When a large membership of tax agents and accountants gather, we're sure to have some great content to discuss and ponder for thought. This episode we grab some excerpts and post presentation interviews with some of the presenters on the day of the IFPA (www.ifpa.com.au) conference held in Melbourne in 2023. Topics include succession planning, Crypto currency, mental health, compliance & regulatory as well as a number of legislative and tax updates. Sounds dry? Not if you're keen to save time and money!

The Australian Shareholders Association represents the interests of retail investors, however did you know they also provide valuable advice on how to vote your shares at a company AGM, and can also proxy on your behalf!  Today we chat with Steven Mabb, Chair at the ASA about this valuable service provided by this not-for-profit advocacy group, and how it might be of value to investors, large and small, beginners and seasoned.  Here Steven talk about the good and the not-so-good companies out there.

We chat with Fiona Balzer, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the Australian Shareholders Association, a ground roots not-for-profit organisation that has been representing the interests of retail shareholders for over 60 years now.  Fiona's area of expertise focuses on ESG (environment, social & governance) policy, as well as ASA Advocacy Manager who works with everyday shareholders in listening and presenting their views to company boards, government and the general public. Tune in to find out what's on Fiona and the ASA's radar next.

This week Scotty North from Real Property Advice gives us the "good oil" on why engaging a buyer's agent will help you buy your family home or investment property.  The benefits could potentially outweigh the initial costs by quite some.  Scotty has extensive experience in the field and during our show he explains how buyers agents operate and save.

Contesting a Will
You believe you're entitled to a share of some's estate, and yet you're in the dark or worse still, you're not in the will at all.  What do you next?  We chat with our visiting expert on all matters Estate Planning, Jonathan Elcombe from ElGen Estate Services to work through a myriad of situations, some awkward, some easy on what to do if you're going to contest a will.

You're the executor of a will and the funeral arrangements are now sitting in your lap.  What's next?  We meet Scott Duncombe from Sydney Funerals to discuss what you need to do, how you work through some tangled discussions around coffins, arrangements, music, a funeral director, caskets and everything in between.  Tune in to find out Scott's key message, and yes we talk about cost as well.

Being an Executor of a Will
You've been asked to be an executor for someone's last will & testament.  What does that mean, and what do I have to do?  Jonathan Elcombe, specialist from Elgen Estate Planning talks through the myriad of responsibilities that face an executor, before and after someone dies.  Departing the mortal coil is not that simple for those left behind, and this show is a must for those planning their estate and provides much to think about.

Temporary Full Expensing
TFE is a great way for businesses (up to $5bn turnover!) to be able to fully expense their company purchases.  Josh McMullen from IFPA joins us to work our way through this simplified and very generous way to write-off / depreciate assets that you use in your business, and understand the pros and cons.  There are rules to heed, and they are constantly changing, so tune in to listen to the latest from the experts at IFPA.

Conscious competence - called the "learning stage", but are you aware of your competence level when trading shares?  Louise Bedford from Trading Game joins us this week to talk about trading with confidence and competence. Unconscious competence when you're a "master", but may in fact be unconscious incompetence. When an individual is unaware of their lack of skill or knowledge (ouch!). Louise is an award winning author of 5 books on the subject of share trading, join us to understand if you're easily distracted, have a volatility bias or "distraction sickness"!

Company expenses getting mixed up with your personal expenses, sound familiar? The traps of doing so and the penalties for not correctly accounting is one of the long standing matters the Tax Office has issue with company directors, in particular Mum & Dad operators and tradies. Let's do a deep dive with tax expert David Jonavicious from IFPA.

Dollars & Making Sense, a weekly show about money, finance & investing, with your host Ray Trevisan from OTG Capital and special guests.