With 2022 already ramping up, it is important to be keeping an eye on what is happening in the financial markets to ensure that you are managing your money effectively. It has been predicted for some time now that interest rate hikes were coming.

Inside this month we take a lighter look at the Australian tax laws and what might happen if Santa was a tax resident. Plus, the High Court has ruled that the ‘backpacker tax’ is discriminatory - we look at the implications.

Inside this month, we work through the process, timing and issues for establishing a Director ID under the new Director Identification Number regime that came into effect on 1 November. And, we incorporate the latest guidance from the ATO in our summary of the commonly asked questions about investing in blockchain.

The era of low interest rates looks to be coming to a startling end with rates predicted to rise faster than previously thought. There is growing speculation that the 0.1% cash rate that has held now for some time will be closer to 1% within a year. You need to pay attention.

If you are in the market for buying a new property, or still haven’t had a chance to refinance and take advantage of the lowest interest rates we’ve seen in our lifetime, it's a good time now to act quickly. From November 2021 it is likely that the amount you can borrow right now will be significantly reduced with changes announced by the banking regulators yesterday.