The Lunar New Year begins on 12 February, as we usher in the year of the Ox. Ancient Lunar New Year traditions are believed to encourage health, wealth and prosperity, so why not create your own good fortune with our guide to help you get your finances in order? Have a financial spring-clean Part of […]
Determined to master your money and stick to a budget in 2020? It doesn’t have to be boring or difficult if you keep it simple, and easier still if you let technology do the heavy lifting for you. 1. Pocketbook Pocketbook automatically organises your spending into categories like clothes, groceries and fuel, showing you where money is […]
Business email compromise scams caused the highest losses across all scam types in 2019 costing businesses $132 million, according to the ACCC’s Targeting Scams report. “These combined losses from the ACCC, other government agencies and the big four banks show how financially harmful these scams can be,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said. “Scammers intercept […]
We’re dealing with a health crisis that no one in our lifetime has experienced, which is having an impact on global and domestic economies that no one could have forecast. Entire industries – tourism, entertainment and hospitality – have ground to a halt, and with them jobs. For Australians in these industries, not only are […]
Australia’s traditional home selling season, spring, is predicted to boom this year as it slingshots on the back of the nation’s coronavirus recovery. Agents, vendors and buyers have long circled the start of spring as the date to watch closely, with interest, listings and activity peaking and often indicative of the medium-term health of the […]
Define normal How many times during isolation have you found yourself reaching for unhealthy, indulgent foods? Or mindlessly standing at the fridge or pantry, even when you’re not hungry? Yep, guilty! Our dietary behaviours are not only influenced by personal preference, but also social and environmental factors. When you think about it, home is where […]
How to reduce expenses after a job loss and get back in the driver’s seat of your finances. With many thousands of Australians experiencing job losses and reduced hours as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, many will need to take a look at their expenses to continue living within their means. The average […]
Introduction Along with the horrible human consequences, the coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on the way we live and, as a result, investment markets. This has raised a whole bunch of questions: why does a big part of the economy have to go into “hibernation”? how long might it be for? […]
Being forewarned about the costs of children, particularly educating them, provides an opportunity to prepare for the hit to the family budget. Take Ben and Laura, a young professional couple with a combined after-tax income of $150,000. They plan on starting a family in a few years and after allowing for other financial commitments decide […]
At what point does the amount of ‘stuff’ we have in our lives start becoming problematic? Spending the entire day organising his garage instead of playing in the backyard with his son was the catalyst for Joshua Becker to de-clutter. Now the founder of the Becoming Minimalist website and author of several books on decluttering, Becker […]
