Paul's Insights

The 2019/20 Federal Budget has been handed down, and predictably, we saw some fine-tuning of the rules around super. But the news is all good - the latest changes will make it easier for older Australians to grow their retirement savings for longer.

There was a time when crooks made off with television sets or jewellery - items that were easy to cart off and hock around town. These days, they focus on far more transportable stuff, like details of our personal accounts. And it's an all too lucrative business.

Australia's 600,000 self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are collectively worth an estimated $755 billion. That's nearly one-third of total super assets. But it seems not all SMSFs follow the road rules.

Australia's retirees are sitting on an estimated $500 billion in home equity but the options for using this resource are tightening up.

Time is running out to get a better deal on private health insurance ahead of 1 April price hikes.

Today's 20-somethings could spend much of their 30s fixing up the financial mistakes they make today.

March 8 is International Women's Day, and in my books that's an opportunity to focus on women's financial wellbeing.

Japanese organisational expert Marie Kondo has made tidying up a hot topic, and it could be filtering through to our finances.

It's been a week of shake, rattle and roll in the financial sector as the Banking Royal Commission wound to a close.

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and florists everywhere will be gearing up for a rush of orders.

Why focusing on the fees you pay, the investment choice you make and your ability to add to your portfolio is important.

Credit card reforms and how you might be affected.

Low household savings are a real source of financial stress, yet it's possible to grow a pool of cash without having to sell a body part or scrimp on lifestyle.

History is peppered with natural disasters, multiple wars, any number of great depressions, and at any given time there have always been nations at loggerheads.

Five easy steps to start making your money work harder.

To sum up 2018, Paul talks about the property downturn in the last few months and what caused it, why he's not fussed by share markets going down, InvestSMART's new capped fees model and the significance of $451 and why downturns can be good for regular investors. Paul's Insights will return in 2019.