Wednesday 29 August 2007

Out of This World and Down to Earth

Had some fun free entertainment tonight - a total lunar eclipse which conveniently started around 6:30pm when viewed from Sydney. We all visited my parents place and took DS1's telescope along to keep an eye on the eclipse while we relaxed and had a chat.

On a more down to earth note, the financial report, tax return etc. for our SMSF for the 2006/7 financial year just arrived from eSuperFund for our signatures. I'll have a careful read through it all tomorrow, but at first glance it all looks in order. We also have to BPay the $45 fee to the Australian Tax Office from our SMSF bank account.

The new ANZ credit card I applied for online on the 19th also arrived in the post. It was very quick and painless to apply online and the card arrived on the 7th business day after I applied - pretty good service. BUT it's a bit odd that the welcome letter and card carrier are all dated the 23rd - only 2 business days after I'd received an email rejecting my customised card design image file, which specified I should supply an acceptable image file within 5 business days or a "standard design" card would be issued. Since the "standard card" appears to have been issued in my name only 3 business days after my initial application, I strongly suspect there is no way an online card application can get a customised card design, even though that is clearly an option available via the online application process. Anyhow, it's not important - I intended to cancel the card after the 6 months 0% balance transfer period ends (on 23 Feb 2008) anyhow. If I HAD managed to get a card issued with my coat of arms on it I might have been tempted to keep the card just for fun - so it's ANZ's loss. The welcome letter states that any balance transfer that was requested should happen automatically 3 days after the card is activated - so I should have the $14,250 of free money in my day-to-day CC account by the start of next week. As I pay off that card in full each month I'll just do a cash withdrawal of the funds and deposit them into my credit union savings account and thence into the linked online savings account that pays around 6.1% interest. I'll also set up the automatica monthly payments of the minimum repayment amount from the credit union account so that there is no danger of missing a payment. I usually don't bother setting up the final payment due at the end of the 0% period but I may this time so I don't have to remember this payment is due at the start of next year.

Copyright Enough Wealth 2007


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