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We kicked off 2026 with our Firefly Flicks and Family Night on 10th January at Telethon Community Cinemas - and what a night it was!

108 friends, family, community members and clients turned up with camp chairs and picnic rugs to watch The Wild Robot under the stars.

$3,124.64 was donated to the South Coogee Bush Fire Brigade and Foodbank WA.

Plus, the huge physical contribution of non-perishable food for the Foodbank.

Thank you to everyone who came along.

The past 12 months have served up a buffet of uncertainty. Interest rates bouncing around. Inflation refusing to behave. Geopolitical tensions flaring up. Trump's return to the White House. And through it all, markets doing what they do best - swinging up and down like they've had too much coffee.

If you've been watching your portfolio balance wobble and feeling that familiar knot in your stomach, you're not alone. It's completely normal. Your money represents years of hard work, sacrifice, and plans for the future. Of course you want to protect it.

But here's the thing: the real risk isn't the market volatility. It's how you react to it.

In our February Frankly Speaking feature, we tell it how it is about the emotional rollercoaster of investing, the danger of trying to time the market, and what "staying the course" actually means (Spoiler: staying the course doesn't mean blindly holding onto investments no matter what, never reviewing your portfolio, or ignoring changes in your life.)

Aged care got more expensive in November - what changed?

Nobody wants to think about needing aged care. But 50% of Australians over 85 will end up there - and when aged care reforms kicked in on 1 November 2025, it became substantially more expensive for self-funded retirees and part-pensioners with higher assets.

What changed:

The RAD (Refundable Accommodation Deposit) is no longer fully refundable - providers can now keep 2% per year for up to 5 years (that's up to 10% of your deposit gone)

• New fee structure means higher daily costs for many self-funded residents

• More categories in the assessment system (doubled from four to eight)

• Greater transparency around what you're paying for, but you're paying more

Who IS affected:

• Self-funded retirees (the most impact)

• Part-pensioners with higher assets/income (above $238,000 in assets or $95,400 in income)*

Who's NOT affected:

Full pensioners with low assets/income - they continue to only pay the Basic Daily Fee (currently $65.55/day)*

Why planning ahead matters:

Plan while you still have capacity. Have the conversation with your powers of attorney about what you want. Talk to us about structuring your assets properly - especially if you're part of a couple, where the family home can be protected from the assets test if one partner goes into care.

The families who cope best with aged care transitions are the ones who plan before a crisis hits.

*As at January 2026

The Firefly brain trust is levelling up

Rebecca and Scott are joining Katie, studying to become Paraplanners.

So what's a Paraplanner? They're the people who do the heavy lifting behind the scenes - building financial plans, crunching numbers, researching strategies, running scenarios in our planning software, and preparing all the detailed reports and documentation. While your adviser is focused on you and your goals, Paraplanners are the ones turning "here's what we recommend" into comprehensive, compliant plans ready to implement.

Think of them like paralegals in a law firm - essential support that makes everything run smoother and faster.

Hit reply if there's something on your mind about money or your financial future. We read every email.

And, we love to hear about your adventures - please forward photos and stories for us to share with the Firefly community.

Cheering you on!

Team Firefly

P.S. If you know other awesome humans who’d find this newsletter useful, please pass it along. Your friends and family can subscribe to Frankly Speaking here.

👉 Share Your Freedom File

We love hearing how our clients are enjoying their own Freedom Moments - whether it’s that first caravan trip, the long-awaited family holiday, or the purchase of your dream home or car.

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Freedom File, share your story with us by replying to this email. Your experience might just inspire someone else to take that next exciting step.