Money Magazine

$250,000 IS CLOSE to the magic number if you want to know how much you need to save through super as a single homeowner while still being eligible for the age pension. When we last ran a similar cover story two years ago, some readers were aghast at

To send a letter to the editor, write to: Money, Level 7, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 or email money@moneymag.com.au For all enquiries and letters, please include name, address and phone details. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Be

Paul Clitheroe Michelle Baltazar (02) 8234 7500 michelle.baltazar@moneymag.com.au Julia Newbould julia.newbould@moneymag.com.au Ann Loveday Bob Christensen, Debbie Duncan Susan Hely, Pam Walkley David Thornton Sharyn McCowen James Carlisle, Mark Chap

RBA interest rate decision Balance of trade ANZ job advertisements Westpac consumer confidence index NAB business confidence Unemployment rate ■

This year I’m on a mission to donate plasma every two weeks. One in three Aussies will need blood products in their lifetime, but only one in 30 of us donates each year, so I’m trying to move the needle (pardon the pun). It’s a rewarding way to suppo

I’ve really enjoyed Phil Slade’s contribution to Money over the years in his Mind Games column. Having studied psychology myself, I’m able to get a sense of how many of our decisions around money are often not so much about money at all. One of the m

When I read an article recently by journalist Karren Vergara (on Moneymag.com.au) on her super balance of $154,000, it got me thinking. With just over 25 years to retirement, she can’t possibly reach the $1 million mark that so many of us are convinc

Australians spend $2.3 billion annually on their tax affairs. And we have one of the highest rates of tax agent use globally. At Blueprint Institute, a think tank, we recently called for a $3000 standard deduction to simplify most taxpayers’ affairs.

New data from Rural Bank provides detailed insights into the true monetary value of Australia’s farmland. Its Australian Farmland Values report reveals that for the first time in 15 years, all states saw growth in median price per hectare, demonstrat

Using the seminal strategies of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, US journalist David Brown examines why some companies triumph while others fail. Based on his popular Business Wars podcast, this book explores the greatest business rivalries such as Blockbus

Schroders has rolled out a new actively managed fund that will invest in China A-Shares, companies listed in China and Hong Kong and US-listed ADRs. The Schroder All China Equity Opportunities Fund is pitched as a fundamental, bottom-up fund that aim

If you’re engaged as a contractor in the building and construction sector, road freight, information technology, cleaning services, security, investigation or surveillance services, you need to take extra care to disclose your income. In all these in

Entering the market and offering free brokerage charges for ETF purchases, Superhero is a cheap alternative to most online broking platforms. Other trades are priced at $5. Regular features cover advanced order placements, real-time market data, comp

Astronomical house price growth has been one of the ironies of the Covid-19 pandemic, but many experts say the trend is likely to slow. While national dwelling values have increased on average by 6.2% over the past year, according to Corelogic, 47% o

Online beauty products entrepreneur and co-founder of Adore Beauty; age 43; lives in Melbourne with her family Started work as soon as she was old enough, after her parents imposed a $12-a-week pocket money cap. First job was in a pharmacy in her ho

Send your questions to: Ask Paul, Money magazine, Level 7, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 or money@moneymag.com.au. Sorry, but Paul can’t personally answer your questions other than in the Q&A column. By submitting your question to Money, you co

Q My wife and I are 79 and 84 respectively. I have only five years left, according to medical advice. We have recently downsized to an apartment and sold our home of 50-plus years. We both have a more than adequate superannuation income (she takes

If you have a question, email money@moneymag.com.au or write to Level 7, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Questions need to be 150 words or less and you must be willing to be photographed. Readers who appear on this page will receive a six-month

How do low-income-earning single mothers with health issues get their foot in the door buying property? I’m a single mum of two awesome children. I have a series of health issues that have impacted my employment opportunities for a while now.  One of

There is a winning number that pre-retirees and retirees need to know. We call it “the sweet spot” – the point where superannuation combines with the full age pension. The sweet spot has been harder to hit since the federal government tightened the a

When travelling through France in early 2020 (just before the lockdowns) I noticed something interesting when we arrived at various hotels to confirm our room. When the reception staff spoke English, we often enquired about the size of the room and t

There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you are on top of your mortgage. Your home, for most people, is likely the biggest purchase you’ll make in your life, next to your car. This has become even more so in recent years. When I bought my first

Virtuous verbs. Before making a decision, change the verbs in the core decision question to help look at it in a different way. Replace invest with gamble, spend with save, give with share, credit with loan, capitalise with risk, etc. If this languag

Plenty has been written about the “mindset” needed to achieve success in business. However, no single outlook has been linked to entrepreneurial power. A study by Harvard Business School sums things up neatly, saying entrepreneurs are a mixed bunch,

Health fund benefits for orthodontics vary from fund to fund. Typically you will need to serve a 12-month waiting period before you will be eligible to claim. A number of health funds increase your orthodontic benefits the longer you remain a member.

Most retired renters in Australia live in poverty, whereas very few retired homeowners suffer the same fate, according to a key finding of the federal government’s Retirement Income Review. Could there be a better argument for owning a fully paid off

This is an edited excerpt from Rethink Property Investing (become financially free with commercial property investing) by Scott O’Neill and Mina O’Neill (Wiley, $29.95). We have five copies to give away. To enter, tell us in 25 words or less what kin

Betty and Geoff are both 67-year-old retired schoolteachers with a combined $930,000 in super. They may qualify for some age pension in years when there is a market downturn, but generally are not eligible for age pension benefits. As the graph (belo

Once the domain of professional investors looking to hedge their portfolios, contracts for difference (CFDs) are increasingly being traded by retail investors. But are they worth the risk? CFDs are over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, so the underlyin

This time last year, Australians were revering healthcare like never before. At least not in our lifetimes. We were, at once, thankful for our health system and also wondering if it would be able to cope with the huge influx of Covid-19 cases that, w

There’s no harm in looking for business tailwinds. In fact, they can be wonderful. You want true longevity, though. So, for keeping customers essentially for their lifetime, plus a market-leading brand, practitioner recommendation and a long growth r

A mere mention of the term artificial intelligence (AI) causes a lot of people to think of it as some abstract technology that is being tested in advanced computing labs, modelling robots on human behaviour. In reality, AI is far more common and bein

The fund aims to provide investors with absolute returns through exposure to global growth equities over the medium to long term while maintaining a capital preservation mindset. It has interests in such areas as digital enterprise, climate change, h

Performance after investment fees. Investment returns after investment fees annualised to describe each fund’s returns per annum. But if your managed fund achieves a high return and charges you an extra “performance fee”, Rainmaker has not taken this

“It’s not time to make a change, just relax, take it easy,” sang Cat Stevens. This is the US Federal Reserve’s message to the markets at the conclusion of its April Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in its efforts to calm concerns over ris

There are two things to know about Tabcorp’s current state: its money-for-jam lotteries business is even better than it looks, and its wagering division is being grossly undervalued by a recent takeover offer. Let’s start with lotteries. As the pande

Performance after fees: When calculating fees, Rainmaker assumes a member has $50,000 in their account. Strategy: Some MySuper products invest your superannuation based on age and are known as lifecycle funds (marked LC). The table includes the LC o

What was your first job? My first job was at Coles in Adelaide. I was the microphone attendant and I used to be able to say things like “we have a red spot discount” and “are you having a bar mitzvah or party happening? We have specials today in ais