It's been a great long weekend for us in a classic 1970s beach house more comfy than classy and so beloved by generations of lucky Australians. It's functional, unpretentious, in parts home-made and above all modest. The land with views down the coast was once bought for a song. But there's a sadness amongst the gratitude as time and big money has caught up with seaside idylls. I can h... read more>

Australia's leading consumer group for the over 50s has backed taking COVID vaccines, with 59% saying they intend to have the jab at the earliest opportunity. The FiftyUp Club survey of members, more than half of which have had their first vaccination, was most vocal about why they shouldn't be given a choice between AstraZeneca and Pzifer.The FiftyUp Club survey of members, more than ha... read more>

There have been red flags flying on the life insurance front, especially about premium hikes. The current main concern is premium costs going up, and there are several reasons. Xavier O'Halloran, director of the consumer group for superannuation Super Consumers Australia, says there have been hikes of between 13%-20% for life cover bought inside superannuation. He says one reason is re... read more>

Headlines are meant to be provocative, and this one proved a doozy at Sunday breakfast: Baby Boomers deepen housing crisis by staying in empty nests. The argument seems to run that some FiftyUps enjoy later life in the family home too much to move and should make way for younger families. But is it accurate or even fair? Some bewildering figures came out this week about houses and agei... read more>

There's an old wartime saying that 'there are no atheists in the foxholes’, meaning those in the firing line have reason to believe in God. Do we now see a similar phenomenon with the COVID lockdown in Victoria, causing even those with pronounced 'vaccine hesitancy' to line up for the jab?  A few weeks ago, when polls showed a significant proportion of over 50s, and especially women, woul... read more>