Your Money
Money Management
How to win over your bank manager
I have an appointment to see the bank manager and I want to borrow a fair bit of money for a business idea. Do you have any tips about how to win the bank manager over? Whether you are buying a business or a home, you have to ... read more >
Q&A - Your first stock portfolio
I want to put together my first portfolio of stocks. My kids have left school and my wife and I want to build up our super for our retirement. We’re in our mid-40s and want to establish a self-managed super fund (SMSF). I... read more >
'Leverage' explained
08 March 2010 - I continually hear and read about ‘leverage’ and I am not exactly sure what it is. Could you explain what... read more >
Get rich quick scams
02 March 2010 - I recently went to a seminar that showed you how you can buy multiple houses using the tax system. The expert who... read more >
Dollar value averaging vs. dollar cost averaging
16 February 2010 - Can you explain the difference between dollar cost averaging and value averaging. Some experts recommend these share... read more >
Money management made easy
15 February 2010 - Money management, for many, proves an elusive task. Are you earning good money, but just not sure where it goes? Or... read more >
Changing currency
15 February 2010 - Our family is moving to New Zealand at the end of the year and we were wondering how we can get the best exchange... read more >
How do margin loans work?
09 February 2010 - How do these things called margin loans work? And what is the safest way of doing them? Margin loans really are a hot... read more >
Should I declare bankruptcy?
08 February 2010 - Things are really tight after losing my job and I have so many debts. I was advised by a mate to declare myself... read more >
Pay off debt or invest?
02 February 2010 - I have $50,000 – what should I do with it? My whole life I have had trouble with credit cards and have... read more >
How does a rate rise affect you?
01 February 2010 - When there is an official interest rise by the Reserve Bank, say 0.25 per cent, where does that 0.25 per cent... read more >
Pain-free private school fees
25 January 2010 - I’ve been staggered by what private school fees can cost and wonder, as my young daughter is now two, if... read more >
Buying a franchise - tips and tricks
19 January 2010 - I’m thinking about buying into a franchise in the food area and it will involve a $300,000 outlay. The figures... read more >
Financial planning - expense or investment?
18 January 2010 - I recently went to a financial planner who did a good job creating a financial plan but he tried to talk me into... read more >
Debit card pros and cons
12 January 2010 - My dad keeps hassling me to cut up my credit card, following a number of regrettable late night drinking experiences... read more >
Is a margin loan too risky?
11 January 2010 - I’m retired – is a margin loan too risky? Can you give me the tips for buying shares using margin... read more >
Investing – how to get started
07 January 2010 - My uncle has given me $40,000 and I would like to get started investing for my future. I am 30 years of age, single... read more >
What debt to pay first?
06 January 2010 - We have $6000 in savings. Should we put it on the home loan or the car loan? Combined weekly earnings: Net $776... read more >
Tax tips - how to reduce your bill
06 January 2010 - I have had a pretty good year, income-wise, but am concerned that I might miss out on a tax refund and might even... read more >
Private health insurance
17 December 2009 - We’re a single middle-income family with one child and are trying to work out if we really need private health... read more >
The best way to clear debt
17 December 2009 - I have a personal loan of $30,000 and a credit card that I want to clear. Is there a possibility that I can... read more >
Should I buy into the family business?
15 December 2009 - My brother-in-law is a builder who’s doing really well and expanding rapidly. He has offered me equity or a... read more >
How to win over your bank manager
14 December 2009 - I have an appointment to see the bank manager and I want to borrow a fair bit of money for a business idea. Do you... read more >
How to switch bank accounts
10 December 2009 - I want to switch bank accounts as my bank simply does not give a toss about me, but I don’t like the thought of... read more >
Review your money life
04 December 2009 - I am 25 years of age and think it is time that I got my money life sorted out. I earn $60,000 a year and still live... read more >
Will a budget only bring bad news?
01 December 2009 - I keep hearing about the importance of doing a budget but I just don’t know how to start. It seems so boring... read more >
How to find a trustworthy adviser
29 November 2009 - With all this talk about Storm Financial’s collapse and the government likely to change the rules for how... read more >
Good versus bad debt
26 November 2009 - I heard someone talking about good debt and bad debt and I didn’t really understand what he was talking about... read more >
What to do with a windfall
26 November 2009 - I’m 25 and recently inherited $30,000. I earn $42,000 a year and I’m not sure what to do with the money.... read more >
A financial education
24 November 2009 - I have a 23-year-old son and I’d like to give him a good education in managing money and wealth building, but I... read more >
Borrowing to invest – margin loans
19 November 2009 - Friends are always telling me that they are borrowing to invest and some have margin loans. At the moment these are... read more >
Why is the RBA raising rates?
13 November 2009 - Q. I cannot understand why the Reserve Bank is raising interest rates so aggressively when they cut them, which... read more >
Buying property and shares
12 November 2009 - Q. I have heard various commentators say that shares and property rise by around 10 to 12% over a 10-year period.... read more >
Joint bank accounts
09 November 2009 - Q. I am going into a relationship with a guy I have known for some time and we’re looking at a joint bank... read more >
Private health insurance - do you need it?
05 November 2009 - We’re a single middle-income family with one child and are trying to work out if we really need private health... read more >
Reminiscing on the March call
05 November 2009 - The goal I set myself when I put my fingers to the keyboard for my Yahoo column is to tell my readers something they... read more >
Going into business with friends
04 November 2009 - Q. I am going into business with a friend and my dad has warned me that partnerships often end in tears. Do you... read more >
Mastering your money
02 November 2009 - Q. I have to say I am pretty bad at managing money and I never seem to get ahead but I now have young children and I... read more >
What is the best way to reduce debt?
29 October 2009 - What is the best way to reduce debt? Consolidate, or attack the debt with the highest interest rate?... read more >
The truth about trauma insurance
28 October 2009 - Q. A few years ago, my husband and I got all our affairs in order. We prepared our wills, took out life insurance and... read more >
Paying off car loans
27 October 2009 - Q. I currently have a car loan that I am trying to pay off as soon as possible ($30,000). I am wondering whether it... read more >
Compound interest
20 October 2009 - Q. I heard you talking to an economist on your television program called Don Stammer who kept talking about the... read more >
How much money do you need to retire?
15 October 2009 - Q. How much do need to have in retirement when you finish work? They say you need $1m but I don’t think many of... read more >
Q&A - Inspiring your children
14 October 2009 - Q. I have a 23-year-old son and I’d like to give him a good education in managing money and wealth building,... read more >
Q&A - Leveraging your money
13 October 2009 - Q. I continually hear and read about ‘leverage’ and I am not exactly sure what it is. Could you explain... read more >
Q&A - Tax reduction for high income earners
08 October 2009 - Q. I am a pretty high income earner and would like to cut my pending tax bill and would like to know my options for... read more >
Q&A - Winning over the bank manager
30 September 2009 - Q. I have an appointment to see the bank manager and I want to borrow a fair bit of money for a business idea. Do you... read more >
Q&A - My child's financial future
29 September 2009 - My son, who has just had his 21st birthday, asked me what he should do to ensure that he ends up having what I have... read more >
Q&A - Loan guarantor
21 September 2009 - Q. I have been asked to go guarantor for a relative for a loan for a pretty expensive car. The relative in question... read more >
Interest rate outlook
16 September 2009 - Good news about Australia’s economy has brought out some concerns about interest rate rises. Should borrowers... read more >
Q&A - Capital protection
03 September 2009 - Q. I have recently come across an investment product, which comes with capital protection, which sounds great, but... read more >
Q&A - Credit or debit card?
01 September 2009 - Q. My dad keeps hassling me to cut up my credit card, following a number of regrettable late night, drinking... read more >
Q&A - Offset accounts
31 August 2009 - I know that with a mortgage if you make your repayments fortnightly instead of monthly you will pay your loan off... read more >
Q&A - Managing money
27 August 2009 - Q. I have received a surprise lump sum present of $50,000 and really want to invest it so I can always benefit from... read more >
Is the boost to business confidence one you can bank on?
26 August 2009 - The tide on business confidence has been turning in recent months with sentiment improving as the broader economy... read more >
Q&A - Picking a fund manager
24 August 2009 - Q. Could you give me some guidelines on how to pick a good fund manager to invest my money in? I agree with you that... read more >
Lock, stock and home
14 August 2009 - The rate debate has made a comeback with comments from Reserve Bank Government Glenn Stevens prompting discussion... read more >
Q&A - Cash to shares?
14 August 2009 - When it became obvious that there would be a change of Government at the last Federal Election I transferred my super... read more >
Q&A: Changing bank accounts
13 August 2009 - Q. I want to switch bank accounts as my bank simply does not give a toss about me, but I don’t like the... read more >
Q&A - How should I invest my super?
12 August 2009 - When it became obvious that there would be a change of Government at the last Federal Election I transferred my... read more >
Q&A - cutting your tax bill
10 August 2009 - Q. I am a pretty high income earner and would like to cut my pending tax bill and would like to know my options for... read more >
You've got to be kidding
10 August 2009 - Recently, I encountered someone I know who has been played off a break by a sneaky financial institution. And he's... read more >
Q&A - Investing in bonds
07 August 2009 - Q. I keep hearing that investors should have exposure to bonds but I don’t know much about them and how you can... read more >
Q&A - Margin lending
05 August 2009 - What is your opinion on margin lending for the share market? As with all borrowing, you have to do your homework and... read more >
Financial planners under the microscope
31 July 2009 - Losing money is never at the top of anyone’s ‘to do’ list, and not surprisingly, the financial... read more >
Tax lessons
30 July 2009 - Believe it or not but there seems to be around 280,000 people in this country who don’t want to accept a $900... read more >
Q&A - Credit card debt
28 July 2009 - Q. I have a considerable amount of credit card debt (three cards with approximately $9500 between them), a car loan... read more >
What’s the matter with kids today?
23 July 2009 - After doing my best last week to encourage baby boomer parents to stick it to their Gen Y and Gen X kids -... read more >
Q&A - capital gains tax
22 July 2009 - Q. In your Money Weekly column on Yahoo!7 Finance, you wrote: “Some might say, but hang on isn't there capital... read more >
Protect your income
20 July 2009 - In our busy lives, we often forget, or just plain don’t know, about the importance of insurance to prepare us... read more >
Note the good news
20 July 2009 - Every time I interview Australia’s academic bear — Associate Professor Steve Keen from the University of... read more >
Get Virginically positive
16 July 2009 - Nothing is achieved by a negative man. That’s the old and a bit sexist cliché, but I suspect negative... read more >
Make money from your own business
15 July 2009 - Every year a leading business magazine looks at the nation’s most wealthy. It’s a bit gross to pry into... read more >
Stairway to heaven
14 July 2009 - It’s at times of financial fear and loathing that it is ideal to make suggestions to people that there could be... read more >
The people's bank
13 July 2009 - Just when we had become used to the Big Four banks having us by the short and curleys, along comes a proposition to... read more >
10 ways to become a Smart Investor
06 July 2009 - 1. It's a marathon not a sprint! Invest long-term and let compound interest create great wealth. 2.... read more >
Tax lessons
26 June 2009 - Believe it or not but there seems to be around 280,000 people in this country who don’t want to accept a $900... read more >
New kids on the block
26 June 2009 - Many baby boomer parents have two worries about their ageing Gen X and Gen Y children. The first is that they will... read more >
Can you handle the truth?
23 June 2009 - Can you handle the truth? My Christmas gift is the suggestion of a New Year’s resolution that will change... read more >
Playing the rally
11 June 2009 - Playing the rally The question I am fielding all the time right now is — how do I play this rally? A related... read more >
Timothy Geithner fails to kick a goal
09 June 2009 - As the football season looms, last Wednesday’s early morning disappointment starring Obama’s high... read more >
Should I switch my super to cash?
09 June 2009 - The toughest question to answer in these hip pocket challenging times comes from superannuation members close to... read more >
The fine print
20 May 2009 - The fine print Budget night and the day after always catch a lot of media attention, but I always look forward to... read more >
An irresponsible Budget
14 May 2009 - An irresponsible Budget Every year I do the economics wrap up on Australia’s Federal Budget in Brisbane for the... read more >
A mild recession
07 May 2009 - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens dragged the R-Word out of hiding during April,... read more >
Thinking about life insurance
09 April 2009 - The death of a loved one can bring unforseen pressures to a family. That’s why it’s important to be... read more >
The advice advantage
02 April 2009 - Recently a bank asked me to explain what the Federal Government was doing for small business in these... read more >
End of the bear?
25 March 2009 - A recent survey showed 70% of Australians think the world is heading into — wait for it! — a depression... read more >
Be prepared
10 March 2009 - If my media mates will that we must shove the R-word down Australian’s throats, prematurely, then my job has to... read more >
Spooky definitions
05 March 2009 - To normal people economists might seem boring, but when they’re running around making declarations of recession... read more >
Avoid the R-word
05 March 2009 - The big question everyone is asking is whether Australia will go into recession. I’ve been saying it all along:... read more >
David vs. Goliath
27 February 2009 - The entrepreneurial stories that grab most would-be entrepreneurs the most are the David and Goliath ones, where a... read more >
Beat the clock
27 February 2009 - If time is money, there has never been a better time to spend it wisely. Here are some timesaving techniques that... read more >
Brewery triggers banking advantage
27 February 2009 - A business technology advantage lies at the core of a new age operation that owes its name to a brewery, and its... read more >
The ten commandments
31 January 2009 - With markets spooking many of us nowadays, the right question to ask yourself is: am I doing everything absolutely... read more >
Transparency required
28 January 2009 - A massive financial planning nightmare well and truly became a reality over the holiday break with the... read more >
Do you feel lucky?
16 January 2009 - With the Australian stock market tumbling 43 per cent last year and this week’s disappointing run of down days... read more >
Outlook for '09
07 January 2009 - A recent survey by the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia showed the economic slowdown, to date, has not... read more >
That's punting for you
03 January 2009 - I know it’s akin to a mortal sin to preach against the virtues of punting, being so close to the racing section... read more >
A matter of time
20 December 2008 - I must admit I had one of my worst Saturday mornings in quite a while last weekend, though I didn't expect it when I... read more >
Strange days
17 December 2008 - As we limp into the end of the toughest year I have ever seen to make money, it’s time to recap on what we... read more >
Doomsday addiction
05 December 2008 - hose who would have us in recession jumped on the worse-than-expected economic growth numbers this week as proof that... read more >
Plato's truth
04 December 2008 - After copping an absolute material mauling this year, investors, wealth builders and retirees need to take stock and... read more >
Experience counts
03 December 2008 - One of my favourite Australian economists is a guy by the name of Don Stammer who used to be the chief economist at... read more >
Excess noise
27 November 2008 - The doomsday merchants are having a field day defying positive economic predictions from credible sources, as the... read more >
It's all in the timing
18 September 2008 - Now comes the tricky bit. Confidence is the key and we’re in the hands of central bankers and governments... read more >
Interest rates set to fall
27 August 2008 - The news out of Beijing might not have been as bright as we sports nuts Aussies might have liked, but our personal... read more >
Is "it" here yet?
07 August 2008 - Market sages elude to it. Money media big mouths are tipping it. Technical analysis is also pointing to it. And some... read more >
Seek and you shall find
24 July 2008 - The biggest mistake made by outsiders or critics of financial planning is the view that the chief job of an adviser... read more >
Managing money
02 July 2008 - The financial year has ended and although a better one lies ahead, I think we will have some dramatic moments before... read more >
Child's play
13 June 2008 - I recently talked to people who were in their 60s and were afraid that they might die and their kids would have to... read more >
A beautiful set of numbers
06 June 2008 - Just when it looked like the economy was turning sufficiently to believe an interest rate cut was a chance this year,... read more >
Forewarned is forearmed
04 June 2008 - Tax time always brings the fear factor and many business owners who want to reduce their tax can make some big... read more >
What's in store?
29 May 2008 - One of the scariest tasks someone like me can set themself is trying to predict the future. But someone has to do it... read more >
Wayne cops a pass
16 May 2008 - Budget week can get a lot of people excited about important long-term goals such as improving hospitals, education... read more >
Wayne's world
15 May 2008 - What’s the most important question you have to know the answer to from this year’s Budget? It’s... read more >
Company of experts
08 April 2008 - It’s times like these when share prices are sliding and interest rates are rising and expected to hit into... read more >
Show me the money
23 March 2008 - With banks throwing around eight per cent plus bank deposits and the stock market hovering at 15 per cent this year,... read more >
How the mighty fall
28 February 2008 - The Eddy Groves and ABC Learning Centres’ story is a massive wake up call for novice and seasoned players of... read more >
Build your wealth to last
05 February 2008 - January has been a month to remember for a whole lot of the wrong reasons, but times like these serve as reminders to... read more >
The R word
16 January 2008 - As sub-prime loan problems rock the banking world and send shuddering vibrations through global stock markets, I have... read more >
Money motto
10 January 2008 - There’s an old saying my footie coach loved to use that could be really handy for home loan borrowers.... read more >
Economic conservatism
28 November 2007 - One of the greatest election lessons I’ve learnt is that a new government can have serious implications for... read more >
Do-it-yourself plan
08 November 2007 - It’s times like these when our hip pockets are about to be hit by another bout of home loan interest rate... read more >
Get tax smart
20 June 2007 - As the financial year ends, all taxpayers should be on the look out for ways to legally reduce the tax they pay. This... read more >
Why can't people just do it?
02 May 2007 - The anatomy of a good financial plan was a subject I recently discussed with ABC radio personality and hard-nosed... read more >
Warning: big promise = big risk
01 April 2007 - Retirement planning should be a piece of cake, but it isn't - the collapse of Fincorp, which was a big radio... read more >
Poor tax planning assists Government
24 March 2007 - Millions of Australians are giving away money to someone who doesn't need it and really wouldn't appreciate the... read more >
How do I get rich?
09 March 2007 - The big question many average Australians occasionally ponder is "How do I get rich?" Regrettably, the... read more >
Long investing
01 November 2006 - The average Australian is kissing goodbye to a minimum of half a million dollars in retirement by simply living with... read more >
Switzer shares secrets
01 November 2006 - British funny man, Mitch Murray, once made the memorable observation that what this company needs today are fewer... read more >
The next move
02 September 2006 - After the interest rate rise here in Australia, investors, those in debt and those thinking about parking their dough... read more >
A false sense of security
01 July 2006 - When it comes to money we often spend too much time trying to dream up new ways to get rich and then ignore habits... read more >
