Work & Career
POWER BILLS
Avoid electric shock
Lesley Parker Electricity price rises may be more modest this year, compared with the big hikes of recent times.
JARGON KILLER
Five steps to understanding super
Mark Bouris In superannuation, jargon and technical terminology tends to push people away.
SUPER
Avoid pension pitfalls with precise retirement planning
Max Newnham How can you work out if your investments will provide for you sufficiently in retirement?
BUDGETING
Thrift and vigilance keep family on track
Nina Hendy Melbourne mother-of-five Nicole Avery knows a thing or two about budgeting. For many years her family relied on one income, forcing her to keep a tight rein on spending.
NOT DEAD YET
Live life to fullest while counting the days
David Williams We might all live a lot longer than we've been led to believe - and will need to save more money as a result.
Pulling in the belt to become a one-income family
Sylvia Pennington Maternity leave cushions the drop to single income but having one party off work after it runs out can be a challenge.
MORTGAGES
Not quite broken, but fix it anyway
David Potts Whether you're a saver or a borrower, you should treat falling rates the same way.
PARENTS
Oh baby, this is expensive
Sylvia Pennington It's Mother's Day - a good time to weigh up the costs of a new mouth to feed.
DIVORCE
Women face separation anxiety
Mark Bouris When couples retire they generally share their super. But what happens to the women whose marriages fail?
KICKING BACK
Golden years sacrificed to the grandkids
Lesley Parker Retirees have a ''sweet spot'' of about 10 years when they have both the energy and the financial resources to enjoy themselves, but increasingly these golden years are being spent changing nappies...
Simple tips to help improve the bottom line
As tax time looms closer, thoughts turn to the annual trip to the accountant, group certificate and shoebox of receipts in hand, and hopes high for a healthy refund or a bill that's not ruinous.
STRATEGIES
Conquer life's ups and downs
Christine Long When your income is unpredictable, just making ends meet can sometimes feel like a feat of endurance.
PLANNING
An account of success
Nina Hendy Leaving his job as a carpenter to launch his own business was supposed to set up Robin McKittrick and his family for life.
SUPER
Drive your own fund and save
Max Newnham Blaming superannuation for your losses makes as much sense as blaming a car that cuts you off. The vehicle is not at fault, it's the driver.
PLANNING
Annuities can finance our longer lives
Penny Pryor Running out of money before you die is a terrifying thought that is giving many retirees, or probably anyone over 50, sleepless nights.
PLANNING
Why women and super don't mix
Mark Bouris We are pushing women away from super, especially if the system is forcing them to turn away or turn off completely. Half our population is disadvantaged by a supposedly universal system.
GETTING AHEAD
Grow your fund through sacrifice
John Collett Latest government proposals are aimed at curtailing the tax breaks on super enjoyed by the well off.
MIXING MONEY
Finance the family way
Sylvia Pennington French authorities were shocked to uncover a real version of fairy tale hell this week.
OFFICE WORKS
Where are the cheap seats - home or away?
Kate Jones To work from home, or not to work from home? That is the question facing many Australian workers.
SUCCESSION
Cut-price concerns fit cluey buyers
Lena Bell When Peter Cordwell left his shoemaking business, the exit was unusual for two reasons: it was well planned; and the new owner, Jess Cameron-Wootten, is not a family member.
