I am divorced now but I was married to a Lebanese man for 12 years. At the time it was a big cultural challenge for me, as I’m sure it was for the family I married in to. I learnt so much from this family, everything from cherishing your older relatives in ways that so-called western cultures could learn from. I learnt you can eat raw meat and it’s called kibbeh nayyeh, I learnt a few Arabic... read more>

There are usually no surprises in the ways the big banks react to any Reserve Bank changes in the cash rate… but this week was different. By going down, as it has 12 times since 2011, the only question is how much will they withhold from borrowers of the home loan rates cuts and for what spurious reasons. The dead cert, or was until last Tuesday, was that interest paid to save... read more>

I am concerned how to retire “successfully”. It means how to use my saving in the most effective way, to have a place that is affordable to buy and manage and be able to lead an active, healthy life in a safe environment. We used to live with our family, where everyone had a role regardless of age. In a majority of cases this is no more the case. According to statistics a quarter... read more>

Hilda is a name derived from an old Norse word meaning ‘battle’ and HILDA is an acronym for research into household wealth which fired up its own intergenerational stoush this week. The researchers at the University of Melbourne unveiled their latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia, or Hilda, survey of 17,000 Australians. The headline findings ... read more>

These Tips are thanks to ING Direct who commissioned a survey to find out what we're spending to attend a wedding. Budget ahead of time: If you know you have a lot of weddings coming up, don’t just plan your outfit, plan your finances. Figure out what you can afford and how much you need to save before wedding season to avoid debt dramas. 2.     &nb... read more>