![Centrelink's robo debt recovery scheme has been controversial because of high error rates.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/v/d/0/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gu6x77.png/1486509488341.jpg)
Planning
![Centrelink's robo debt recovery scheme has been controversial because of high error rates.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/v/d/0/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gu6x77.png/1486509488341.jpg)
Why everyone needs a will, especially parents
![Orphaned children may have a loving extended family but if their parents don't nominate a testamentary guardian, it ...](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/b/y/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu5boz.png/1486169095559.jpg)
One of the biggest reasons parents need a will has nothing to do with who gets their money if they die.
Clock ticks on $1 million super deadline
![Only five months to go before super contributions caps are lowered](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/o/b/j/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu3nqj.png/1486083732244.jpg)
It's the $1 million opportunity – the last hurrah to get a lot of money inside super and take advantage of super's concessional tax rates before July 1 this year.
New year, new me? Bollocks to that!
![You can start changing your life any day of the year.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/0/g/m/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu1723.png/1485738287480.jpg)
Real change takes work, not just good intentions and a dash of hope.
Childcare is expensive, but not working costs more
![Quality childcare provides a positive early learning environment for young children.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/x/j/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtyxcb.png/1485854784424.jpg)
The amount of money a working couple spends on childcare is eye-watering but there are benefits too.
The asset most Australians forget they have
![Your ability to generate an income is one of the most important assets you have.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/v/z/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtyvwj.png/1485388878226.jpg)
Australians – when asked about their assets – inevitably talk about their house, their vehicles and their superannuation.
How to claw back the age pension
![It's not too late for many retirees to get back some of the age pension.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/k/h/g/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtpyhd.png/1484695891066.jpg)
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.
Invest in yourself in 2017
![Speak up, and put your hand up.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/r/v/9/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtdqyx.png/1486342393631.jpg)
Your ability to earn a salary is a valuable asset and one that should be nurtured over time.
The ideal time of year to buy or sell property
![Many homeowners choose to sell in spring to show off their property at the nicest time of year.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/d/n/x/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtdnvz.png/1482054334173.jpg)
Traditionally, autumn and spring are the two distinct periods for selling property. But is that logical?
Meet the pint-size entrepreneurs moving beyond money basics
![Alex Henderson, age 11, launched an online paddle boarding retail business after graduating from Lemonade Stand - The ...](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/r/p/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9rjb.png/1484007346680.jpg)
The financial future looks pretty bright for one pint-sized entrepreneur, who is already in business.
Got the back to work blues? Freelancers share their experience
![Jarrod Partridge and his wife relocated to Bali, where he works as a freelance writer.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/s/s/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9uzw.png/1483915533237.jpg)
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.
Why financial resilience is not an end goal
![Resilience is a tool on the path to wellbeing not an end in itself.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/s/j/x/4/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9blb.png/1481576761340.jpg)
When it comes to our finances and our businesses we're often told to be resilient. But is simply weathering storms truly living?
How to budget daily spend for your holiday
![Amy Miller and Kyle Frost planned exactly how much they would spend on their three-week trip to the US and Mexico - and ...](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/8/x/a/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt8x3g.png/1481591614085.jpg)
Not budgeting for, and during, your trip can result in overspending.
What it would take to replace the age pension
![Most pre-retirees don't have enough super.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/8/1/j/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt7wje.png/1481543973256.jpg)
The age pension is more valuable than many people realise.
Welcome to aged-care season
![Heather Watson helped find her aunt Marjorie MacLeod a place in the same nursing home as Heather's parents.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/7/e/h/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt6gl4.png/1481238674745.jpg)
The festive season can be as overwhelming as it is merry, especially when you're confronted by the frailty of elderly relatives.
Straight talk on the age pension
![Wasting money to upsize your pension payments doesn't make good financial sense.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/1/m/m/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt74qs.png/1481684592664.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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
![On average, a divorced mother has 37 per cent less super than a divorced father.](/web/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/i/7/7/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.gslcl8.png/1482329309737.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/x/e/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsrntw.png/1483078665086.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/b/2/m/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gsgcmj.png/1481041091052.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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/20170208112908im_/http://www.smh.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."