With all eyes on the Federal Budget and balancing the nation’s books, it’s a good time to review your personal balance sheet. If it’s not as healthy as you would like, perhaps it’s time to do a little budget repair of your own.

Think property prices have gone a little bonkers? You’re not the only one. Which is why a report with 16 recommendations to tackle housing affordability has just been plonked on pollies’ desks in Canberra. Today we’ll run through them for you (succinctly, we promise).

Most of you would have noticed that car prices have gone up significantly over the past two years. But how much have they gone up exactly? Let’s take a look.

You’re not imagining things – both new and used vehicle prices have spiked over the past two years (not to mention, house prices, petrol, groceries – everything, it seems, except wages).

Planning for the future – and all challenges it may bring – can help achieve quality of lifestyle as well as quality of care.

A new year has started, and while we are unsure what challenges COVID will continue to send our way, we hope the future starts to look brighter.

If it’s been a while since you had that wonderful feeling of euphoria, there are measures you can take to elevate your mood by encouraging production of your bodies naturally occurring ‘happy hormones’.

Our hormones control many aspects of our body’s responses and certain hormones are known to help promote positive feelings, including happiness and pleasure.

It’s been a rocky start to the year on world markets but that doesn’t mean you should hit the panic button. Staying the course is generally the best course, but that’s easier said than done when there’s a big market fall.

In January markets plunged some 10 per cent but then staged a recovery. That volatile start may well be an indication of how the year pans out.i

It seems like June 30 rolls around quicker every year, so why wait until the last minute to get your finances in order?

With all the disruption and special support measures of the past two years, it’s possible your finances have changed. So it’s a good idea to ensure you’re on track for the upcoming end-of-financial-year (EOFY).

Australians are leaving capital cities in droves in a phenomenon being referred to as ‘The Great Relocation’. However, there’s a lot to consider beyond the obvious appeal of waking up to the laughter of kookaburras or enjoying a long walk on the beach.

The terms ‘sea change’ or ‘tree change’ have been around for a while to describe those who decide to make a move from the city or suburbs to a more rural lifestyle.

The pandemic has changed the way so many of us live, with jobs, travel and lifestyle all transformed during COVID. Now, as we start emerging on the other side, it may be a good idea to check whether these changes have impacted on your life insurance needs.

In some cases, you may require more cover and in others perhaps less. This is not just down to COVID. Changes to your insurance needs at any given time are a constant throughout your life.

As the nation drifts back to work after the summer break, it’s often a time to start putting your New Year’s resolutions into practice. For some, an extended holiday may have convinced you that you are ready for more of the good life and that it’s time to retire.

In the past, that would have meant leaving work for good. These days, retirement is far more fluid.

National property prices are predicted to rise by up to 9% in 2022, according to REA Group, but which cities are tipped to lead the way in price growth this year? Let’s take a look.

National housing values grew a whopping 22.1% in 2021, and while things are expected to slow down throughout 2022, the fun ain’t over yet.

People over age pension age have access to the Pension Loan Scheme (PLS) to increase cashflow, by drawing equity from their home. However, the PLS is not well known or widely used so the Government announced two changes today:

The calendar turns over to a fresh, brand new year, full of promise, so how do we keep these promises we make to ourselves and get to the end of the year with our resolutions intact and goals realised?

We all start out with good intentions when we set our objectives for the year to come, but motivation notoriously wanes with time and has the potential to sabotage our chances of achieving our dreams.

Prices for property, cryptocurrencies and shares have all hit records recently. While great news for investors, there’s always a risk that some people will jump into the market because they are afraid of missing out on easy money.

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, has always been around on financial markets, but social media and reality television have taken it to a whole new level.

For the second year running, the pandemic was the focus for policy makers, markets, businesses, and individuals alike.

The year began with hopes that the rollout of vaccines would stem the spread of COVID-19 and allow economies to reopen. Instead, most countries were hit by wave after wave of the virus, periodic lockdowns, and ongoing disruption to lives and livelihoods.

Aged care seems expensive, and comes at a time when your finances may be dwindling. This might make you worry about whether you can afford to pay for care.

In Australia, we are lucky that government subsidies can help with the costs, but you will have to jump through hoops to be approved. And you may have long waiting times before the government money becomes available (particularly home care).

Want to buy your first home with a deposit of just 5% and pay no lenders’ mortgage insurance? You could be in luck – the federal government will soon reissue up to 4,651 unused Home Guarantee Scheme spots.

Christmas is a time when we come together to celebrate with our family and friends. And, for those who haven’t been able to see friends and family due to border closures, it will be an even more joyous occasion this year.

Gift-giving is typically a big part of celebrating Christmas and provides a great opportunity to reach out to support those who have done it tough this year.

Inflation appears to be firmly on the rise and while that is bad news for consumers it’s not necessarily bad news for investors. In fact, inflation may provide new opportunities.

In the September quarter, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 3 per cent year on year, a level previously not forecast to be reached until 2023. The underlying rate of inflation, which removes extreme price changes and is generally considered a more accurate reflection of what is happening on the ground, increased 2.1 per cent on an annual basis.

After a difficult year of COVID disruptions and uncertainty, the summer holidays can’t come quickly enough. It’s a chance to refresh and reflect on the year that was and hopefully set some goals for year ahead.

Yet this year more than most, many of us may feel that our personal and financial priorities have shifted depending on our experience of the pandemic.