Will anyone be in Australia to fill out the Census this week? You should be reading this by smart phone or an internet cafe … somewhere the sun’s shining and … Read More Aussies are travelling more. What are your top financial tips for travellers?
All posts by Bruce
The best ways to teach teenagers to appreciate the value of money?
Electric shock therapy. Cattle prods and electrodes. What? Whaddya mean it’s not legal anymore? It was standard parental behaviour in the 70s! If you want to teach a teenager not … Read More The best ways to teach teenagers to appreciate the value of money?
Property prices have been flat/negative. Is real estate still a good investment?
Does a bear you-know-what in the woods? Or, in the words of Frank Spencer from Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, has “the cat done a whoopsie in my beret”? Yes, … Read More Property prices have been flat/negative. Is real estate still a good investment?
How should you react when someone asks you how much money you earn?
You should pray for a little intervention from Pixar in your life. (You know, the makers of favourite kiddie movies, including Toy Story and Finding Nemo.) You want a giant … Read More How should you react when someone asks you how much money you earn?
We’ve all heard horror stories about small businesses failing. What should you consider before starting one?
Love it or hate it, the great message I got out of Forrest Gump was: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something”. But even more importantly … … Read More We’ve all heard horror stories about small businesses failing. What should you consider before starting one?
“Financial independence seems harder to achieve these days. What are your top three tips to get there?”
“Aah, come grasshopper, wisdom you seek.” Okay, I might be mixing my Kung Fu quote with my poor Yoda impersonation there. Honestly? I disagree with the statement. It’s no harder … Read More “Financial independence seems harder to achieve these days. What are your top three tips to get there?”
“Hurry! The tax year ends in four days! What can you do now to get a bigger tax refund?”
When minds turn to tax matters, some divine intervention wouldn’t go astray. So I generally channel Australia’s patron saint of tax minimisation, Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer. “If anybody in this … Read More “Hurry! The tax year ends in four days! What can you do now to get a bigger tax refund?”
“A new financial year is about to tick over. What areas do you think will deliver the best investment returns?”
Pulling out the crystal ball, hey? “Danger Will Robinson!” I hate one-year predictions. Hero? Or zero? That said … here are my punts. Shares: With shares stagnant at levels of … Read More “A new financial year is about to tick over. What areas do you think will deliver the best investment returns?”
“The superannuation rules are changing again next month, so should you be putting more money into super?”
“GIDDYUP!” Don’t be alarmed. That’s just me mounting one of my hobby horses. Listen up Xers, because a superannuation hand grenade was tossed directly at us in 2009. The old … Read More “The superannuation rules are changing again next month, so should you be putting more money into super?”
“Our national credit card debt is almost $50 billion, and we’re paying interest on $36 billion. How do we cut it?”
Is that all? Just the $36 billion? Come on Australia! My out-of-control, credit-card addict, Grandma owes nearly a quarter of that herself. Seriously! Are the rest of you really even … Read More “Our national credit card debt is almost $50 billion, and we’re paying interest on $36 billion. How do we cut it?”