However just because you have been declined for Income Protection insurance, it doesn’t mean that insurers won’t give you alternative options. At JustInvest we work with you to apply for cover which suits your requirements….and if you want your income protected in the event of accident or illness, we’ll work with you to establish insurance which gives you as much protection as we can!

Find more details on different types of insurance cover here:

https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/managing-my-money/insurance/life-insurance

Learn about which insurances are tax deductible here:

http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/

Talk to us today on 08 9267 3488

 Chief Family Organizer – CFO

 Family seeks CFO with experience in household management.

 Chaotic work environment

• No salary
• No bonuses
• No penalty rates
• On call 24/7
• Great benefits package of love and fulfillment
• Oversee all functions of family life – extensive travel required
• Provide juvenile and adult guidance as needed (but not necessarily taken)
• Manage household operation
• Purchasing, inventory management and home maintenance skills
• Nursing, counselling and HR skills an advantage

A mum’s job is irreplaceable. 

And if something happened to her, you could never replace her or the unique and special love, devotion and management skill she provides.

 But life will have to go on. 

And the countless jobs she performs every day will still need to get done.

 Being prepared for the unexpected is what life insurance is all about. 

 The right protection package can help your family deal with day-to-day expenses – and larger costs, too – like the mortgage car payments and promised education expenses.

 Could your family survive financially if your CFO was suddenly out of the picture?

 I can review your current situation with you and help you make sure your family has the protection they need.

 Contact us today to schedule a time to meet! Phone: 08 9267 3488

From Australian Ethical  (www.australianethical.com.au):

Australian Ethical Super won the Rising Star award at SuperRatings Fund of the Year awards in Melbourne last night.

The award recognises Australian Ethical’s significant product changes that have benefited its members, including improving its fee structure and improving insurance.

SuperRatings CEO Nathan MacPhee said, “Australian Ethical was awarded our Rising Star award due to its significantly enhanced value for money with reduced fees and an improved insurance offering, while improving client service levels. “

Australian Ethical Managing Director Phil Vernon said, “We are very proud to be recognised by respected industry researcher SuperRatings as a super fund that is increasingly providing great value for members, not just compared to other ethical or responsible investment options but compared to all the funds that SuperRatings surveys. We have always had the highest conviction to ethical standards and believe our clients also deserve competitive investment returns, products and services. We have been on a path of improving these areas over the past few years and we are pleased that our efforts are recognised.”

The announcement comes on the back of a stellar month for Australian Ethical Investments, having also retained the Lonsec ‘Recommended’ rating for its flagship active Australian equities fund, the Smaller Companies Trust. The trust returned an impressive 22% for the 12 months to 30 September 2012 and continues to show consistent long term outperformance of the market returning 10.3% per annum over the past 10 years.

^ Performance to 30 September 2012 after fees (Class B wholesale)

Talk to us today about whether an Australian Ethical Super, Pension or Investment portfolio is right for you – speak to James at JustInvest: 08 9267 3488

Maybe you reduce, reuse and recycle. Maybe you’re into using renewables, buying local, and drinking fair-trade. Maybe you’re opting out of disposable products in favour of more sustainable design. Or maybe you’re just living your life, your way, the best you can. Whatever the case, one thing’s for sure, you’re aware of how you’re spending your take-home income, you’re spending it the way you want to. But are you even remotely aware of how your pension contribution is being spent on your behalf?

Did you know that over 55% of your mandatory pension contribution is invested in high-risk, high-carbon assets with less than 2% being invested in low-carbon assets? So while you may be intentionally spending your money according to your own values, you may be accidentally investing your money in things you are completely opposed to, like dangerous high-carbon industries. This sort of investment not only jeopardises the environment but equally worringly, places your own personal finances under signficant threat.

By becoming one of The Vital Few you can take back control of your future and start to invest with intent.

More details here: http://www.areyouthevitalfew.org/

Talk to JustInvest today about investing your superannuation, pension and investments responsibly: clientsupport@justinvest.net.au

Article from Andrew Darby, Fairfax:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/gunns-failure-a-story-of-corporate-greed-and-hubris-say-mills-critics-20120925-26jhv.html

Interesting reading – the Pulp mill impacts according to the Wilderness Society (Tasmanian Clearfelling photo courtesy of The Wilderness Society):

http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/gunns-pulp-mill/tasmania2019s-future-threatened-2013-pulp-mill-impacts

The ‘Gunns 20′ case: in 2004, 20 environmental activists, organisations and concerned citizens were sued by Gunns for AU$6.9 million, for actions it claimed damaged their business and reputation.

http://www.gunns20.org/

By the way, if you’re a member of Australian Super (www.australiansuper.com), you’ve probably been investing in Gunns. Whilst it’s hard to find transparent disclosure of what Australian Super members invest in, Gunns is mentioned here:

http://www.australiansuper.com/investments-and-performance/approach-and-holdings/~/media/files/ShareVoting/Stock%20voting%20template%20Oct%2011%20to%20Dec%2011.ashx

 To learn more about investing your money ethically, contact JustInvest today on 08 9267 3488 or clientsupport@justinvest.net.au

You see sustainable investments as a future growth area for investment returns, but don’t want to take a high level of risk?

If you answered yes, you’re similar to many of our clients!

In today’s rapidly changing world of renewable energy development, we often hear about great new innovations in the areas of solar, wind, wave, geothermal or other sources. But what makes one solar provider better than another? What makes a small start-up a great investment opportunity as opposed to the next failure? This is where detailed research and expert investment analysis is required. We can’t expect to rely on media, company information and the odd web search to provide results – these companies must be benchmarked against their peers with rigorous analysis. That’s why JustInvest uses proven investment methodology with diversification and risk profiling.

Talk to us today about how to invest in a diversified Responsible Investment portfolio. There are opportunities to invest in superannuation, pension and investment portfolios.

Further reading – some companies involved in renewable energy (important note: this is not investment advice):

Carnegie Wave Energy: http://www.carnegiewave.com/

Petratherm Geothermal: http://www.petratherm.com.au/

Trustpower: http://www.trustpower.co.nz

Contact Energy: http://www.contactenergy.co.nz

Snowy Hydro: http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/

Energy Developments: http://www.energydevelopments.com/

But what about the insurer’s claims history, their reputation in the industry, and other factors that can’t be judged by price alone? In addition, you need to consider each specific product features, benefits and definitions. Will you get expert advice or try pot luck…?

Our business has over 50 years experience in dealing with insurance, and we find it a constant challenge to keep up with the ever changing offerings from insurance companies. Can this knowledge be summed up in a few clicks from an online website? Perhaps not.

At JustInvest, we use industry specific comparison software that compares and rates up to 30 features and benefits of insurance polices. We then add our ‘qualitative’ overlay, which assesses the things that you can’t find online. For example:

- which insurers cater for FIFO workers in Oil & Gas and Mining?

- which insurers cater for dangerous professions?

- which insurers specialize in your profession, for example offering extra ’needlestick’ injury benefit for medical professionals?

- which insurers specialise in covering Mums doing home duties/ childcare?

- which insurers give the best maternity/ paternity leave options?

- which insurers cover those working beyond retirement age (age 65)?

- which insurers will offer cover, even though you have a pre-existing condition?

- which insurers will offer cover even though you’re not yet an Australian citizen? (you may have recently immigrated from UK, South Africa or another country)

- which insurers offer ‘accident only’ cover?

It’s easy to say “get a Life insurance quote from us and we’ll give you the cheapest quote!”. It’s hard to get the correct information on a policy’s features and benefits from a website or a call centre, without the assistance of an experienced Adviser. The right insurance policy for you may be the one which accepts you for comprehensive cover, given your specific personal circumstances. 

Note: A starting point is always to check what cover you already have in your superannuation fund(s): Life & TPD can be held tax effectively in super & is generally issued to you automatically if you’re an employee (sometimes the automatic benefits offered are higher for the bigger Employers, but that’s not always the case). Also, some super funds offer ‘Life events’ cover, ie increases without underwriting for events such as the birth of a child, death of a spouse, divorce or taking out a mortgage.

Some reference points:

www.aia.com.au: see ‘A Claimant Testimonial’

http://life.comminsure.com.au/Which_Cover.aspx: Case Studies to help determine your level of cover

https://www.asteronlifeplus.com.au/: for a Health & Wellbeing program

http://www.onepath.com.au/personal/insurance.aspx: offers a variation on Income Protection, and Qantas Frequent Flyer points

Also: www.amp.com.au; www.macquarielife.com.au; www.tal.com.au; www.axa.com.au; https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/managing-my-money/insurance

 JustInvest is a Perth based Financial Planning business established in 1967. We have many clients in Perth and right around Australia. Call or email us today: 08 9267 3488 or clientsupport@justinvest.net.au

 The year 2011 set records for economic losses and insured losses caused by natural catastrophes, with extreme weather events accounting for 90 percent of the disasters and 8 of the 10 most costly.

 Climate change is already causing costly physical impacts for communities and the companies and investors that depend on them. For example, among the specific, physical impacts that businesses in the USA felt from last year’s extreme weather events: 

• more than 160 companies in Thailand’s textile industry were harmed by the 2011 floods, stopping about a quarter of the country’s garment production, much of it for U.S. companies;
• electric power company Constellation Energy experienced reduced quarterly earnings of about $.0.16 per share due to the record-setting 2011 heat wave in Texas that forced it to buy incremental power at peak prices;
• last year’s drought in Texas also caused more than $2 billion of cotton losses, raising prices and limiting supplies for apparel companies that source from the state;
• U.S. property insurers experienced some $32 billion in insured damage losses last year, second only to losses in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Much of last year’s damage occurred away from the coast, including hurricane-driven storms in Vermont, wildfires in Texas and hailstorms in Arizona.

 You can make changes in your investments to compensate for climate change impacts. Talk to JustInvest about managing portfolio risks in your Super, Pension and Investments related to climate change impacts.

 See: http://www.csrinternational.org/2012/06/27/physical-risks-from-climate-change/

This article from PHYSICAL RISKS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE: A guide for companies and investors on

disclosure and management of climate impacts, Prepared by David Gardiner & Associates, LLC

 See also: https://www.oxfam.org.au/

 The alleged offending conduct contravened the Environmental Protection Act and includes: releasing contaminants in excess of licence limits; failing to notify the department upon becoming aware of contraventions; and failing to test for contaminants prior to releasing effluent. “Both the department and myself have taken a particular interest in any behaviour that may affect the Gladstone Harbour environment or have a detrimental effect on the Great Barrier Reef,” Powell said.

 It is alleged that Orica was aware of the licence conditions but elected to ignore some of the requirements for an extended period. Powell said Orica had a history of environmental non-compliance, having previously been the subject of multiple statutory enforcement tools.

 The Company intends to defend the complaints relating to Orica’s sodium cyanide facility in Yarwun, Queensland. Orica announced there has been no environmental harm or risk to human health from these alleged complaints, and quoted public statements from the then Department of Environment and Resource Management supporting this view.