You want focus? I’ll give you focus! Al Pacino in Scarface: “Say hello to my little friend!” My “little friends” in financial motivation are “fear” and “greed” and you need … Read More “If I’m struggling to make ends meet on a monthly basis, how can I get focussed on achieving something big?”

There was a guy doing the talk show circuit two years ago and his suggestion was to “cancel Christmas”. “Visit friends in the week before Christmas and share a cuppa. … Read More “The Christmas shopping splurge is about to start. What are your best Christmas savings tips?”

Feed them. Clothe them. Shelter them. Love them. That’s what I was told when I signed up for kids. Nobody ever said anything about “Pay them”! Isn’t there some United … Read More “Pocket money for children: When do you start, and how much do you pay?”

Who likes eggs? I’m generally a scrambled sort of guy. Occasionally, I go for hard boiled. And this question relates to how you boil your eggs. You want them easy, … Read More “What is tougher – saving a deposit for a home or paying off a mortgage?”

Excellent topic to ask one of Australia’s most senior bankers, Sir Ralph Norris, from the Commonwealth Bank. Bruce: “Morning Ralphy.” Ralphy: “Morning Bruce.” (Hey, don’t forget his New Zealand accent.) … Read More “If you have accounts, loans and credit cards with several banks, should you consolidate them with one provider?”

Earn more versus spend less? Oh no, the never-ending battle of good versus evil! But which is good? And which is evil? It’s like pitting Angelina Jolie against Brad Pitt … Read More “Earn more money or spend less money – what is your personal finance philosophy?”

I’d get really cross and let her have both barrels. “Red card, Grandma! How many times have I told you? A thousand! There’s no more room left on your reverse … Read More “A family member tells you they have maxed out their credit cards and are in financial strife. What do you say?”

Wha-a-a-t? Boring! Old-people topic! Yawn. Wake me up when you start talking about something of interest to Gen Xers. Okay, even for Xers, fixed interest has a place. A small … Read More “Fixed interest may be the world’s most boring type of investment, but should you have some in your portfolio?”

You mean these days? Like today? Well, um, probably not very. Bu-u-u-t … who needs a home, when for just $100,000, you could buy KITT – David Hasselhoff’s legendary wheels … Read More “Owning your own home has been the great Australian dream. How achievable is it these days?”

“Would you like fries with that?” I started flippin’ burgers just after I turned 15. Actually, that’s not true. I needed “experience” before I could cook the meat. My first … Read More “What was your first job, and what did it teach you about money?”