![The US President is talking a big economic game.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/v/y/9/e/image.related.wideLandscape.940x529.gtwyck.12uqus.png/1485311499165.jpg)
Money features
![Taking the leap can be the scariest bit.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/1/b/w/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtwt78.png/1485144162609.jpg)
This is the year to beat your fear
Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, the most common reason for this ignition failure is fear.
![Young families may find salary sacrifice into super more tax-effective than buying an investment property.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/b/1/5/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtd0c4.png/1482649431537.jpg)
Can I lend money to my children without losing my pension?
Financial expert Noel Whittaker answers readers' questions.
![Australian shares may not reproduce the bumper returns of 2016 this year.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/f/k/c/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtugv2.png/1485143666629.jpg)
Trump, Brexit and super changes in the mix for 2017
What a year 2016 was. Britons voted to leave the European Union, Donald Trump won the US presidential election – and financial markets reacted well to these events.
![More are delaying retirement to build a bigger nest egg.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/v/v/d/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtv82n.png/1485216998716.jpg)
More working for longer to ensure decent retirement
Workers are retiring at age 61, on average. Just two years ago they were retiring at age 58.
![It's not too late for many retirees to get back some of the age pension.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/k/h/g/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtpyhd.png/1484695891066.jpg)
How to claw back the age pension
Changes to the age pension assets test that took effect from January 1 have seen about 200,000 better-off retirees receiving smaller pension payments.
![A survey of ethical ETFs by ethical investment adviser, Balance Impact, finds many ETFs screen very differently from ...](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/o/i/7/8/4/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtqpx8.png/1484613540681.jpg)
Investing with a conscience not that easy
Ethical investing is in the eye of the investor.
![Make sure as much of your money as possible stays in your pocket or bank account.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/o/p/7/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtskn3.png/1484631690885.jpg)
Chasing deals is new year no-brainer
New deals and discounts, and expert strategies to use them, could dramatically cut what you owe this year.
![Super funds need liquid assets to meet compliance.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/0/i/d/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtd5fe.png/1482099021526.jpg)
Want DIY super? Beware the liquidity trap
Financial expert George Cochrane answers readers' questions.
![Gina Rinehart and Andrew (Twiggy) Forrest: dream duo?](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/b/6/k/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtb5wd.png/1484533641211.jpg)
What's your big investment idea for 2017?
As they say in the stockmarket, if you have one good idea a year, it's a good year.
![Many people are paying for gym services they don't use.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/j/b/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtphuv.png/1484118082374.jpg)
How to avoid spending too much on gym memberships
Getting fit is often at the top of the list of New Year resolutions, but consumers have to be careful not to waste money on gym membership fees.
![Michelle McGagh with the round of drinks she bought at the end of her no-spend year.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/o/l/5/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtok6u.png/1484032588042.jpg)
This woman bought nothing for a year and saved $37,100
A British woman has detailed how she spent an entire year buying nothing but the bare necessities and saved £22,493 ($37,100) in the process.
![Alex Henderson, age 11, launched an online paddle boarding retail business after graduating from Lemonade Stand - The ...](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/r/p/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9rjb.png/1484007346680.jpg)
Meet the pint-size entrepreneurs moving beyond money basics
The financial future looks pretty bright for one pint-sized entrepreneur, who is already in business.
![The lifestyle of many retirees is underpinned by home ownership](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/4/0/3/4/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtopui.png/1484037658523.jpg)
A roof of your own is secret to retirement
Our super system is not in need of restructuring as some commentators suggest.
![You don't have to retire to go on holidays to distant places like Montenegro.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/h/n/5/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtd5cq.png/1482098222391.jpg)
Your Questions: when can I afford to retire?
Financial expert George Cochrane answers readers' questions.
![Jarrod Partridge and his wife relocated to Bali, where he works as a freelance writer.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/s/s/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9uzw.png/1483915533237.jpg)
Got the back to work blues? Freelancers share their experience
If the summer holidays have left you burning to throw in your job, setting up as a freelancer may be just the escape route you need.
![Speak up, and put your hand up.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/r/v/9/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtdqyx.png/1485115477590.jpg)
Invest in yourself in 2017
Your ability to earn a salary is a valuable asset and one that should be nurtured over time.
![<P>](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/v/y/4/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtcux8.png/1482095806238.jpg)
The lucky country for investors
Why 2017, like every other year, is shaping up to be a good one.
![The Richie Benaud 50 cent coin.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/s/2/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtlrod.png/1483505864219.jpg)
Marvellous: how to get your Richie Benaud 50 cent coin
Next time you have to decide who bats first, use a Richie Benaud 50 cent coin for the toss.
![President-elect Donald Trump's 100-day plan has injected confidence into the sharemarkets.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/c/b/k/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtdodl.png/1483495616731.jpg)
Here's how to best trade the Trump presidency
"Investors are visionaries in some respects – they look beyond the present."
![GENERIC. PLEASE CREDIT IMAGE: iStockphoto Three presents wrapped in gold and red. Isolated on white Gold and Red ...](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/c/e/w/g/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtamy4.png/1483528118496.jpg)
Tis the season for regifting
Tez from Liverpool has been selling unwanted gifts online since 2011, but only after they've received a dose of gratitude.
![The state government will still expect stamp duty at full market value.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/3/6/w/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtd55x.png/1483410657608.jpg)
Selling property below market value is a tax trap
Financial expert George Cochrane answers readers' questions.
![After the party is over, many of us wake up with a financial hangover.](/web/20170125114921im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/c/f/2/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtcf7v.png/1481844771491.jpg)
One resolution to rule them all (and another to renounce)
How to set yourself up for a sweeter 2017.