Laine Gordon

Are banks keeping credit cardholders in debt?

As interest rates rise so does the minimum repayments on your credit card, right? Wrong! Only a handful of credit card providers have changed their minimum repayment requirements over the years despite the credit card interest rate rises.

Micro chipped credit cards boost security

All credit card issuers now provide "chip cards", ie. cards with microchip security built in. The idea behind chip cards is that the data previously held only on the magnetic strip is also held inside an embedded micro chip.

Are Australians wising up to bank fees?

It seems bank fees can be a licence to print money and no-one wants banks profiting at their expense. So how can you eliminate, or at least minimise, bank fees from your life?

A Kardashian credit card habit on a pauper's budget

The Kardashians are renown for their indulgent lifestyle, and while credit cards are an accessory rather than a monetary requirement for the reality stars, the rest of us run the risk of falling into miserable credit card debt if we even try to keep up with their extravagant spending.

Australia's worst drivers: males or females?

Are young women safer drivers than their male counterparts? It’s hardly an easy question to answer and the debate tends to get quite heated, with both sides of the argument keen to demonstrate who is the safest. Unfortunately for the guys however, many of the big name insurers offer discounts on their premiums for female drivers under 25

What is a protected loan?

There are many ways to invest your hard-earned money but sometimes it's finding the funds to invest, in the first place, that becomes the biggest investment hurdle and why many look to margin loans as an answer.

Margin Loans Demystified

Ever heard your fellow office workers jabbering on about margin loans around the water cooler? Perhaps you’ve felt the urge to get in on the action yourself, and stop spending so much money on very-vanilla lattes? They're tasty, yes, but they won't help your bank balance and, despite what you may think at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, they’re not essential for your survival.

Alternative investments that don't cost a fortune

If you have a bit of spare cash and it's not enough for a deposit on a home but it’s too much to leave gathering dust in a bank account, why not think about the stock market?

Flood damage

If your car is not insured there is very little you can do to recover the cost of your vehicle in the case of flood damage. If your car is insured, however, you need to know exactly what your policy covers and what, if any, costs are incurred.

Battle of the sexes hots up behind the wheel

Are young women safer drivers than their male counterparts? It’s hardly an easy question to answer and the debate tends to get quite heated with both sides of the argument keen to demonstrate who is the safest.