Barefoot Investor

Debts rule out early house hunt

THERE’S no point thinking about getting into the housing market if you are saddled with debt. Fix that first and build your savings, writes Barefoot Investor.

Buyer beware for booming Bitcoin

THE Barefoot Investor won’t be investing in booming Bitcoin, and he doesn’t recommend anyone else does either. Here are the reasons why you should avoid the virtual currency.

Hey, big spender, watch out!

WHEN a saver ponders a serious relationship with a spender, she needs to set some ground rules about him getting debt free for starters, writes Barefoot Investor.

The price you’ll pay for indulging your teen

A BELOW-average grade in money management colours your entire life so start testing your teenagers now, writes Barefoot Investor.

Love can lead to a dumb call

JUST because love is all around you, don’t jump into joint finances too quickly. Take your time to see how the partnership develops, writes Barefoot Investor.

Revenge is coming for first home buyers

THERE are 15,000 new Melbourne apartments due to settle before June 30. Many won’t. Tick. Tick. Tick. That’s the sound of the inner-city apartment market, writes Barefoot Investor.

No drama that can’t be sorted

A WIFE’S insolvency issue has stalled an expansion loan for a business but she should dial down the drama as it can be sorted, writes Barefoot Investor.

Will first home buyers get a foot in the door?

FIRST home buyers will soon be able to divert extra money into their super and then draw it out to buy a house. Is this a good thing? Barefoot Investor investigates.

Stay calm about debt hex

IF you have a HECS debt don’t rush to pay it off. It’s the cheapest loan you’ll ever get and it’ll come out of your salary, writes Barefoot Investor.

How an old gardener achieved real wealth

A CHAT with garden guru Peter Cundall was one of the most thought-provoking of Barefoot Investor’s life. What can an old gardener teach about achieving real wealth? Read on.

Wealthiest still need a purpose

COMING into large amounts of money brings the challenge of protecting that wealth and finding further meaning in your life, writes Barefoot Investor.

What Amazon means for Australia

AMAZON’S impending arrival, if the US is any guide, will please shoppers who need something delivered quickly. But the outlook for retail workers isn’t so rosy, writes Barefoot Investor.

Why you should fight to save your family home

BAREFOOT Investor Scott Pape often tells people up to their armpits in debt to sell their cars, investment properties and jetskis — but rarely the family home. Here’s why.

Bad taste lingers after loss

DON’T waste time on resentment if you find yourself in a financial hole. Just dig yourself out, writes Scott Pape.

The house that debt built

DEEP down, Treasurer Scott Morrison knows he can’t really fix anything, especially the housing market, writes Scott Pape.

How to get your life back

HAVING an emergency fund and knowing your entitlements will go a long way towards helping you out of a crisis, writes Barefoot Investor.

Why Apple wants older workers

WHEN you think ‘age-friendly’ employers, Apple isn’t the first company you would have guessed. But the tech giant has cracked the code and it makes complete sense, writes Barefoot Investor.

Knowledge key to dodging financial bullet

FIND out all you can about your partner’s finances before you embark on a life together, writes Barefoot Investor.

The heartache of being a small business owner

SMALL business owners are a different breed: they work their guts out — risking it all — even though the odds of success are stacked against them, writes Barefoot Investor.

Steps put victim on right path

PUTTING a payout into a term deposit and then taking time to decide what to do with it is the way to go, writes Barefoot Investor.

Barefoot Investor’s three commandments

WHEN Barefoot Investor’s mum roped him into doing a church presentation he decided to structure his speech around the Ten Commandments — which he whittled down to three.

Why gifting first-home buyers cash is bad

THE housing debate’s got nothing to do with creating effective policy — and everything to do with politics. And first-home buyers may be the ones who pay, writes Barefoot Investor.

Jen asks: Sadly, my husband has just been advised that his cancer has moved to “terminal” (he is only 48). We are devastated, but the reality is we have to make some hard decisions about where to go from here.

For richer or for poorer

BUILDING a life together and building a family together requires a team effort. So cut your partner some slack, writes Barefoot Investor.

School finance classes should be independent

HAVING banks teach schoolkids about money is like Ronald McDonald teaching them about nutrition. So why aren’t we funding financial education in all schools, asks Barefoot Investor.

Double life leaves wife exposed

A WIFE cannot rely on a philandering husband to “do the right thing” now they have broken up. She must lawyer up, writes the Barefoot Investor.

You’re not a loser if you rent

DESPITE what everyone around you might say, there are many intelligent reasons why you would choose to rent and save rather than borrow and buy, writes Barefoot Investor.