Will social housing supply ever catch up?
12 August 2022
JUST one rent increase. One lost shift. One emergency. That's how close many Australians in the private rental market are to homelessness.
Power bill busting schemes that matter
8 August 2022
Various state and territory governments have introduced energy saving schemes that have the potential to really reduce your power bill. A round-up.
Whither the pension once inflation goes down?
5 August 2022
Pension indexation never increases your purchasing power except when inflation goes down. Here's how it works.
Age Pension goes up by 4%
3 August 2022
The cost-of-living index increase was published today. It came out below the CPI increase, which will therefore be used in pension indexation next month.
Term deposits: what’s the cash rate when it’s at home and how does it work?
3 August 2022
There's nothing mandatory about the cash rate. Banks can set their own rates. Nobody, including the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, is going to stop them. Fact is, the banks pay close attention to the cash rate. Why is it so, and what effect does the cash rate have on term deposit rates?
Call to action: write your own end-of-life care plan and do it now
1 August 2022
An end-of-life care plan can make things so much easier for yourself, your family and your friends when the time comes. Only one-in-four people have such a plan. Don't be in that number!
More Nurses 24/7 in aged care? You wish!
29 July 2022
Mandatory means 'must do'. No excuses. Not in aged care, where around-the-clock nursing care will become mandatory from 1 July 2023 unless a nursing home has an ... Chances are every nursing home that wants one, will get one.
Inflation, pension indexation soar – extra cost-of-living relief for self-fundies only
27 July 2022
High inflation means big pension indexation increases, but today's inflation number of 6.1 per cent doesn't mean the next indexation will produce a pension increase of the same size. And how good is it to be self-funded?
Homeless? Renting? Stop whingeing and buy a house!
27 July 2022
A homelessness crisis, a rental crisis, time for government to step in and make a difference! You would think, but the political mind is differently constructed, it seems.
You can do better than term deposits: here’s how
25 July 2022
If investment risk is what stopping you from putting your money into term deposits and term deposits only, here's some food for thought and a practical suggestion too.
Telehealth is great and has nothing to do with Jane Fonda
22 July 2022
It's called telehealth, and it's something you may not need now but may be dependent on in the future.
Get the least worst prices on power, gas, fuel here
20 July 2022
Power, gas and fuel. If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves? Maybe now is the time to look after the pounds as well, at a time when prices for these essentials have gone through the roof.
Sleeping less and wanting to do something about it?
18 July 2022
Up all hours, red-eyed and frustrated? Science hasn't got all the answers about sleeping and sleeping disorders yet, but there are a few things you can do beyond not drinking coffee just before going to bed.
What will kill you in 2022?
15 July 2022
Life expectancy continues to go up, but it can't go up forever. At some point even the oldest people die. What of?
Out now: The Retirement Income Covenant!
13 July 2022
No, it’s not a new spy thriller by Robert Ludlum, but a document telling superannuation funds to start doing what they have avoided for the thirty years that compulsory superannuation has now been around: look after their members. Will it take another thirty years for funds comply? The suspense is killing current retirees, because it is more than likely little will change before they pass on.
Term deposits on the move: get the highest, shortest
11 July 2022
Following the Reserve Bank’s July decision to raise the cash rate to 1.35 per cent, many financial institutions have increased their term deposit rates.
Scams: Sydney Harbour bridge now being sold via your mobile!
8 July 2022
The best way of avoiding becoming a scam victim it seems, is to get rid of your computer, your home phone, your mobile phone and your fax machine and move to a deserted island, impose a no-fly zone to prevent blimps and light aircraft from delivering aerial scam messages and also ignore any bottles that wash up.
Have hot water tank, will bust power bill!
6 July 2022
On 1 August, power will become much much more expensive, and there's nothing anybody can do to make it go away in the short term. Trying to use less power will help. Enter the hot water tank.
Super performance tests: pick the right fund and hold on to your hat!
4 July 2022
Picking the right super fund is not that easy, especially when the economy is not doing great. Help of sorts is at hand.
Here’s how Govt can raise the pension and have plenty of money to spare
1 July 2022
Raising the pension increases the popularity of any Government. Why don't they?