How to create realistic goals….and stick to them.

How to create realistic goals….and stick to them. Whether it’s finances or fitness, spending time on setting your goals can reap rewards. When it comes to the big things in life we all have our goals. Getting promoted at work. Educating the kids through school. Saving for a comfortable retirement. It’s important to aim high. But if the goals you set are overambitious, with no checkpoints along the way, you could be setting yourself up …

5 days to get your finances in order

5 days to get your finances in order Our New Year challenge Too time poor for resolutions? Try our challenge instead New Year’s resolutions are such a drag, right? Whether it’s fitness, family or finances, the best laid plans rarely last beyond the first week of January. Life has a habit of getting in the way, especially these days with so many demands on your time. We get it. Things got a whole lot more …

5 saving graces of giftmas

5 saving graces of giftmas Gift giving is one of life’s joys, until the credit card bill comes through. Here are five ways to maximise the love without blowing your budget.  According to a recent Financial Planning Association of Australia reporti, 85% of us find more joy in giving gifts to others than in getting them ourselves. Though we love the sound of ripping wrapping paper, almost three quarters of us don’t budget for gifts. …

7 Tips to improve your financial wellness

7 Tips to improve your financial wellness What is financial wellness? How you feel, is your wellness. How you feel about your money is your financial wellness. This can be measured by the financial wellness index, which measures a person’s satisfaction with their current and future financial situation. Some days you might feel confident you can meet your needs within the boundaries of your current income, whereas other days you may feel like you don’t …

Resist today, Relax tomorrow.

Resist today, Relax tomorrow. Can you recite the last line of Gone with the Wind? If not, you’ll find the answer at the end of this article. If you scrolled down straight away, you might be too keen for your own good. We’ve all heard that patience is a virtue, and it can even save you money. For people figuring out how to fund the lifestyle they’d like in retirement, now’s a good time to remember the …

How do you save for that rainy day?

  How do you save for that rainy day? It’s not just our farmers who keep their eyes on the horizon for rain. Recent research found almost twice as many Australians think saving for an emergency or a rainy day is more important than putting cash away for a holiday. Indeed, saving for a rainy day is our number one savings priority. According to AMP Bank, those aged between 35 and 44 years old are …

Spending money in a cashless world

Spending money in a cashless world How the move to electronic payments could be making it easier to spend…and what to do about it. It’s Thursday morning and almost the end of the working week. You’re walking to the train station and you realise you’ve forgotten to top up your public transport card. No matter…a few clicks later and you’ve transferred $50 over. At the station you grab a takeaway flat white before the train …

9 money mistakes to avoid in retirement

9 money mistakes to avoid in retirement How to keep your finances on track once you leave the workforce When you’ve worked hard all your life to build up your nest egg, the last thing you want to do is fritter it away too quickly. In this article, we look at the common money mistakes people in retirement make, and how you can do your best to avoid them. 1. Not taking control of your …

Take control of your finances now for the new financial year.

Take control of your finances now for the new financial year. If you set yourself money goals at the start of 2019, the upcoming new financial year is a great time to check if you’re on track. And if you didn’t set any goals – or if you have strayed off track – this is the perfect time to get organised, write a checklist and stick with it! Don’t wait until 1 July to start. …

How to save money

How to save money Saving money doesn’t just happen, but these steps could help you to reach your saving goals sooner. How Australians save Research has found that almost three quarters of Australians surveyed save by putting spare money into a savings account, whether they do this themselves or via an automatic transfer. Other popular savings methods include keeping savings money in an account they can’t touch, building up extra savings in their transaction account …