In a recent episode of The Grass is Greener podcast, host Tim Henry welcomed Karen Eley, an experienced behavioural money coach, to discuss the pervasive issue of financial stress.

As financial challenges continue to mount for many in today's economic climate, Karen offers valuable insights into managing financial pressures with a balanced and mindful approach.

Amid growing expectations of rate cuts in 2025, sticking with a variable home loan rate can seem like a no-brainer. But not so fast. Locking in your home loan rate can also have upsides, including the potential for a lower rate right now.

Home loans come in all shapes and sizes. A common thread is that you’ll likely be given the choice of a variable or fixed interest rate.

The many unpredictable events of 2024 could easily have been disastrous for investment markets. Instead, we saw remarkable resilience and growth despite occasional volatility as investors reacted to the extraordinary times.

While economic growth in Australia and overseas was underwhelming, share markets rode out the ups and downs to finish 2024 strongly.

As we step into a new year, it’s a good opportunity to think about what we want to embrace and experience in the year to come. Amidst all the resolutions that might be broken before we know it, one powerful and positive way to approach the new year, is to make this the year of saying yes.

Achieving your long-term financial goals doesn’t need to be overwhelming. If you can put in place some basic financial steps, you are on the road to a successful outcome.

It means keeping on top of your options and devising strategies for investment, debt reduction and risk protection. The start of the year is a perfect time to take a few proactive steps, that your future self will thank you for.

An emergency fund is a financial safety net, offering you instant access to money when you need to cover the cost of unplanned expenses, like losing a job, unexpected travel or a medical emergency.

But how much should you have in emergency savings?

After a long wait, new legislation which is aimed at reshaping how aged care is delivered and funded in Australia has been passed.

Like most countries around the world, our population continues to age, making it important to have a sustainable aged care system that provides quality care and treats our older Australians with dignity.

Ah, Christmas! - the time of year when your bank account shrinks, your social calendar explodes, and your family dynamics resemble a poorly scripted soap opera. As we navigate this festive minefield of shopping, social gatherings, and feasting, it’s common to feel a little frazzled.

At this time of year, when giving is particularly on our minds, some might turn their attention to how best share their wealth or an unexpected windfall with their loved ones­.

You might be thinking about handing over a lump sum to help them with a major purchase or business opportunity, or be keen to help reduce or extinguish their student loans.

Australian share prices have seen record highs in 2024 after a sluggish couple of years.

The S&P ASX200 index added just under 7 per cent in the 10 months to October 31 closing at 8160.ⁱ It reached its previous all-time high of 8355 just two weeks before.

With just one RBA rate decision left for 2024, homeowners may be holding onto hopes of a summer cut. We look at when rates may start falling – and how you could possibly give yourself a rate cut before Christmas

As parents, the instinct to support our children never truly fades, even when they become adults but when you are looking at giving them a financial helping hand there is a bit to consider.

It’s important to ensure any support you provide is not at the expense of your financial future. It can also be tricky knowing what form your support should take, in order to maximise the benefits for your kids.

There is no debate that Australians love investing in property. The value of Australian residential real estate at the end of August 2024 was an estimated $10.95 trillion.ⁱ

Some love it so much that they believe property is a better option for providing a retirement income.

The retirement living sector is growing rapidly in Australia as the population ages and demand increases for a spot in a retirement village.

For many people, the idea of having someone on site to help with property and garden maintenance is enough for them to make what can be a major change later in life.

When it comes to accumulated retirement savings, many Australians have a strong fear of running out of money before they die.

Vanguard’s 2024 How Australia Retires research released in June found that almost one in two Australians do not know whether their money will last them in retirement.

The potential need for aged care can be an emotionally loaded conversation for all member of a family. In fact we have seen many occasion where parents and their adult children avoid talking about it until they have no choice, by which time it is often too late for any effective planning.

Remember the first time you stepped into a gym? It’s unlikely you swaggered your way over to the free weights rack and started busting out squats. Well, it turns out buying your first home can be just as daunting, with 91% of first-home buyers turning to a mortgage broker for guidance.

Changes to aged care fees are coming, and they will impact both home care and residential care. After a long wait and lots of speculation, the government has released details of the proposed changes.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have been asked, “what is the market going to do?”. And another dollar for everytime I have asked in return “what is your investment for?

While effective investing is crucial for wealth creation, there is a lot to know and many pitfalls to avoid, as many of the world’s most successful investors have learned over their respective investment journeys.