The Experts

Pensioners and the assets test

The rules surrounding Centrelink entitlements are quite complex. It is therefore extremely important, when developing retirement strategies, to be mindful of the Centrelink implications. Most...

Time management

Time Management for students in senior years of high school is absolutely critical in realising their desired level of achievement. Time deprivation is common...

New English, Maths and Science Syllabuses in NSW

In response to the Gonski Report and the evidence of falling educational standards in the three core subjects mentioned above, the NSW Government has...

Are our Selective schools doing more harm than good for our kids?

Recently we looked at some of the differences that exist between the Finnish and Australian Education Systems (Finland is ranked sixth in the world...

Lifting standards

Could abolishing private schools and respecting teachers more help lift education standards? Does the Finland education system have answers for the rest of the world...

Australia’s performance in the classroom

Australia may be rocking the world sporting stage, but there’s concerns about our performance in the classroom. What can we learn from other countries...

Testing in the education system

Testing is a huge part of the education system in Australia and around the world, but are we taking the wrong approach when it...

Conveyancing to move with the times

Over the next 12 months, the way that conveyancing transactions have been completed for decades is due to change dramatically. New South Wales will be...

Fixed or variable?

In a “practice what you preach” moment, I’m currently reviewing my finances and part of that process involves addressing my mortgage. I’m happy with...

May madness for Weekender readers

We understand legal services can be expensive, so for the month of May, we have decided to give readers of the Weekender some great...

Tough week for finance industry

As a Financial Planner who is proud of what my colleagues, my competitors and I are able to do for our clients, I have...

Income streams after retirement

The superannuation system is designed to build wealth in order to provide us with income in our retirement years. Once we retire and need income,...

Getting the right advice at the right time

As life changes, so do our financial planning needs. This week, I have created a list of some important life events that are commonplace...

Big news in real estate and how it impacts you

The country’s primary provider of real estate deposit bonds, Deposit Power, no longer has a guarantor/underwriter. CBL Insurance, Deposit Power’s existing guarantor, is reported to...

Why you need to review your financial products regularly

I’ve written about this previously, but I never cease to be amazed at how lackadaisical many people are about their financial products despite it...

Changes to the banking sector

This week’s column centres on the new payments platform which launched in Australia on Tuesday. While not exclusively a legal issue, the changes will have...

10 questions you need to ask your insurer

Lots of different insurance companies offer lots of different coverage. What is most important is to protect your investment in your new vehicle. Sometimes...

What your new car warranty covers

A new car warranty is to cover you against any manufacturing default, and while warranties may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, they usually...

Quirky road rules you may not know about

Most of us know our mainstream road rules back to front. There are some other road rules in New South Wales that you might not...

Why a proper test drive is so important

Spec Sheets are all well and good, however sometimes a car that looks great on paper may not be a great match for your...