EBikes - Now there’s no excuse

I’ve been a cycle commuter for years, ever since I started employment. In fact I’ve gotten so used to pedalling my way to work, it’s actually a novelty to have to get the train or bus. I must seem like an excited kid on the bus, while

Lastpass Emergency Access

Ever worried about what would happen to your online investment accounts when you die and more importantly how would your loved ones would get access to them? Well Lastpass has now solved this problem with Lastpass Emergency Access. In a nutshell - you give someone you trust access to your

Dividend Imputation

Dividend imputation and franking credits available on shares in Australia

Best online investment services in Australia

By 'best' I mean lowest cost to you as an investor. Diferent brokers charge various fees on the ASX and US markets for shares and ETFs. Therefore I've highlighted the best broker(s) for each of these four categories. Best for U.S. Shares Service % fees*

Financial planning gone bad

You are the only person responsible for your financial future. If it all goes belly up the buck ultimately stops with you. Even if you have been given dodgy advice from a financial manager, it’s your responsibility to do your homework and take responsibility for your investment choices. No

Save your retirement with the investment fees calculator

Did you know that a seemingly small fee of just 1% on your investments can result in you losing more than 20% of your balance over 40 years, and that a 1.5% fee can result in you being deprived of around 30% of your investment over the same time!

The great Australian superannuation rip-off

Recently the Murray Report found that Australian’s are paying double the fees of other Western countries for their retirement. That’s costing us $20 billion dollars each year! Why are Aussies being so badly ripped-off? Well we could blame the superannuation funds for slugging consumers with hidden high fees

The Joy of Index Investing

I'm a big fan of index investing, It's the secret weapon that gives the average Joe the ability to play with and soundly beat the big bully’s of the investment world. What is an Index? Companies comprising an Index have to be ordered by a

Credit cards as interest free loans?

Over the last few years I've been making use of the 0% spending rate on new credit cards and then transferring the balance to a 0% balance transfer cards. As you might expect I've racked up a considerable amount of debt, albeit at 0% interest + annual

You get what you pay for, don't you?

Just because something is expensive does not mean it is better. Cost is actually now part of the marketing of some products, for example Stella Artois does not hide this fact with the tag line ‘reassuringly expensive’ Some other examples where a higher price does not guarantee a better product

Playing Footises - FTSE 250 knocks the FTSE 100 out the park!

IS the FTSE 250 allways a better bet than the FTSE 100? Historically, it seems to have always outperformed the FTSE 100 index. Look at this comparison below over the last 17 years. The FTSE 250 has returned about 250% whereas the FTSE 100 has gained not very much at

Where should I stick my hard earned dough?

Here are some ideas ordered by likely return Investment Type Expected Return Paying off credit card debt -15.0% - 0% Installing solar panels on your house 5.0% - 15.0% Real estate investment property 5.0% - 15.0% Electric vehicle 2% - 3% Collecting wine -20% -