Personal Finance

Power playersBig super riding high as members shuffle decks

Seven out of 10 funds suffered a fall in member numbers last financial year, but the sector’s biggest funds went from strength to strength.

Anthony Keane

PoliticsFinancial advisers face improved oversight

The Morrison government has set out new draft laws to govern financial advisers in response to the Hayne banking royal commission.

Colin Brinsden

Economic boostAfterpay revolution aided recession battle

Accenture Research has found Buy Now Pay Later service provider Afterpay provided $3 billion in net benefits during last year's recession.

Colin Brinsden

Warning signsJust how risky is your ETF?

Investors with exchange-traded funds have been warned to pay close attention to their underlying assets or face the consequences during a severe market correction.

Nick Bruining

Savvy shoppingHow the right apps can save thousands of dollars a year

Keeping old receipts for tax time and plotting out a weekly budget is the stuff of nightmares, but innovative technology is bridging the gap.

Jody Allen

PoliticsTreasurer tight-lipped on super increase

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has refused to confirm reports the government will stick to the legislated increase to the superannuation guarantee.

Matt Coughlan

Confidence soarsWhat crisis? Big spenders back in boom-time mood

Australian households are set to keep driving the economy’s recovery — even without JobKeeper — as Westpac’s measure of consumer sentiment hits an 11-year high

Michael Heath

Buy now, pay laterPayment platform Zip’s ‘exceptional set of numbers'

Shoppers keep flocking to buy now, pay later services, with the provider that signed up JB Fi-Fi and The Good Guys breaking transaction records.

Rebecca Le May

Myths bustedThe five biggest tax mistakes of the self-employed

Worrying about being left with a huge tax bill is not a pleasurable or productive experience. But you could save yourself a lot of heartache by ignoring these myths ...

James Fuller

Play the gameFive ways to stop the pension pinching

Financial advisers’ phones have been running hot as part-pensioners query dramatic reductions in the age pension. Here’s how to keep maximising your pension ...

Nick Bruining

Housing marketUrgent warning on Aussie housing market

Australian housing prices are surging thanks to buyer demand and dirt cheap home loan rates. But will the boom continue?

Melissa Iaria

In the gameThe Aussie megafunds muscling in on global giants

A handful of Australian pension funds are emerging as global competitors for the established giants in North America, Europe and Asia, as a wave of mergers fuels the rise of local megafunds.

Matthew Burgess

Full ListColes’ super-size move as prices slashed

Coles is bringing back its popular bulk-buy products and slashing prices on more than 250 goods. See a list of their top bargains.

Vanessa Croll

CourtASIC targets Westpac over ‘unlawful’ charges

Westpac bank has been taken to court for allegedly charging hundreds of customers for a product they didn't sign up for.

Melissa Iaria

BusinessSuper laws could unleash 'animal spirits'

Draft superannuation laws intended to push dud funds out of the market and better serve members are being slammed at an inquiry for posing risks not solutions.

Marion Rae

Key tipsThree rules for Perth’s wannabe property investors

YOUR MONEY: If you’re a first-time investor, the list of mistakes you can make fills books. And they can be very, very costly. Here’s three rules to follow before you dive in.

Bruce Brammall

Making the gradeOnly half of financial advisers pass new standards test

Thousands of financial advisers are set to lose their licences as the deadline looms for tough new standards designed to protect consumers from receiving bad financial advice.

Nick Bruining

Watching outBanks beef up abuse guidelines

Australia’s banks have revamped their guidelines to help bank staff identify signs of financial abuse against family members and elderly people.

Time to flyHow to get your kids to leave the nest

Having trouble getting your little ducks to leave the nest? Here’s how to give them a nudge ...

Fran Hughes

Property boomPerth homes selling at fastest rate in 15 years

There were 67 suburbs across Perth that recorded an increase in median house sale price during March as overall sales rose 1.8 per cent. Here’s the top five ...

Kim Macdonald and Matthew Burgess

City leaderPerth’s CBD out-spends east coast rivals

Spending in Perth’s CBD has led the nation over the past six months, as workers returned to the workplace as COVID restrictions eased.

Meilin Chew

Test aheadWA set to ride out looming insolvency storm

WA is expected to have significantly fewer insolvency cases than the Eastern States as national figures are tipped to surge now JobKeeper has ended.

Kate Purnell

Better moodRising confidence and jobs to be tested

Payroll jobs are now slightly higher than they were a year ago as the economy continues its recovery from last year’s deep recession.

Colin Brinsden

Sting in tailQuick-fix loan may cost you in the end

With house prices on the rise, you might be tempted to dip into the increased equity of your home through a reverse mortgage. Here’s why that’s perhaps a last resort.

Nick Bruining