Planning
THE 'HONEST' BROKER
What does money mean to you?
Marcus Padley Money is an amazing motivator; it causes us to do astonishing things. But does it make us happy?
ASK NOEL
Share trust an option for young saver
Noel Whittaker I am 17 and left school a bit over a year ago. I have managed to save $10,000 and was wondering what I should do with it?
BALANCING ACT
Mums get down to business
JOHN COLLETT Career skills are valuable, and more mothers are choosing not to set them aside.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Pension capitalisation taxable for under 60s
GEORGE COCHRANE My wife and I have our own SMSF. Can she 'commute' the pension and take capital out?
POINT SCORING
A mortgage sweetener they're hoping will fly
Alexandra Cain It seems too good to be true but it's now possible to earn frequent flyer points by paying off your mortgage.
ASK NOEL
Is now a good time to buy a house?
Noel Whittaker I'm trying to decide if now is a good time to buy somewhere to live. What would you suggest?
PENSIONS
GFC hits Australian retirees hardest
John Collett Australian retirees have been the hardest hit by the global financial crisis, international study finds.
GETTING STARTED
Rates suggest it's a good time to fix
David Potts Interest rates are moving - but this time it isn't down. Not that your bank will let you in on the secret.
RETRENCHMENT
Redundant and ready for action
John Collett Redundancy can be traumatic but it can also be a chance to take a new direction and, if you’re lucky, to grab a big stack of cash.
PARTY PLANS
Thinking outside the lunch box
Sylvia Pennington Thousands of Australians work in the sector - but is party planning a nice little earner, or an express way to lose friends and alienate acquaintances?
ECONOMY
Still some bang left in the mining boom
David Potts Judging by the sudden turn in the dollar's fortunes, it seems the mining boom is just having a rest.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Triggers and the bring-forward rule
George Cochrane Do you understand how the bring-forward rule for non-concessional super contributions works?
WEALTH CHECK
The 10 biggest money mistakes
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon Follow this routine and you'll be well on your way to getting your finances in shape.
FINANCIAL ADVICE
Advisors fail integrity survey
JOHN COLLETT Financial advisers are struggling to change perceptions about their professionalism.
SPREAD TOO THIN
A generation caught in the middle
Kate Jones With their parents hitting old age and their kids still at home the sandwich generation are caring for others when they should be taking care of themselves.
LEAVING HOME
Aussies buy up bargains abroad
Christine Long Cheap property prices in crisis-hit Europe have got some Australians excited about picking up a holiday home bargain.
INHERITANCE
Where there's a will there's a long, long wait
David Wilson You cannot count on a prospective bequest as an asset - a hard fact to accept for some.
Leaving home
Aussies buy up bargains abroad
Christine Long Cheap property prices in crisis-hit Europe have got some Australians excited about picking up a holiday home bargain.
CREDIT RATING
Hard truth on credit reports
JOHN COLLETT Financially stretched consumers would stop paying their mortgage before skipping their gas, insurance and phone bills.
WELL HEELED
Health cover is in your court
Melissa Browne Many people are only now seeing the effect of the recent changes to the private health insurance rebate when they lodge their tax return
