Your essential 2016 checklist! These tips can help your health, wealth and happiness flourish in the coming year. Another year has flashed by even quicker than the last. Now’s the time to look back on whether you achieved everything you wanted to last year―and set your goals for the coming year. Here are some tips to help you get organised. Health and fitness Make appointments for health and fitness assessments. Then set your goals and …
Retraining your savings brain Where there’s a will there’s a way, especially when it comes to saving. The latest scientific findings reveal that although fewer than 25 per cent of us have a genetic predisposition to squirrel money away for the future, we can all learn to save if we set our mind to it. According to Dr Hersh Shefrin of Santa Clara University in California, a further 25 per cent of people will …
Investing in a holiday home Is it really your great Aussie dream? It happens every year. You’re strolling down the high street of your local beachside town enjoying a long hot summer with the family when a holiday home in the real estate agents’ window catches your eye. And you start thinking: “If we had our own place, we could go there all year ‘round and instead of contributing to someone else’s financial future we …
Cyber Crime – how to protect yourself With the flurry of online spending during the holiday season, now is a good time to review how well you’re protected against Cyber Crime. The internet brings many positives but it’s also allowed fraudsters to develop numerous and elaborate ways to exploit unwitting users by attempting to steal money, private information and even personal identity. Hackers focus on leveraging vulnerable computer systems to obtain data. Don’t despair, …
Saving in a material world It’s not easy to be thrifty in our consumer society. We’re surrounded by so much temptation that it can be difficult to avoid spending money. So why not try taking a break from spending? If you can tighten your belt on the little things, it can help ensure you have enough for the odd splurge, that well-earned holiday, or for unforeseen expenses. Here are some creative ways to cut …
Save Money Even When You Dine Out The reaction of most people with limited amount of money when they hear a dining out plan is the sigh “expensive”. It is true that dining out in most restaurants is an expensive venture, but you can still enjoy the occasional meal dining out without having to stretch your budget to the brink of a meltdown. This is possible if you are a smart spender. Smart spending doesn’t …
Isn’t it better to give than to receive? You start with the best intentions to embrace the true spirit of the season but, by about December 23, it’s reduced to a manic rush to the shops highlighted by car park rage, last-minute trips to 7-11 for wrapping paper and catering to bizarre meal requests for Aunty Beryl. True reflection comes about 3.30pm on Christmas Day when the over-indulgence really kicks in. A time for helping …
A Few Summer Credit Card Blunders And How To Avoid Them Summer is usually the time for people to sit back and relax. All through the year, hardworking round the clock means some well needed rest is deserved. But beware to not let the leisure and complacency extend to your pockets. Summer time is the time to guard your money and finances rather well because mistake outlets are open everywhere. So which blunders should you …
Go easy on the plastic over Christmas With the silly season fast approaching, it’s time to start planning how you pay for Christmas. From gifts to food, the tab can add up quickly. If this year is anything like last Christmas, on average we’ll each spend an extra $1,079 over the December/New Year period, and that’s on top of regular expenses. That makes now the time to draw up a Christmas budget. In addition …
The search for alpha Investment experts often talk about alpha and beta, but what do these terms mean? While it may sound like Greek to you, and it is, it’s not as complicated as you might think. Beta is simply what any particular market or index does – it’s the benchmark. And alpha is the measure of how a managed fund can outperform the index. In essence, if you are seeking alpha, then your …
