![Heather Watson helped find her aunt Marjorie MacLeod a place in the same nursing home as Heather's parents.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/7/e/h/o/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gt6gl4.png/1481238674745.jpg)
Planning
![Heather Watson helped find her aunt Marjorie MacLeod a place in the same nursing home as Heather's parents.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/7/e/h/o/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gt6gl4.png/1481238674745.jpg)
Straight talk on the age pension
![Wasting money to upsize your pension payments doesn't make good financial sense.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/1/m/m/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt74qs.png/1481234414450.jpg)
The age pension assets test is being tightened, and some pensioners will lose all or part of their pension come January 1, but it is still one of the most generous age pension systems in the world.
Nicole helps… position a reader for a pay rise
![You need to make a business case to support a request for a pay rise.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/w/d/n/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gswdp5.png/1480120176760.jpg)
Nicole helps… position a reader for a pay rise.
Buying into a retirement village? Beware these traps
![Pam Graudenz, resident of a retirement village and vice president and village liaison officer from the Retirement ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/u/n/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gstued.png/1479771947464.jpg)
Don't let the sales hype and glossy marketing blind you to the financial reality of buying into a retirement village.
Mind the gap – insure against longevity
![For retiring couples today, there is a good chance that at least one partner will live to be 100.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/q/b/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gstq0l.png/1479686147486.jpg)
From next year, retirees should be able to insure against running out of money in their old age.
The money problems most likely to affect men
![Men are less likely to seek treatment for depression, and this can intensify the associated problems.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/s/6/t/u/image.related.landscape.120x80.gss6gn.png/1479465657355.jpg)
It's a man's world, but being a man doesn't always pay big.
How to have a good divorce
![PROPERTY. PIC RAYNER. PROPERTY SPLIT UPS. Generic divorce picture.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/i/7/7/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.gslcl8.png/1479684226556.jpg)
Getting divorced or becoming separated is the worst financial decision that anyone is most likely to make.
Trump win could still bring higher interest rates
![​The Aussie dollar is trending lower, but not enough to boost manufacturing.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/x/e/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsrntw.png/1479418677464.jpg)
If the US Federal Reserve raises rates, Australia may follow suit.
The big mistake many female entrepreneurs are making
![Jim Collins wrote about the hedgehog concept in his book, Good to Great.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/o/o/y/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsoou5.png/1479086450862.jpg)
Women are starting businesses faster than ever, but at what cost?
What the new world order means for your hip pocket
![As the world waits to see the new face of America, so far so good for Australian investors.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/t/y/d/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsmzdz.png/1479102094422.jpg)
The victory of the billionaire maverick Donald Trump to become 45th President of the United States may well lead to a period of political uncertainty.
It's the season for saving to enjoy a debt-free new year
![Starting Christmas shopping early pays off for Santina Gambrill, shown with her husband Aaron and children Jaden and ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/2/b/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsgc33.png/1478251042607.jpg)
With just 49 sleeps until Christmas there are still many things to organise, including, most likely, the present buying.
How to increase your income – focus on outcomes not hours
![Ridding the garden of weeds was the desired outcome, not policing the hours worked.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/h/5/p/a/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsh5gv.png/1478143725927.jpg)
If we want something, we can either reduce expenditure, or increase our income.
Five rules for negotiating your pay
![Young women are closing the gap in pay negotiations.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/l/0/n/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsh53a.png/1478142877114.jpg)
It can be a nerve-racking process when you begin negotiating a salary.
Low investment returns bite
![Low growth is squeezing investment returns.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/b/2/m/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsgcmj.png/1479967926601.jpg)
​Funding a comfortable retirement has always been a challenge for many Australians but now it's even more difficult.
Seven money survival secrets for school leavers
![SCHOOLIES 2015 on the Gold Coast. Jeremy Tanudtanud 18, Monica Caminiti 18, Elena Dmitrovic 17 and Marcus Hill 18. ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/d/s/h/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsecx1.png/1478055328822.jpg)
Most school leavers are – sorry – spectacularly unprepared for the real world. Here are the vital survival secrets you need to hear now – before it’s too late.
How to find a good financial adviser
![Good financial planning should address your goals.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/c/s/5/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gscryx.png/1478696298274.jpg)
My stock answer is: "That is no different from your asking me how to find a good doctor, accountant or motor mechanic. I really don't know."
Are you ready for disaster season?
![Uninsured victims of the Brisbane flood, Sharon and Jonathan Cauldwell, lost almost $420,000 but are determined their ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/b/s/n/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsbrwp.png/1477636617386.jpg)
Brisbane hospitality executives Jonathan and Sharon Cauldwell were hit hard after their home was inundated in the 2011 floods.
Life is set to get tough for self-funded retirees
![Self-funded retirees will struggle under the new age pension rules.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/b/k/t/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsckdh.png/1477603879558.jpg)
Self-funded retirees with assets will be struggling to obtain after-tax investment returns higher than the new age pension asset test taper rate of 7.8 per cent.
Planning travel money and insurance early pays off
![SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 13: Steven Golbach looks at flight Centre window on George St, on October 13, 2016 in ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/1/e/t/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs6cf0.png/1477013581954.jpg)
Travel money and travel insurance should be organised well in advance of the upcoming holiday season, experts warn.
The trick to seeing a financial adviser
![You don't have to be pulled into full-scale financial planning.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/c/r/q/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs7ewc.png/1477288756465.jpg)
You don't have to be pulled into full-scale financial planning, where the adviser starts with a $3000-plus statement and then has you on an annual retainer.
When can you afford to retire?
![Many younger households are on track to have enough super for a comfortable retirement, a recent report said.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/j/9/t/w/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs5qas.png/1479905905413.jpg)
Once you know what your retirement looks like, you can figure out how much money you will need to fund it each year and then how soon you can actually do it.
The three things low-income earners can do to get ahead
![Raj Patel was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy when he saw a financial counsellor.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/3/s/8/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs3sf9.png/1476748390267.jpg)
Raj never thought he'd need a financial counsellor. Then he nearly lost it all through a run of bad luck.
Can robots beat humans as financial advisers?
![Robo-advisers are pitching their services at self-directed investors.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/9/m/y/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs18f4.png/1476776057751.jpg)
Jason Lim wants to save enough for a deposit on an apartment but a traditional adviser is not for him.
How one family fought the government on aged care fees and won
![Most families want the wellbeing of their loved one to be paramount when choosing an aged care facility.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/2/9/y/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs29nt.png/1476428799519.jpg)
There is a ludicrous situation caused by the government's inability to get Centrelink and the aged care authorities on the same page - but you may be able to force a different outcome.
Exits and oxygen masks: create your emergency financial plan
![There is a reason why airlines do the safety demonstration while the plane is still on the ground.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/z/t/e/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.grztc8.png/1476776088760.jpg)
We need to start thinking about our own financial emergency plans while everything is clear sailing.
Retirees have little reason to save under the new pension rules
![Retirees with modest savings are barely better off than those on the age pension.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/1/8/k/h/image.related.landscape.120x80.gs18et.png/1478255557228.jpg)
The changes in the asset test for the pension come at the same time as official interest rates and conservative investment returns are at historic low levels.
Financial literacy won't help if you don't get your facts straight
![Financial literacy is useless unless you can separate fact from fiction.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/w/x/x/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.grx2hm.png/1475800882934.jpg)
A little knowledge can be more dangerous than blissful ignorance.
How to keep what's yours when a relationship fails
![A financial agreement gives peace of mind for (from left) Simon Lyster, Galileo Lima, 10, Shahrazad Lima 13, and ...](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/r/2/t/u/image.related.landscape.120x80.grr1pf.png/1475625459247.jpg)
Maintaining separate finances does not protect your assets if your relationship breaks up, but a properly drawn-up binding financial agreement does.
Plan ahead for the festive season to avoid a financial hangover
![A little pain now in terms of planning can mean you avoid a financial hangover later on.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/t/k/f/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.grtkcu.png/1480112030358.jpg)
A little pain now in terms of planning can mean you avoid a whole lot of pain later on.
A couple poised for retirement plans to 'hit the road'
![A couple in their 60s dreams of finishing with the world of work and travelling around Australia.](/web/20161209043157im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/r/2/0/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.grr24p.png/1475111793073.jpg)
Financial expert George Cochrane answers readers' questions.