Call a family meeting in the backyard. Tell them to close their eyes, as you have a pre-Christmas surprise for them. Unfurl the garden hose and turn the tap on full. Now, calmly, press the hose trigger and spray them mercilessly, like you were crowd-controlling rowdy protestors. Hose down those expectations! Kids make Christmas Day […]
SUMMARY: Wondering what to do with your super at retirement? Look harder at the pension option. Sometimes you need an outsider to come in to critique. Rip what you’re doing to shreds. And tell you how to reconstruct it properly. American Professor Robert C Merton has done just that to Australia’s super system. On a […]
WHAT? Whoa! Really? You’re asking me to solve an out-of-control, national, credit-card bingeing problem? How about something simpler? Perhaps stopping Australians drinking beer? Halting the Ebola Virus? Smashing our druglords’ supply chains? I could get shorter odds at the TAB on me brokering peace with Islamic State. There’s nothing actually wrong with credit cards. They’re […]
Actions and consequences – every one of the former comes with one of the latter. Usually, it’s big actions that have big consequences, while we’re told “don’t sweat the small stuff”. I disagree. The small stuff, repeated daily for years, can have huge, leveraged, effects on our lives. Like a daily, mid-morning, muffin. Whether choc-blueberry […]
SUMMARY: Age pension and health care card changes start on 1 January. It’s not too late to shore yours up. Here’s what to do. There’s a deadline silently sneaking up on super pensioners – one which could cost thousands annually to those who don’t take action. From next year, account-based pensions (ABPs) will be deemed […]
Um, bit embarrassing. I think my accreditation to speak authoritatively here has lapsed. The division of labour in our house means I only go to the supermarket five minutes before people arrive to get forgotten items. However, with beer shopping, I do have A+ qualifications. So, the following is largely from Mrs DebtMan. “Sign up […]
SUMMARY: Couples working together financially can make one plus one equal more than two. It’s an unusual statistic, though it shouldn’t be overly surprising: Surveys show the widowed are generally the least worried about their retirement. The reason is understandable. Most of two lifetimes spent saving to fund a joint retirement is now going to […]
With the way markets have behaved in the last two months? Possibly next decade. Maybe in another generation’s lifetime. Kidding. However, I don’t have a crystal ball. If I (reluctantly) must pin a tail on this donkey, I’d suggest about 2017. That would make it a decade from one peak to the next. That […]
SUMMARY: Six steps to making sure your run up to retirement is as profitable as possible. There is a fuzzy point in your life when the retirement you have been working towards suddenly starts charging at you. It’s fuzzy because it’s going to be a different age for everyone. For most, it will happen somewhere […]
“She works hard for the money, so you better treat her right.” Donna Summer’s 1983 classic was written about a restroom attendant. Could easily have been about the world’s “oldest” profession. Or about any of us and our relationship with our banks. Banks should treat us right. Sadly, they often don’t. They are great at […]
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