You may, or may not, regard yourself as an optimistic person but the expert opinion suggests it’s much better to think you are. Research out this week from Harvard has found women who were more optimistic were less likely to die from heart disease, cancer and infections. It’s said to be the first evidence that looking on the bright side of life, or positive thinking as it’s called, can of... read more>

There are increasing reports of emails that appear to be sent from AGL Energy but are in fact scam messages that can install malicious software on your computer and hold your files to ransom. According to the website Tech Guide they have been contacted by several readers in the last 24 hours about these bogus emails which claim to contain your latest bill. The messages have links to pay t... read more>

Making a decision on accommodation in your later years can be daunting with so many options on the market. You can downsize to a unit or stay where you are in the family home and perhaps get a reverse mortgage. Move into a granny flat with the kids or into a retirement village. Member Ziva and I had coffee recently and she shared her experience … “Many years ago older people used to live ... read more>

For the first time in the nine year history of the Christmas Spending Index, more Australians are looking to their debit and EFTPOS cards instead of their credit cards to pay for their Christmas gift shopping. Cash payments are also on the decline, with only 20% of shoppers relying on this traditional payment method for their Christmas spending. As part of the annual Christmas Spending In... read more>

When it comes to shelling out for private health insurance a key reason is to avoid the perceived long waiting times in public hospitals. But we may be wrong, with new research revealing the waits for elective surgery, ie not emergency operations, have been stable for some years. If that comes as a surprise so did (at least to me) the existence of a government-run website www.myhospitals.... read more>