![Girl Guides learning financial literacy through the Guide Your Money program.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/8/2/7/p/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gv7wif.png/1490777572016.jpg)
Planning
![Girl Guides learning financial literacy through the Guide Your Money program.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/8/2/7/p/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gv7wif.png/1490777572016.jpg)
Daunting cost of funding aged care for a spouse
![Evelyn Cronk is facing a big aged care bill for her husband Graham Jones.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/7/3/e/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.gv73ak.png/1490745559679.jpg)
At 69 years of age Evelyn Cronk should be looking forward to an active retirement in reasonable comfort.
Why women and men need to negotiate pay rises differently
![Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg's sophomore book has the makings of a mega hit.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/8/6/x/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gv3vs7.png/1490312993021.jpg)
The trick to closing the gender pay gap is not for women to simply ask for more.
The truth about measuring the gender pay gap
![Mining is Australia's highest paid sector, and heavily dominated by men.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/9/d/o/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.gv1ymi.png/1490061326487.jpg)
Australia seems to lack consistency when it comes to reporting the difference between what men and women are paid.
'We're spending our life savings on a family trip of a lifetime'
![Saman Shad and family are going overseas and spending tens of thousands of dollars in savings that they could have used ...](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/u/6/n/l/image.related.landscape.120x80.guz1c4.png/1489652760309.jpg)
In less than a week's time our family of five is setting off on a big adventure.
Readers ask when they should retire. This is my answer
![Twin Falls in Kakadu, Northern Territory. The big trip is often an aim for retirement.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/v/k/m/v/image.related.landscape.120x80.guvjbk.png/1489264747666.jpg)
The boring choice isn't always the best choice.
More choice for elderly to receive aged care at home
![Barbara Leonard with her husband David who had a stroke and has home care.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/v/8/c/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.guv45v.png/1489264557258.jpg)
People who receive aged care services in their home now how much more control over which provider they use.
'Covert violence': The hidden cost of financial abuse
![Economic abuse is recognised as a form of domestic violence in many states, though not in NSW.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/n/o/5/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.guukah.png/1489533147322.jpg)
More than 15 per cent of women and 7 per cent of men have experienced economic abuse in their lifetimes, research shows.
We can all do more to close gender pay gap
![Equal pay](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/p/h/4/8/image.related.landscape.120x80.guu4sw.png/1489129799033.jpg)
Most Australians would be aware that there is a problem with gender and money. Or, more specifically, inequalities between men and women when it comes to both spending and earning.
A working mother's guilt and gratitude
![Flexible work enables employees to juggle careers and parenthood.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/d/8/r/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.gusq98.png/1488972507762.jpg)
How do women balance work and family and, at the end of it, still have enough to retire on, asks Sarah Saunders.
The wins and losses in financial wellbeing for Australian women
![Lesley Anton has made a career change into real estate.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/r/k/b/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gurlb5.png/1488951401250.jpg)
Lesley Anton has traded life as a corporate high-flyer for showing open homes on Sydney’s upper north shore, and she is right on trend for Australian women.
Reducing the risk of helping adult children into property
![The highest risk option for parents is to act as guarantor for the child's loan.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/a/g/8/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.gupjwe.png/1488528644352.jpg)
Parental support is now a huge factor in the first home buyer market.
The best-paid jobs have the biggest gender pay gaps
![Construction is a high-paid industry with a high gender pay gap.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/p/0/f/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gup0c7.png/1488427792345.jpg)
The pay gap is biggest in sectors that pay the most and hire the fewest women.
The secret to finding more time
![Beyonce hires help to free up her precious time, and you can do the same.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/b/m/a/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.guous7.png/1488419212410.jpg)
Everyone gets one 1440 minutes in a day, but are your spending habits draining your time?
How to rebuild financially after divorce
![Financial and legal advice is a good idea if you're separating, especially if there are children involved.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/b/0/w/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.guk511.png/1487884627461.jpg)
Men and women take about five years to stabilise their finances after a divorce.
Pre-empt the legal limits to powers of attorney
![If signing a power of attorney, be careful of using a standard form.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/m/8/d/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gujd5v.png/1487817959629.jpg)
Enduring powers of attorney are common but widely misunderstood.
The one thing pollies agree on is money – that is, ours
![Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon, at Parliament House, is helping lead the charge to make Australians ''money smart''.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/h/b/5/c/image.related.landscape.120x80.guhb4r.png/1487648870377.jpg)
When Canberra concurs, perhaps we should start paying attention. The fabulous and free tools to help you get money smart.
How to help adult children buy a home
![Young Australians often struggle to buy a home without financial help from their parents.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/b/f/a/8/image.related.landscape.120x80.guee1r.png/1487663417296.jpg)
There are several avenues, but which is best?
Staying at home for longer leaves parents counting the costs
![Scott Tangey and his mother Kim. Tangey is using a consultant to explore work options.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/d/a/3/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gue1f4.png/1487319246006.jpg)
More young adults are living at home for longer, not able or willing to leave the nest.
The wait continues at Centrelink and tips to navigate it
![Centrelink is updating its "antiquated" telephone systems.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/h/1/q/w/image.related.landscape.120x80.guckjw.png/1487118850340.jpg)
Centrelink's phone lines are about to get better… no really, they're meant to, but you just have to wait a little longer for it to happen.
The awkward conversation you need to have with your Valentine
![A good relationship involves having awkward conversations about money.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/3/v/u/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.guaijg.png/1486928999308.jpg)
You need to have the talk. No, not the one about your sexual history, whether you want to have kids or where you want to live.
Smart money moves to avoid share-house hell
![Marrickville flatmates Arlo Alexander-Meylan, Harry Gregg, Nikita Podlasov, Tom Grimes and Isaac Ewald filled their ...](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/a/k/d/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu8z6g.png/1487213638408.jpg)
Top priority – make sure you know your legal responsibilities when moving into a share house.
The four stages of love - and money
![Having children should prompt you to review your finances.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/1/q/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu9exo.png/1486700597311.jpg)
With Valentine's Day coming up it's a good time to think about love and money, and how to marry the two together.
Time to reallocate assets within the family
![It's time to think about reallocating assets within the family.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/1/t/b/4/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu9xtr.png/1486688232622.jpg)
With the opportunities for investing or reinvesting money into super soon to be severely limited, now's the time to plan ahead for alternative tax-effective strategies.
Home care program for elderly to expand
![A great home care assistant can help the elderly go places.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/u/o/a/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu8ugm.png/1486607573213.jpg)
In 2017, the number of Home Care Packages available will increase by nearly 30,000.
Women playing footy? It's for love, not money
![Tiarna Ernst leads the pack at Bulldogs training.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/g/9/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu8xai.png/1486607663890.jpg)
If you had to give up some of your income to do something else that you loved, would you?
Centrelink overload sees families unable to access payments
![Centrelink's robo debt recovery scheme has been controversial because of high error rates.](/web/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/y/v/d/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu6x77.png/1490227222343.jpg)
Parents are being prevented from accessing the government's childcare rebate and other family payments because Centrelink staff are blocking phone lines and fudging caller wait times when reporting back to their bosses.
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/20170330034224im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/b/y/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.gu5boz.png/1488510310545.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/20170330034224im_/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/20170330034224im_/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.