Two years ago KeyInvest, one of South Australia’s oldest companies and a leading provider of financial and retirement services, teamed up with ESD, the company behind the award winning Beyond Today development, to deliver a unique retirement village at Victor Harbor, on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Known as Chiton, this new village is unlike any other developed in Australia. The modern homes are designed to embrace the natural light and sea breezes to reduce cooling and lighting costs, supported by the extensive use of solar systems and significant rain water storage to reduce water bills.

Combined with an unbeatable location surrounded by hectares of wetlands, walking trails and with direct access to the beach, Chiton is also only minutes from the towns of Victor Harbor, Port Elliot and Goolwa.

With the first stage completed just prior to Christmas 2012, the first residents of Chiton reflect on their new lifestyle.

A beautiful sea change for Chiton’s first residents (Headline)

Carol and Alan are the first residents to begin their new life in the beautiful Chiton Retirement Village. Originally from England, the recently retired couple had made their life in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, until they realised it was time for a change. They have always wanted to live near the sea, so when they discovered that a modern retirement village was available only minutes from the beach, they knew they had found their idyllic new home.

The perfect place to live

Alan is very vocal about trying to encourage others who are thinking of making a change. “Living in Chiton means being part of a growing community and for those who enjoy living by the sea and in the country at the same time, it’s perfect. An ecofriendly natural environment and clean air is what world leaders know is vital to the well being of their population, countries and the planet. Carol and I know this is priceless and for us, makes it the perfect place to live.”

Every day is like a holiday

Carol was equally excited about her experience living in the village. “We both agree that we literally feel like every day is a holiday.” When we talked to Carol and Alan they had both just got back from a big ride along the coast to the bluff and were raving about living down here. Each home at Chiton is only seconds from bike paths which are located within the village, making impromptu rides around beautiful Victor Harbor, as easy as a walk down to the shops.

High electricity bills a thing of the past

On top of the great lifestyle, there is much to be admired about the homes. Built with energy efficiency in mind, electricity billsare forecast to be close to nothing due to the design which
includes solar energy, double glazing and energy efficient lighting and appliances.

For more information call KeyInvest on 1300 658 904 or visit www.chiton.com.au

We now have a new homes for sale website (www.keyinvesthomes.com.au) that significantly improves the way you can search for available homes at our villages. You can easily contact the village manager for any home you are interested in, print a brochure and view floor plans.

 At Chiton (near Victor Harbor) the first ten homes are almost complete with the first residents planning to move in by November. It seems we’ve created a great deal of excitement amongst the retirement community with the establishment of Chiton Retirement Living. Many families have attended information sessions and open days to find out more about the innovative, cutting-edge sustainability principles designed to deliver sound energy efficiencies and likely savings in living costs.

 There is also plenty happening at Woodside, where the nine new homes in Stage 2 are about to be completed with four homes already sold. These homes include new innovations such as solar hot water, spacious kitchens and large modern bathrooms.

 You can read more about our other villages in this newsletter or by visiting http://www.keyinvest.com.au

 Village Spotlight Chiton; VictorHarbor

 Your idyllic retirement is now sustainable.

 Chiton Retirement Living is a place where you can live out an enviable lifestyle without compromise to any of your expectations of style, comfort and independence. The majority of the two and three bedroom homes are positioned on or next to a park, giving you a real sense of space and a serene landscape to look out on. Each will be a model of sensitive modern architecture built to world-class standards of energy efficiency.

 Each home comes with a standard set of features including:

 - Passive solar design, meaning plenty of warm winter sunlight into the home and no direct summer sunlight on windows

- Solar energy & solar hot water

- Double glazing

- Energy efficient lighting and appliances

- Internal thermal mass stabilizing

- Internal temperatures, minimizing the need to heat in winter and coo in summer.

 If you are interested in organising a site tour call John Adcock on 0427 703 271.

 Latest News

 Things are really starting to move at Chiton, with our fi rst pre-release event held during September. There was a great turnout with prospective residents wowed by the progress of the homes. The team at KeyInvest are excited by the progress at Chiton and look forward to be able share this with those who enjoy modern, energy effi cient retirement housing, in the beautiful location atVictorHarbor. There are ten homes in this fi rst stage, with interest shown by the number of  homes already being sold.

Wimmera Lodge; Horsham

 Peter Story, our Village Manager is still enjoying showing off Wimmera Lodge to the Horsham community, with visitors impressed by the modern and spacious homes available. The village is looking great with its gardens becoming established. The Community Centre is now fully furnished and can accommodate up to 40 people in complete comfort with its warm and inviting feel. Community Groups such as the Early Mothers Group and Wimmera Paws (RSPCA) have already experienced the Centre with glowing comments. This type of activity is growing in the Village with four other groups booked along with activities such as Gentle Exercise Classes, Quilting, Cake Decorating, Indoor Bowls, Games afternoons and Happy Hours being organised in the near future.

The Wimmera Lodge Open Day is planned for October 20th, but in the meantime if you would like to take a personal tour, all Peter on (03) 538 264 03 and see for yourself the future of retirement living n Horsham.

 Widows for Widows Conference

 One of the residents ofWoodsideLodgeRetirementVillage, Pam Judge, was last year awarded the Kate Rhodes OAM Memorial Scholarship. ate Rhodes was the late SA President of the War Widows Guild of Australia, and the scholarship was established in her honour by the ACH Group Foundation for Older Australians.

Pam is very active in supporting war widows, and used the funds from the scholarship to research and promote the well being of war widows inSouth Australia.  As a result of her research, she saw a significant need to arrange a major conference, designed to provide relevant information to war widows acrossSouth Australia.

The conference was held over 2 days in the last week of May, and was attended by around 200 war widows.   25 speakers presented on a range of topics including health and well-being , access to appropriate support and benefits, community groups and organizations which provide advice, assistance, and care services.  Clearly, those who attended gained great value and information, as well as sharing their life experiences with others.

KeyInvest was delighted to be able to support Pam’s efforts in a tangible way, by providing two speakers for the conference, as well as print the programs. Wen not working on her conference, Pam could be playing indoor bowls or enjoying Happy Hour with her fellow residents.

We congratulate her on the wonderful success of the conference. It shows what can be done, with passion, enthusiasm, and commitment – especially from within the ranks of our retired seniors!

 McLaren Vale

 McLaren Vale Lodge, as always, benefits from the marvellous effort that the residents put in to improve the village lifestyle for as was seen in the inaugural McLaren Vale working bee. Held on the 6^th June the working bee proved to be a great community event for our green fingered residents and deemed a success by all.  Some 20 odd residents and family members showed up with rakes and wheelbarrows in hand and of course a great sense of humour.  All set out to complete the task of tidying up the ‘Southern Walking Trail’ common area with enormous enthusiasm. All enjoyed a laugh and chat over morning cappuccinos provided by KeyInvest and lovely fresh scones with jam and cream, which were kindly supplied by Denise one of the residents and yes she is multi-skilled also showing off her skills in the garden!

OH&S issues were considered prior to organising the Working Bee and everyone was told to work at their own pace. The result of everyone’s contribution was a fantastic improvement to the gardens in the area. Discussion after the Working Bee produced a general consensus that residents would be happy to participate in future bi-annual Working Bees; probably in autumn & spring.  It is always busy, even during the colder winter months we endured, as residents enjoys the Community Centre, playing cards, reading and the many exercise classes that are held.  The indoor heated pool was also a big hit in winter, but as the warmer months approach we are sure to see an abundance of residents enjoying the outdoor areas with BBQ’s already being planned.

 There are some 2 and 3 bedroom homes available, so please call John Adcock on0427 703 271 to organise a village tour.

 Salisbury

 Winzor Retirement Estate  is  now the full management of KeyInvest, and we have already implemented a number for exciting changes including new signage which has greatly improved the frontage. New manger Ron Main has settled into his role well, and can be found at the village on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.  For those who have not seen Winzor, it is in the most convenient of locations onWinzor Street,Salisbury just a stones throw fromHollywoodPlaza shopping centre.

 With just 47 homes, the estate provides a unique blend of leisurely retirement living within a smaller intimate setting. The residents have set up a wonderful village community garden, which is just alongside the BBQ rotunda area – a delightful spot for family gatherings etc!

 Ron is always busy taking potential residents on tour of the villages, so if you would like to arrange one please call him on 0458 055 014.  

Gables & Garden Cottages

 Our villages at St Morris, Beaumont and St Georges are all looking resplendent, with

lawns, gardens and shrubs in full colour. The residents are as busy as ever, organising

a number of social activities. The first official ‘Soup Night’ was a resounding

success with residents from St Morris gathering in the Community Centre to catch up.

A number of the residents from the village supplied four different types of soups and numerous sweets to finish a most enjoyable and relaxing evening. There are more activities being planned, and with the weather improving they are sure to be outdoors to enjoy the sunshine.

 The homes at St Georges have all recently enjoyed an external revamp and the gazebo has been upgraded so residents can enjoy this wonderful outdoor venue.

 There is always strong demand for homes at these villages, so to have your name added to the waiting list call the Village Manager, Andrew Cameron on 8364 2866.

 Village Spotlight Woodside Lodge

 Finishing touches are now being put on Stage 2 with four families welcomed to Woodside by existing residents. The new caravan parking area is now complete and the community shed is about to be finished. Most of the new homes have a range of features including:

- Spacious living areas with high ceilings

- Two large bedrooms plus study

- Remote control double garage with direct internal secure access

- R/C air conditioning

- Fully appointed kitchen with extensive drawers

- Solar Hot Water System.

 Some of the new homes will be on display at our Open Day December 5th.

Why Choose a KeyInvest RetirementVillage?

 KeyInvest has been managing retirement villages since 1985, with villages across South Australia and Victoria. Our experience and know – how helps us design our villages and homes to ensure residents can share facilities and experience community while still staying connected with their families and friends. With direct access to medical support available through a Dr’s Safety Line system our residents enjoy independent living with that added peace of mind.

 Remember that when choosing a KeyInvest retirement village, there is no stamp duty payable, which could save you thousands of dollars.

 Community, Lifestyle, Family and Security, this is what our residents enjoy about  KeyInvest villages and so can you!

 KeyInvest is a proud RVA Member

 For more information on available homes visit www.keyinvesthomes.com.au or call 1300 658 904.

 Every Generation is supported by COTA (Council on the Ageing SA), and a festival that brings together the community in a celebration of life. It demonstrates that people, like anything worthwhile, improve with age and that their contributions to society are valuable, welcomed and essential.

 Each year the Festival continues the tradition of celebrating the valuable contribution made by older South Australians to the community. During the month of October events and activities are held for South Australians of all ages to come together to celebrate the achievements of older people. The ‘Every Generation’ Festival is both an intergenerational festival and a public acknowledgment of the contribution that seniors make to our society.

Our event yesterday was a wonderful success on many levels, and very much a result of our generous residents being involved in both organising and providing some of the food, but most importantly, their warm welcome to all who were here. 

 Included in the program was David Booth, who represented the original Peramangk people of the district. David paid respect to the people, as well as those who were the original users of the didgeridoo.  He went on to explain how the didgeridoo was made, and how it is played.  His demonstration was both informative and wonderfully entertaining.

 We were also entertained by the children from Woodside Primary and Oakbank Area schools, with their enthusiastic approach to music, both modern and classical.  Guests enjoyed a  magnificent lunch to finish the event.

 25 residents from Woodside Lodge were joined by approximately 40 students and staff from Woodside Primary and Oakbank Area School with 16 or so travelling from Inverbrackie.  Another 20 parents, friends and community members also attended.  All left having had a very enjoyable time, and a positive feeling about our desire to continue to embrace our local community.

 We look forward to participating in Every Generation again in 2013.

2012 is shaping as another big year after the big success of 2011, when a team of 50 KeyInvest staff, family and friends (along with BHP Billiton and Julian Burton Burns Trust employees) completed the Sunday Mail City-Bay, along the way helping to raise nearly $18,000 for the Julian Burton Burns Trust.

This year we hope to raise $20,000 and  would appreciate everyone’s support on helping us to achieve this goal. For more information on how you can get behind the team visit www.burntothebay.com.au.

1. Boutique Aggregator of the Year
2. Major Brokerage of the Year

“Boutique aggregation groups play a key role in today’s market. While the major groups account for the lion’s share of the market, bigger is not necessarily better. This award recognises those businesses that have the most effective member offering and best supports the business growth of their mortgage brokers” says Chris.

“Mortgage broking has risen rapidly as a profession over the past decade, with a number a key brokerage groups driving the evolution of the sector. Our second nomination recognises KeyInvest Lending Services as one of the companies that has done most to advance the development of mortgage broking, based on our support for our mortgage brokers and of course our customer-centric approach”.

Each award entry was judged on business metrics (including but not limited to loan volumes, book size and growth, broker effectiveness and support mechanisms) plus submission; assessed by Australian Broking Award judges. Finalists will now be assessed by an independent judging panel of respected professionals, who will determine winners based on an overall score of business metrics and submissions.

“This is another great achievement for our Lending Services team and a true testament to their continuous outstanding efforts to satisfy their customers” said Chris.

The winners of the 2012 Australian Broking Awards will be revealed in Sydney on July 27.

Rachel’s presentation examined a range of retirement living and care options including granny flats/life interests, demountable home parks (over 55 communities), care packages, retirement villages as well as residential aged care. The session examined a range of financial strategies, short and long term considerations, tips and traps, designed to provide a beneficial outcome to families going through the maze that is aged care.

As a provider of financial products and strategies to assist financial planners with their retirement and aged care planning strategies, KeyInvest was pleased to bring Rachel Lane to Adelaide to participate in this event. Rachel Lane is Principal of Aged Care Gurus, an organisation founded to assist with many of the decisions surrounding aged care, and co-author with Noel Whittaker of the book “Aged Care Who Cares”.

 “Current media commentary about direction of the global economy can be very confusing and even disconcerting at times. In simplified terms, this commentary tends to fall into two distinct categories i.e., that is:

1. The “pessimists” (those who paint a worse case scenario); and
2. The “optimists” (those who argue a best case scenario).

Worse Case Scenario

The reasons why some pundits have a pessimistic view on the current global economic situation can be summarised as follows:

 • The world is in a “balance sheet depression” with excessive debt which could make a second GFC type credit crisis inevitable.

 • The three pillars of the global economy – the USA, Europe and China– each have their own particular problems but their impact is global because of the feedback which occurs from the financial sector to the production sector.

 • The ageing demographics in these major economies will depress spending and slow household wealth creation.

• Global industrial production will fall by an average of 0.250/0 a year for the next three years because of these demographic and wealth effects.

• European banks are under stress and European Government debt makes up a large proportion of their asset base.

The conclusions drawn by the proponents of this worse case scenario is that:

• The world will suffer from rolling recessions, starting in 2012 or 2013 and lasting until about 2018.

• Deleveraging (debt reduction) will run its course during this period.

 • CPI inflation will be contained at around 3 °/o a year as a world average over this period.

Best Case Scenario

 The Best Case Scenario is based on the following observations:

• Global credit markets have recovered from their GFC woes and are proving resilient (excluding the European Banks) even in the face of the sovereign debt fears in Europe.

• The key economic indicators in the US all point to a slow but steady recovery of the world’s largest economy over the next three years.

• The Dow Jones index (the “leading” indicator on the economy) is in fact only 10% below its all time high and is 93% above its GFC low.

• The outlook for about 70% of the world’s economy looks reasonably solid.

• The Chinese economy is proving to be resilient and inflation risks are fading.

• Industrial valuations across the world, both in absolute terms and relative to prevailing interest rates, are very cheap. Dividends are growing in real terms. This will lead to a step up in corporate merger and acquisition activity over the next 12-18 months.

• The growth of “new age” businesses is continuing at pace (e.g. Facebook and Web based “flash sales” businesses such as Gilt, leading to increases in productivity).

• Some positive policy settings emerging, finally, from the European Central Bank and the German Chancellor.

• There are a number of key reasons why the German Government will not allow the Euro to fail, including:

• The Community Banks in Germany are big holders of Euro denominated bonds. The German Government cannot (and will not) allow these banks to fail. Amongst other things, it would be political suicide.

• The German economy relies on exporting to the rest of Europe.

• Following strong encouragement from Germany, the European Central Bank has loosened monetary policy and launched a new three year lending program to support European banks.

• The Federal Reserve in the US has also recently taken similar steps to loosen monetary policy in order to stimulate a resurgence in economic growth.

 • The Federal Reserve Bank has announced that they will keep interest rates at zero for another three years in the US.

• M2 Money supply growth in the US is at a record high. •

 The US economy is showing new signs of life:

• All key US data is exceeding the most recent forecasts.

•US car sales are booming.

• Natural gas prices in the US have fallen dramatically due to the shale oil revolution (this will also lower oil prices globally).

What does this all mean?

Putting aside all the hyperbole, the reality is that the resolution of the financial problems in Europe are very much a matter of politics. A series of policy mis-steps by EC Governments over the past 20 years have created a situation where most of European up an unacceptable debt burden and where the financial markets mis-priced the risks of lending to these Governments.

The solutions in Europe require the following policy actions to be taken by the Governments of the G20 countries, at minimum:

• Governments must accept that austerity measures – which are necessary to avoid country bankruptcy – have recessionary effects on GDP. So, while some countries in Europe are being forced to undertake fiscal austerity measures, (e.g.Greece) others in Europe (e.g.Germany) and elsewhere (e.g. the US, Japan, China) need to be able to provide short term stimulus.

• More monetary and credit easing is required (by the European Central Bank, the US Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank) to assist the short term fiscal stimuli.

• Supply side measures are also required to run in tandem so that the inflationary impacts of the fiscal and monetary stimulus is mitigated (e.g. through the development of corporate bond markets and infrastructure investments).

• Structural programs are required to help restore the long-term competitiveness of many of the European countries (e.g. via high quality education, job training, human capital improvements, new infrastructure and alternative energy).

The likely outcome from the interplay of the various economic forces at work is that the global economy in 2012 will be divided between:

• The high debt de-leveraging economies of Europe and the US and the no or low debt economies of the Emerging world.

 That said, the weight of probabilities is that we will see a positive outcome start to emerge for the worlds current economic problems during the second half of 2012.

For those thinking about refinancing, our team have access to a $700 Cash back offer* (minimum loan amount $150,000) from one of Australia’s leading lenders.

Our Lending team have access to over 30 banks, credit unions and building societies, so if this offer doesn’t suit, please contact one of our Lending Advisers today on 1300 821 000 to see what else may be available.

For more information, visit www.keyinvestlendingservices.com.au

Single retirees can face particular challenges in financing their desired standard of living in retirement.

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), central to these challenges is the reality that the living costs of a retired single person are approximately 70 per cent compared to a retired couple.

In other words, the living costs of single retirees are far above half of those costs of their married counterparts.

The latest ASFA Retirement Standard report, released earlier in 2012, reports that a “modest” lifestyle costs a single retiree around $22,000 a year against $31,000 for a couple. (adjusted for the December quarter 2011 CPI.)

And a single retiree would have to spend around $40,000 for a so-called “comfortable” lifestyle whereas a couple would have to pay $55,000. (Of course, there could be endless debates about what constitutes a “comfortable” lifestyle and for many Australians who dream of travelling in their retirement, $55,000 wouldn’t go too far.) For many professionals who are used to above average earnings, a comfortable lifestyle will likely be a big step down in quality of life.

For those couples who become single, especially later in their working or retired lives, retirement planning can be turned upside down. Many costs either remain the same (council rates, car registration and even utility bills often remain relatively steady in a single person household) or if a couple separates, costs often increase as two homes or two cars are required.

So what can be done about this?

1.             Prudent retirement planning is critical and needs to factor in income changes and expense variations for the later years in life. Taking into account your personal circumstances, the fundamental issue to consider when planning for retirement is whether your regular savings (superannuation) is enough to eventually produce a sufficient retirement income. Whilst this is difficult given the continuing changes to superannuation and investment returns, this review can lead on to other matters such as the appropriateness of your portfolio’s asset allocation and your investment risk appetite.

2.             Budget, budget, budget. Many financial commentators estimate only about 1 in 2 Australian households make and stick to a budget. There are many free tools to help put a budget together (search for “Household budget” on the internet for a long list of sites) and most of the big banks (for example the NAB and ANZ) offer their customers help too. Of course making a budget is one thing – sticking to the budget can be the hard part!

3.             A good financial planner or accountant  can really assist and it’s worth finding someone, perhaps via referral from friends or colleagues, who has extensive experience in retirement planning backed by years of experience. Look for their qualifications and check to see what professional bodies they are a member of. Three of the leading associations are the AFA, AIOFP and FPA.

4.         Education is the key. Just like a good education can help in younger years, learning about retirement planning is critically important as you reach your late forties (this age often given as to when people start thinking about their future savings and investments as hopefully there’s a light at the end of the mortgage tunnel and children’s schooling costs are also coming to an end). In the 21^st century there’s no shortage of information freely available right from your home or work computer. The trick is working out what’s good advice and what should be avoided. Well known financial and media commentators such as David Koch and Scott Pape often provide information on a range of topics as well as links to other credible resources. These two websites could be a good place to start.