My mum was allergic to animals, following a nasty incident with a cat when she was pregnant. Consequently, animals weren’t part of my early childhood. My parents eventually relented and … Read More Pet insurance has been growing in popularity but is it worth it for most households?

“Wax on, wax off.” If you don’t know what that means, you’re not Generation X. Try a column to the left or right. Daniel-san, aka The Karate Kid, was taught … Read More What are your top three tips for protecting your retirement nest egg from a financial disaster?

I call it “rewiring my brain”. And I’ve had to do it a bunch of times since 1999 – when I first decided an aspect of my life needed an … Read More Money habits are developed from a young age? How do you go about changing any bad habits?

You don’t need money! You need a mindset! One big cup of concrete to harden up, mixed with another cup of one of those sandshoe slogans. About doing it, just. … Read More Getting started in investing is often the biggest hurdle. How much money do you need to take the plunge?

Well, it’s your money. When do you think you should start caring about it? Your answer should be “now”. Followed by: “Okay, so what do I do next?” Australians, on … Read More Aussies are often told they don’t care enough about super. When should you start caring?

Are you talking about a little inflation? Paying a bit extra each year to buy the groceries? The cost of fueling up the car jumping a few bucks? Bah! They’re … Read More The rising cost of living continues to eat into household budgets. What are your top three tips for keeping up with it?

                          OUCH! Cupid’s arrow, right in my soft spot. Ain’t nothing quite like property to get me all … Read More Houses, units, funds or trusts: What is your preferred way of investing in real estate and why?

Cue Bryan Adams: “It was the summer of ’69”. Dad was a journalist. Mum was a nurse. They’d been married a year. Awww, shucks. Super special times for them, I’m … Read More Poseidon BOOM! Financial lessons you can learn from your parents

ABBA was far more cluey when they sang that “Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man’s world” than the cheesy lyric suggested. People spend infinitely more time … Read More Money can be funny. What is the most humorous financial situation you have seen or experienced?

“Get your cheap investment debt here!” When said like that, it almost sounds alluring, like “shoe sale”, or “golf club clearance”. But the cost of borrowing money for investment isn’t … Read More Borrowing to invest is more attractive when interest rates are low. Is now a good time to do it?