While travelling in the US a few years back, I picked up a copy of a foreigner's guide to Australia. I was looking forward to reading about all the great things about my country. The first line deflated my balloon. “Australians are lovely, warm people….until they get behind the wheel of a car.” What makes normally easy-going, friendly people suddenly lose it on the road? ... read more>

With Australia fast becoming an ageing nation, more and more Aussies are grappling with the anxiety that comes with retirement. While in theory retirement should be a time to be celebrated after years of hard work and providing, the reality is something entirely different. With the constantly increasing cost of living nowadays, the thought of retirement for many comes with the fear of fin... read more>

The cost of energy debate showed no signs of slowing this week with news outlets across the country covering the issue.  The dilemma of whether to “heat or eat” was confirmed by Coles Managing Director John Durkan who told Channel 9's A Current Affair that Australian families are doing it tougher than ever, with families now forced to choose between food and household bills. John Durkan’s... read more>

News surfaced this week about the possible introduction of surge pricing in Australia. The story centred around supermarkets but when you think about it, we already do have surge pricing here. Time-of-day tolling is in place on some roads where the toll is higher at peak times and when you think bout it, the petrol cycle could also be considered surge pricing as could airline tickets. But ba... read more>

  I have a Swedish friend I met when our kids started Day Care about 17 years ago. Elisabeth had moved from Sweden with her Australian husband to raise their twins in Australia.  Our kids are now 19 and Elisabeth’s boys are living in Europe, enjoying the benefits of dual citizenship. Over coffee last weekend, Elisabeth shared with me that she is considering a move to Germany. One of th... read more>