Planning
TRAVEL MONEY
Heading to Greece? Should you avoid 'Y euros'?
Klyde Caldwell 8:44 AM Euro notes' serial number denotes country of origin. If Greece does exit the euro, will Greek-issued euros become worthless?
FAMILY PLANNING
Parents are to blame for Sponge Society
Michelle Hutchison They have fled the nest but are still being spoon-fed. And it's not helping them.
THE OLD GUARD
For ‘greypreneurs’, necessity is the mother of invention
David Potts 2:00 PM Hitting retirement age doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to retire.
AGED CARE
Retirees can escape low rates trap
John Collett 2:00 PM With term deposits offering so little, other options for a better income and quality of life need to be looked at.
WILL POWER
Where there's a will there's a way out
Barbara Drury A recent report on will-making and contested estates reveals that about three quarters of contested estates are done so successfully.
CARD SHARPS
Travel cards not all created equal
John Collett A little bit of homework on which card to use when travelling overseas can really pay off.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Six steps to a rosier future
Dominique Bergel-Grant Want to take control of your finances? Here are some practical tips to follow.
WILL POWER
Make your last wishes everlasting
Barbara Drury If you want your wishes respected after your death, you need a cast-iron will, but how do you make one?
BOURIS ON MONEY
We need right tools to build financial futures
Mark Bouris If people must be responsible for their own retirements, we can at least help them help themselves.
BRIGHT SPARKS
The uni students making a fortune
Nina Hendy Some uni students are well on their way to financial freedom before their final exam.
Billionaires' pledge isn't all that it seems
Brendan Coffey There's an unpublicised but important detail in Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's push to get billionaires to promise to give over half of their fortune.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Redundancy payouts reward careful handling
Olivia Maragna A redundancy could be the breath of fresh air needed to really revitalise your career.
GARDENING
Investing in your garden: less is considerably more
Stephen Crafti The value of a garden is often measured in terms of how many ornamental pears are lined up across a property's front fence. Could the money put into the garden have been spent in a more imaginative way?
ASK NOEL
A not-so-super situation for one loyal worker
Noel Whittaker A struggling company has not being paying super for one of its workers. What could the worker do about this?
YOUR QUESTIONS
Where should my 19-year-old park his cash?
George Cochrane My 19-year-old son has $20,000 cash savings on deposit. We are thinking of investing the money long term with regular top-ups in a share market or index fund.
RETIREMENT
Uncertainty prevails for retirees
Daryl Dixon Historically low interest rates and the threat of major changes to age pension arrangements are combining to unsettle current and future retirees.
CASE STUDY
Happily surviving on $20,000 a year
Christine Long The wait between pays can be long for performing artist and freelance caterer Edwina Joesler. "Frequently, I will be waiting not just weeks, but months, for clients to pay up," she says. The Sydneysider's annual income is less than $20,000 and she lives without a credit card.
WELL HEELED
Why you need a one-minute pitch
Melissa Browne Last month I was fortunate to attend TedX Sydney and spent the day being inspired and challenged by some incredible speakers.
ASK NOEL
Should I pay my university fees up front?
Noel Whittaker I am 18 and am lucky enough to have been given $8000 a year from my parents and grandparents towards university for the next four years. My degree will take a minimum of three years and cost $6500 each year, adjusted to CPI, but if I pay the $6500 upfront I receive a 10 per cent discount.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Credit card travel insurance under the spotlight
John Collett Those heading overseas during the upcoming school holidays could be buying travel insurance they do not need.
BREAKING THE HABIT
How to stop living week to week
Christine Long Repeatedly running out of money and stressed out? It even happens to the well off. Plan your spending and set goals beyond survival and you can get out of the rut.
Grey divorce
After decades of marriage, divorce is the last thing couples expect to disrupt their retirement plans. But more and more baby boomers are finding themselves single and forced to start over financially.
YOUR QUESTIONS
With prices rising, should I buy in an overheated market?
George Cochrane I am really apprehensive about purchasing in such an overheated market. Please, would you tell me your thoughts about the short to medium prospect of the Sydney property market.
PENSION CHANGE FALLOUT
Tighter assets test creates pension bias
Daryl Dixon As explored in earlier columns, the doubling of the pension asset test taper rate to 7.8 per cent will, if implemented, encourage current and future retirees to overinvest in the family home or to dissipate their capital.
THE ECONOMY
Relax, economy may be doing better than GDP rate says
David Potts Economists have been scratching their heads over a puzzle that has a bearing on everything from interest rates to the dollar.
MONEY LESSONS
Little savings reap rich rewards
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon The earlier you start instilling financial independence in your children, the sooner they will become self-sufficient enough to leave home.
BOURIS ON MONEY
Don't let finances ruin your marriage – get it right early
Mark Bouris Agreeing on values and plans, paying off debt and communicating can help couples avoid financial stress.
WORKING FOR YOU
Head to the next level
Sylvia Pennington The budget has made starting your own business more tempting. But how do you go about getting started?
ASSET TEST
Asset test plans will skew retirement savings strategies
Daryl Dixon The higher assets-test taper rate announced in the budget penalises those saving for their retirement.
