Month: December 2022

Question: How many people do it take to run a tech company?

Answer: Elon Musk.

But seriously: How many people actually take to keep the lights on, or, heaven forbid, grow a tech business?

It’s a salient question these days, not only because of Elon and Twitter, but also because it speaks to the raft of layoffs now hitting Silicon Valley and the tech sector writ large.

Eliminating some jobs makes sense during a downturn, but cutting 50% of a company’s workforce raises bigger questions — How were so many people hired in the first place? What were they all doing? And back to the first question, how many are really necessary?

Let’s start with Twitter, because the numbers there are truly mind blowing.

As you’ve probably read, Twitter had 7,500 employees when Elon took over last month and he almost immediately fired half of them. Weeks later he asked

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The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has announced the finalists of the 2022 FPA Awards, which spans across four professional categories.

Now in its 10th year, the FPA Awards recognise individuals and businesses across Australia who deliver the highest standard of professional and trusted advice to Australian consumers. The awards also highlight the outstanding university students who are the future of the financial planning industry.

The finalists in the 2022 FPA Awards for each professional category are:

 

FPA CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional of the Year Award – finalists

Paul Benson CFP® – Guidance Financial Services (VIC)

Naomi Mee-Martino CFP® – Bastion Financial Group (WA)

Andrew Reynolds CFP® – EFS Advice (NSW)

 

FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award – finalists

Lili Hong AFP® –  Future Gen Solutions (QLD)

Bill Savellis AFP® – Olive Grove Financial Advice (NSW)

 

FPA Professional Practice of the Year Award

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Key data indicators suggest that this year’s rampant global inflation has peaked and that the pace of headline price growth is set to slow in the coming months.

Factory gate prices, shipping rates, commodity prices and inflation expectations have all begun to subside from their recent record levels. These data series are widely watched by economists and policy makers as they provide an early indication of trends that will shape the headline inflation calculation.

According to economists, the figures suggest that price pressures on global supply chains are easing, making it likely that headline inflation will fall from the historically high rates that hit household finances and business activity in recent months.

That would be welcome news for leading central banks, which have been raising interest rates rapidly in a coordinated effort to tame inflation, risking plunging major economies into recession by doing so.

“Inflation is likely at its apex,”

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The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) welcomes tonight’s federal budget, in particular measures to improve access to housing.

FPA CEO Sarah Abood said: “Home ownership is one of the cornerstones of retirement planning and one of the best lead indicators of a comfortable retirement.  Measures such as the National Housing Accord, the Regional First Home Buyer Scheme, and steps to target homelessness and improve crisis housing, as well as reducing the age for people to make downsizer contributions to their superannuation (as previously announced), should support more security in retirement for Australians.

“We also welcome initiatives such as cheaper childcare and extensions to paid parental leave, changes to the PBS leading to more affordable medicine, and a commitment to increasing real wages, which will help alleviate the financial pressures felt by many Australian households.

“In addition, the government’s commitment to an urgent review of the

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