![Phil Hopper has borrowed money from his parents for his business, Liberty Signs in Frenchs Forest.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/8/2/i/b/image.related.wideLandscape.940x529.gw7tis.12uqus.png/1495160868355.jpg)
Money features
![Fairfax Media's share price surged on the back of interest from two US private equity firms.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/2/l/4/j/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw8h3d.png/1495157643876.jpg)
Fairfax Media best pick of the week as bidding war hots up
Our tipsters are left in the red in week two of the four-week Shares Race, following the midweek sell-off on Australian and global sharemarkets.
![Peter Costello, chairman of the Australian Future Fund, speaking at the Australian Shareholders' Association National ...](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/6/7/g/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw7mfy.png/1495076033957.jpg)
Public servants gain from Future Fund decision
The federal government's recent decision to postpone drawing from the Future Fund is welcome news for members of its defined benefit funds.
![Safety has long been the selling point for the Volvo.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/4/w/v/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw4wjt.png/1494924588079.jpg)
'Trading shares is now a poor man's game'
The popularity of exchange-traded funds is overstated in Australia, but they play an important role.
![The Tax Office needs to do more to help reduce the unpaid super problem](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/2/u/v/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw3k5c.png/1494741940140.jpg)
The nation's unpaid super bill is now $5.6b a year and rising
Unpaid superannuation is a huge and growing problem. Industry Super Australia estimates employers are failing to pay billions in compulsory super contributions to 2.6 million employees.
![SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 15: Portrait of Tom and Irene Han at their North West Sydney home. The retired couple intend to ...](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/l/b/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw4d2h.png/1495012727402.jpg)
Budget incentives for downsizers only benefit the well-off, experts say
Before selling, you need to consider how the age pension thresholds under the assets test work.
![Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon presenting to high school students.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/6/d/u/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw4y6g.png/1495004294792.jpg)
The basic money quiz no high schooler has aced. Can you?
Young or older, my quick "smart money" quiz reveals where you are all set for success – and where there are dangerous holes in your financial understanding.
![Writer Nina Hendy wishes she had discussed her father's estate planning while he was fit and healthy.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/1/k/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw51sq.png/1495006150911.jpg)
'My dad rewrote his will just before he died of cancer'
My father updated his will, I have absolutely no idea what he was trying to document.
![UBank's goal is to deliver simpler, better, smarter banking to customers.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/t/r/c/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw4x0x.png/1494948299394.jpg)
NAB-owned UBank launches robot to sell home loans
In a first for an Australian bank, NAB-owned UBank has launched an artificial intelligence "chatbot" for home loans.
![Jeremy Becker, 23, did his research before buying his first car, a second-hand former fleet vehicle.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/2/c/i/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw2a6t.png/1494924560717.jpg)
No lemons: how to buy a second-hand car
Luck plays a role in buying a great second-hand car, but you also make your own luck with careful research and investigation.
![Let's celebrate actual mothers and grandmothers this Mother's Day.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/3/y/z/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw3yml.png/1494948394061.jpg)
You can't outsource motherhood, but you can share the load
Mother's Day is a time to reflect on the unpaid contribution of mothers and grandmothers to families and communities.
![If the bank levy drives up mortgage costs, home owners should consider refinancing.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/3/9/m/v/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw39k4.png/1494948345537.jpg)
Bank levy means home owners should shop around
The budget came and went – so what was in it for you?
![Gold producer Blackham Resources is the most strongly-performing stock in week one of the Shares Race .](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/f/b/s/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw3b7z.png/1494555685657.jpg)
Dartboard leads the pack out of the gate with gold producer pick
The Dartboard's on top in week one of the new four-week Shares Race with its "pick" of Blackham Resources the strongest performer so far.
![It's important to get financial advice before selling the family home to fund retirement.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/2/8/h/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw284m.png/1494948323955.jpg)
When seniors own $1m home, but have no money
Baby Boomers' parents are living much longer than expected, providing fertile ground for family conflict over how to care for them.
![Many people follow Marie Kondo's methods to achieve a decluttered home.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/2/9/f/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw28xk.png/1494464794044.jpg)
What minimalism can do for your mind and money
I am a hypocrite. It's become obvious in recent weeks as I consider two competing – and conflicting – sources of inspiration I seek out through social media.
![Younger Ausralians will be able to boost their savings for a home using the tax advantages of superannuation.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/2/f/c/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw2f52.png/1495357893994.jpg)
Super saver scheme to help young Aussies on middle incomes
The budget announced an initiative to allow first home buyers to build up accessible savings in their super: how popular will it be?
![The bank tax will affect the Big 4 banks, plus Macquarie Group.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/1/0/m/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw2t28.png/1495099830265.jpg)
The budget's lesson for bank shareholders
Seemingly from out of the blue, Treasurer Scott Morrison decided that the big banks should pay a little more in tax.
![Illustration John Shakespeare](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/1/o/k/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw1pnt.png/1494407312804.jpg)
Few clear-cut winners from 2017 budget
There are only a couple of clear-cut winners from the 2017 federal budget from the point of view of our personal finances; though we could all be better off if it gets the macro-economic settings right.
![Bianca Barnard, 17, is battling to find work in a tough job market.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/x/0/0/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gvwzf3.png/1494454381455.jpg)
Will the federal budget help young job seekers?
Drug testing, benefit cuts and a drastic shortage of jobs don't add up.
![Treasurer Scott Morrison did not deliver personal tax cuts in his 2017 budget.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/1/s/r/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw1dop.png/1495001159786.jpg)
No end to bracket creep makes average earning Australians worse off
Middle-income Australians to bear brunt of budget's failure on income tax rates and thresholds.
![Can smart home technology help combat environmental issues and our ageing population? The experts say yes.](/web/20170522005653im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/1/k/6/w/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw1q58.png/1494465674255.jpg)
What first home buyers should know before investing in Scott Morrison's scheme
It's not free education and tax-free property windfalls, but new scheme is worth considering.