Investors waiting for election

The Federal Election can’t come soon enough for most investors, according to Wynnum financial planner, Jon Petie of Retirement Designs.

According to Jon “Investors are holding back and small businesses especially are waiting until after the election to have confidence to invest and employ more staff.”

Jon sees the next 12 months as a busy period with the election result – whether it be red, blue or a shade of something else – returning confidence to more investors taking on what Jon calls a greater ‘Risk Appetite’ approach to investing. It is all part of the ‘Investment Clock’ as Jon sees it and it is likely to see growth assets such as shares and property develop again over the next 3-5 years.

Jon has seen it all before and has been particularly busy over the last five years since the GFC (Global Financial Crisis). As Jon explains “Investors have accrued a lot of cash over the past few years but with recent low interest rates there has been a tipping point making investment in property and shares more popular.”

Jon’s focus for personal financial advice has been predominantly to pre and post retirees.  For many people the right time to retire has changed with the GFC. In the 90’s many were looking to retire early in their 50’s but since the GFC in 2007 many have had to put off retirement plans or return to the workplace.

Jon sees himself as a financial counsellor, at times having to help individuals deal with financial issues as well as perception issues on what they actually have to retire with… even for the relatively wealthy. It’s often a battle between ‘Perception’ and ‘Reality’ that Jon has to overcome. It’s that personal touch and understanding of pressures that has seen Jon’s business develop to what it is today.

Jon likes the Wynnum base for his Retirement Designs business and has clients mostly in South East Queensland with some in Tasmania, Sydney and Melbourne. Having settled with his family in the area in 1996 he has grown to love the area and clearly sees the potential of the Wynnum CBD,

“Look what has happened to Oxford Street in Bulimba with its cinema and eating places. That’s where Wynnum needs to head towards.”