Laine Gordon

Want a baby? Don't leave it too late

A new report suggests many Australians underestimate when fertility in men and women starts to decline. But if you’re putting off having baby for financial reasons, with a little planning you can prepare to welcome a new member into your family without being confronted with financial stress.

Cheapest new cars to run

Despite rising fuel costs, new research shows that car running costs have fallen over the past 12 months.

Insurance, do you need it?

By world standards, Australians are, on the whole, financially sophisticated. Between us we have almost one trillion dollars invested in superannuation and one of the highest rates of share ownership in the world, research suggests.

The great variable rate roller coaster

There’s been a huge amount of publicity about the carbon tax for example and its effect on electricity prices. In NSW, for example, it’s been announced that electricity prices will rise by nearly 20% - which is a huge jump for most people, and rightly has many people worried. But the actual dollar impact of that increase will likely be around $25-30 per month for most households.

Not all exit' fees have been banned!

One of the biggest reforms in the home loan market in recent years was the banning of “early exit fees” on variable rate mortgages. Up until last year, many lenders imposed conditions on their variable rate home loans that meant you paid a penalty fee if you wanted to repay the loan in full within a certain time frame – say three years. In effect, this meant some variable rate home loans combined the "worst of both worlds" – they offered no certainty on rates and therefore repayments, but had a "fixed term" element where you faced a penalty to exit.

How to get the most out of a rate cut

Australians love their footy tipping – but we’ve now reached the point where “Reserve Bank tipping” seems even bigger. The Reserve Bank meets on the first Tuesday of the month, and in the days leading up to it, every economist in Australia seems to be making a prediction about what will happen to rates.

When should you combine finances with a partner?

Taking the plunge and combining your finances with a partner can be an exciting stage in life. However, sharing finances can also create some challenges if you don't do your homework first and put some sensible plans and structures in place.

Retail boost: sales tipped to rise

Recent rate cuts and proposed Federal handouts are expected to drive consumers back to the checkout at a pace not seen since the onset of the global financial crisis.

Five reasons potential borrowers are rejected

The banking sector has loosened the belt on who qualifies for a home loan since the global financial crisis, yet lenders remain cautious of high-risk prospective borrowers.

Financial stress leads more of us to cheat

Tough economic conditions are fuelling the rapid growth of "cheating websites", research suggests, as thousands of unhappy spouses say they are unable to afford separation.