![Childcare starts to look less expensive when you consider all the financial factors.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/m/4/3/t/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gxm3l6.png/1501598079625.jpg)
Planning
![Childcare starts to look less expensive when you consider all the financial factors.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/m/4/3/t/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gxm3l6.png/1501598079625.jpg)
The alternative to selling your home to fund aged care
![There are ways to tap into housing wealth for aged care, besides selling the property. Illustration: Andrew Dyson](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/8/7/u/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxanu7.png/1500386587826.jpg)
Selling your home to fund aged care might be the right decision, but sometimes borrowing against the home is necessary, or even a better choice.
You don't need to be affluent to retire
![It’s time to debunk the myth of zero housing costs in retirement if we want to understand why retirees resist downsizing.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/7/6/h/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gx76ax.png/1501498643591.jpg)
You probably don't need as much money in retirement as you've been told.
Avoid these mistakes to 'retire right'
![Retiring from work doesn't mean retiring from life.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/6/4/3/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.gx60jc.png/1499377253385.jpg)
The way to a happy life is to have "someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to".
Five steps to avoid an aged care fiasco
![Get a clear idea of your family finances before anyone moves into care.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/m/d/5/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.gx5sev.png/1500961022043.jpg)
We all need a plan to help prepare for old age.
Busting the $1 million retirement myth
![Most Australians don't have anywhere near $1 million saved for retirement.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/2/8/o/h/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwzo7q.png/1498616721497.jpg)
Most Australian workers have nothing like $1 million in super, yet still report being satisfied and fulfilled in retirement.
How to make retirement savings last longer than you do
![Colin Campbell is reluctant to take on more risk.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/y/i/t/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwx2rk.png/1499187616645.jpg)
Well-diversified portfolios have a split of 70 per cent in "growth" investments and 30 per cent in income-producing "defensive" investments.
How to figure out compound growth in your head
![The Rule of 72 makes complex calculations easier to do in your head – without an abacus or calculator.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/w/9/t/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gww8l6.png/1498231038185.jpg)
You don't have to be a mathematician to use the Rule of 72. It's simple, but once you understand how to use it, you'll wonder how you got by without it.
We know less about money than we think
![Fraud against Australians using credit cards overseas has risen dramatically.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/0/o/d/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwqt1y.png/1498010373518.jpg)
Many people misunderstand key concepts in banking, but few recognise the limits of their knowledge, a new survey suggests.
Think all you need to retire is money? Think again
![Consider a transition into retirement before you sign up for 30 years of relaxation.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/4/v/q/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwtwbj.png/1498141106049.jpg)
It's possible your retirement fantasies involve beaches, drinks with tiny umbrellas and – ahh – spare time.
Money can buy happiness if you spend it on these three things
![Commuting makes you miserable.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/m/0/e/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwsxts.png/1497937687179.jpg)
How would you spend $20 for the biggest payoff in happiness? What did you actually spend your last $20 on?
Life change: Meet the Australians reinventing retirement
![Jeff and Judi Parry have downsized to a smaller apartment in a retirement village in Carlton. Photo: PENNY STEPHENS. The ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/s/j/d/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwsbht.png/1498141139165.jpg)
We talk to the downsizers, the sea-changers and the retirees who moved overseas.
Unlucky seniors in the pension card trap
![Illustration: Simon Letch](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/9/3/1/l/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwrmke.png/1497947434469.jpg)
Former pensioners lose thousands because they earned hundreds.
The side hustle: Five ways to monetise your skills outside of a nine-to-five
![If you love to knit, you could have a side hustle selling cute beanies.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/r/z/b/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwryfa.png/1497937437936.jpg)
The side hustle has exploded among Australian millennials and thanks to the internet there's more opportunity than ever to turn a skill or passion into a tidy income outside your nine-to-five.
Slower growth is good news for first-home buyers
![Owner-occupiers only realise the value of their home if they sell.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/8/5/v/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwng61.png/1497192081544.jpg)
There's a lot of the talk at the moment about the idea of a housing bubble that's set to burst.
How the funeral industry preys on grieving families
![The funeral industry uses bundle deals, which makes it hard to compare pricing.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/j/a/e/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwj9c1.png/1500534461010.jpg)
Death may be one of the great certainties of life, but there's nothing compulsory about a funeral.
Being rich makes you smarter
![Harvard researchers found the "cognitive deficit" caused by money worries can translate into a drop of as many as 10 IQ ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/5/o/s/a/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwi1q5.png/1496368351977.jpg)
Here are some ideas to relieve money worries and increase the quality of your financial decisions, and as a result, your general intelligence.
Downsizing provisions are a mixed bag
![The downsizing provisions will help some retirees, but the impact on the age pension is an issue.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/g/e/8/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwdpu2.png/1495765180205.jpg)
While far from ideal, the budget initiative to allow older Australians to deposit up to $300,000 each in superannuation when they downsize their home is welcome.
'My ex-boyfriend left me broke'
![A psychologist helped the writer understand that her partner's behaviour was financial abuse.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/a/o/3/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw7t65.png/1496136548150.jpg)
By the time I left him, my boyfriend had taken nearly all my money.
What Aussies get wrong about money (and schools don't help)
![Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon presenting to high school students.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/6/d/u/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwa4hm.png/1495552538095.jpg)
More than 27,000 readers jumped online and completed the basic money smarts test shared last week.
'What having my laptop stolen in Paris taught me about the housing crisis'
![Paris is full of delights, but it's hard to enjoy when your laptop is stolen.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/a/4/j/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.gwa41e.png/1495421676294.jpg)
Ultimately all my swearing and carrying on isn't going to change anything.
Troy Carter overcame 'financial PTSD' to launch Lady Gaga
![Troy Carter was instrumental in the early days of Lady Gaga's success.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/6/l/4/u/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw7k39.png/1495161492484.jpg)
What could you achieve if your negative financial experiences from the past were not holding you back?
Budget incentives for downsizers only benefit the well-off, experts say
![SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 15: Portrait of Tom and Irene Han at their North West Sydney home. The retired couple intend to ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/l/b/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw4d2h.png/1495012727402.jpg)
Before selling, you need to consider how the age pension thresholds under the assets test work.
'My dad rewrote his will just before he died of cancer'
![Writer Nina Hendy wishes she had discussed her father's estate planning while he was fit and healthy.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/1/k/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw51sq.png/1495006762770.jpg)
My father updated his will, I have absolutely no idea what he was trying to document.
You can't outsource motherhood, but you can share the load
![Let's celebrate actual mothers and grandmothers this Mother's Day.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/3/y/z/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw3yml.png/1494948394061.jpg)
Mother's Day is a time to reflect on the unpaid contribution of mothers and grandmothers to families and communities.
When seniors own $1m home, but have no money
![It's important to get financial advice before selling the family home to fund retirement.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/2/8/h/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw284m.png/1494948323955.jpg)
Baby Boomers' parents are living much longer than expected, providing fertile ground for family conflict over how to care for them.
Will the federal budget help young job seekers?
![Bianca Barnard, 17, is battling to find work in a tough job market.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/x/0/0/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.gvwzf3.png/1499938729188.jpg)
Drug testing, benefit cuts and a drastic shortage of jobs don't add up.
Super and home downsizing plans welcomed for older Australians
![The federal president of the Superannuated Commonwealth Officers' Association Dr Annette Barbetti.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/x/y/e/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.gw099g.png/1494388537346.jpg)
Older Australians downsizing from large family homes have received a generous push in the federal budget.
Meet the 'effective altruists' who earn to give
![Adelaide-based wealth adviser Louise Pfeiffer, 39, has chosen a career and business that will maximise her ability to ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/w/a/2/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gvw5z9.png/1493735256178.jpg)
It's easy to assume a meaningful career involves working directly with the people you are helping, but there are people pursuing high-paying positions in order to donate more.
How money changes your brain, behaviour and beliefs
![Cyndi Lauper sang Money Changes Everything. It turns out she was right.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802025623im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/v/1/h/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gvv13t.png/1493687542566.jpg)
Cyndi Lauper sang Money Changes Everything. It turns out she was right.