No doubt, at some point in your life you would have heard the terms ‘credit score’ or ‘credit report’ – and unfortunately you most often hear about these things at the precise moment you find out your score or report is a “bad” one. Not helpful! Well, here’s a new reason you may hear those terms: the government is mandating … Read More
The little black dress every woman needs
“Hi Tash, I would like to get started with investing but I find it all so overwhelming and confusing. Any advice on where to begin?” I know what you mean! There is certainly no shortage of options when it comes to investing, and if you don’t know what to look for it’s down right confusing! Investing in an index fund … Read More
I’ve paid off my mortgage, should I get a bigger house?
“Hi Tash, I’m 10 years away from retirement and have almost paid off my primary residence, a townhouse. Should I be upgrading to a bigger house?” Congratulations on paying off your home! What a great feeling. Now the first question I would ask you is why you might want to upgrade to a bigger home? Given that you are approaching … Read More
Should I invest in Bitcoin?
Hi Tash, all I keep seeing in the news and on my Facebook feed is bitcoin, bitcoin, bitcoin. Can you tell me what all the fuss is about? And more importantly, whether I should actually considering investing in it? All I seem to see in my feed is bitcoin too! And it’s no surprise – this year alone the value … Read More
Help – I need to make an income protection claim
Hi Tash, I’m a teacher (permanently employed) and have recently been diagnosed with cancer. I’ve been put on sick leave for seven months and have enough paid sick leave to last four months. I’m using my paid sick leave to cover the initial 60 day waiting period before my income protection insurance kicks in, but I’m wondering whether I should … Read More
Emergency savings? Check. Now what?
“Hi Tash, I often hear that I should have an emergency fund which could be three months to a year of my expenses. Does that mean when I have more than this I should be spending, or investing, the money?” Well, most people tend to want to dive in head-first into investing (or spending!) their money, without really having a … Read More
The rules of saving
There are a few questions that I get asked very frequently. How are you? How’s your little boy? What’s the weather like in Canberra? And what percentage of my income should be going into savings? I get it a lot! And I put it down to the endless rules of thumb that are being exchanged at Sunday barbeques around the … Read More
Should I set up an SMSF?
“Hi Tash, what is the deal with self-managed super funds, are they the way to go? What are the pros and cons of doing it yourself?” So for those who haven’t heard of the concept, a self-managed superannuation fund (or an SMSF) is a private superannuation fund that you manage yourself, instead of it being managed for you by a … Read More
What comes first, the HECS debt or the mortgage?
Hi Tash, I’m wondering what the best thing is to do, prioritise buying a house or pay back my HECS debt first? Is being completely debt free better than having a HECS debt and a mortgage? Or is HECS not something I need to worry about paying back so quickly? Great question! First of all, HECS-HELP is essentially a government … Read More
Women are awesome, and yet…
Women. Are. Awesome. In case you need it, here’s proof. On top of it all, we work, cook, clean, shop, chauffeur, pay bills – often all simultaneously. You do it, I do it, together we kick some serious butt! Unfortunately, despite how awesome women are… we still tend to pass the buck on important money matters. Divorce, which is becoming … Read More