July – what a month!
July 13th – An attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
July 19th – The “blue screen of death”. Reported to be the worst cyber event in history.
Enough has been written and said about the 14th attempt on a U.S. president’s life. Four of those presidents were not so fortunate as to escape with an ear wound.
I do, however, want to talk a little more about the cyber issue that impacted an estimated 8.5 million computers worldwide that use Microsoft Windows, including ours at HPH.
Crowdstrike is a cybersecurity software company whose signature product is the cloud-based Falcon platform. We use the Falcon software (as recommended by the specialist cybersecurity firm we’ve engaged to protect our business and, most importantly, your privacy). Falcon works across all of our IT systems and continuously monitors for threats.
When the ‘blue-screen-of-death event’ happened, we, like countless businesses worldwide, were affected. Happily, we also have a crack IT management firm looking after us. They were able to quickly reassure us that this was not a cyber attack but a problem with a software update from Crowdstrike. They had us almost fully operational by close of business on the day of the event, and fully restored by 9am Monday morning, all while ensuring that our cybersecurity protection remained intact.
While this wasn’t a cyber attack, it was a reminder and reassurance about why we have engaged with specialist teams to support and protect our IT systems.
Rob Pyne
I have a personal favour to ask …
As you know, HPH has had a long-standing commitment to supporting community sport via our involvement with the Perth Basketball Association (Perth Redbacks), the Hensman Park Tennis Club and the South Perth Tennis Centre. We strongly believe in the mental and physical health benefits of community sport, especially for children.
It is with this belief and commitment that we are supporting The Perth Redbacks who have launched a petition to the State Government, sponsored by Hannah Beazley MLA, to apportion a parcel of land (currently Ag Dept land in Kensington) for a new 12-indoor court facility.
If you, like us, strongly believe in the benefits of sport for the kids in our community, please take a moment to sign the petition here.
The goal is 10,000 signatures by 11th August and more than 7000 people have already signed it.
Everyone in your household, including the kids, can sign the petition.
Thank you in advance for your support!
A strong US Dollar – the implications for us
Every major currency in the world has fallen against the US dollar this year, an unusually broad shift with consequences across the global economy. The strength of the greenback stems from a shift in expectations about when and by how much the Federal Reserve may cut its benchmark interest rate, which is at a 20-year high. A strong US dollar has negative and positive effects, and how they play out will have a lot to do with the stickiness of high inflation.
Read more about the implications here.
Tax time: Don’t forget to claim the spouse contribution offset
Since your spouse super contribution is not automatically prepopulated in your tax return, many eligible people forget to claim the tax offset in their tax returns. In the self-service online tax return, it’s also not obvious where to claim. Matt Hern has put together this easy guide to ensure you don’t miss out on this valuable benefit.
When financial advice is like flying a plane
Even when life seems great and the skies ahead seem clear, it’s important to check in regularly to ensure your personal financial plan is on track, reflecting your chosen course and desired destination.
Thomas Sweeny reflects further on how financial advice can be like flying a plane here.
An update regarding the HPH Financial Services Guide
Recent amendments to the Corporations Act mean we no longer need to provide a hard copy/email attachment of our Financial Services Guide (FSG) whenever we send advice documents or progress update reports or update our FSG.
The HPH FSG can always be accessed via our website here, and any updates to that FSG will always be immediately reflected there.
Please note that any changes to our services and fees will always be agreed upon directly with you. We will not vary them by simply updating the FSG.
Meet the team: Linda Sara
Happy two-year anniversary for Thursday, Linda! Yes, it has been two years since Linda Sara joined our Client Services team, and what a stroke of good fortune it was for us. With a background in media, HR, and IT, Linda definitely has skills, but it is her calm nature and team-focused approach that have made her a favourite in the office. Her empathy and attention to detail have made her a favourite with our clients, too.
To help support our ever-expanding Client Services team, Linda has just been promoted to a leadership role. Linda’s primary focus will shift to supporting others, especially during busy periods or when they are on leave, plus training new team members as we continue to grow.