Laine Gordon

How to boost your borrowing power

As part of the ongoing fallout from the Global Financial Crisis, the banks, building societies and credit unions have progressively tightened their lending criteria much to the vexation of aspiring homeowners.

Home ownership out of reach for families

For many families their own home is their major financial asset; because capital gains on sale of owner-occupied housing in Australia are exempt from taxation, increases in the value of homes has therefore been a vital part of how wealth gets created in Australia for average families.

Need motivation to exercise mid-week?

The simple act of sitting down and staring at a screen might seem harmless, relaxing even, and yet reams of research suggests that sedentary jobs are making us fat, giving us bad backs, and triggering heart attacks.

The cost of getting the flu

It’s official! We’re a sickly lot with one estimate from private health insurer nib suggesting that as many as one in five Australians will come down with the flu this year. Moreover, St John Ambulance Australia estimates that flu costs Australian companies more than $7billion in sick days annually.

Is your workplace making you sick?

Whether you love going to work or dread it, there's one aspect of the workplace that many of us don't often think about – that the building in which you work could be making you sick.

Should the rich lend to the poor?

As more Australians slip below the poverty line, with a growing number excluded from affordable basic financial services, experts are turning their attention to a new British banking model, which is paving the way for a fresh batch of "ethical" credit unions.

Weddings today are big business

Weddings are more than a celebration of love and commitment – they are also a big financial decision.

What first time buyers need to know

Fewer first home buyers are locking into a mortgage, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Government lends a hand to young buyers

Many first time buyers today show concern about the high cost of entry level property prices and, statistically, they may have a case.

Without a will, what happens to your assets?

Somebody once said that in life only two things are certain: death and taxes. None of us likes to think about getting old or falling ill, but making provision for the worst can save a lot of worry and money for those left behind.