The Big 4 Banks have, over the last few years, been buying up big in the name of expanding their market share within Australia. Don’t be fooled into banking with the Big 4 when you thought you were supporting another financial institution.

The Take-Aways

• 9 out of 10 new mortgages signed in Australia are with the Big 4 banks!
• Commonwealth Bank owns Bankwest and a 80% share of…

Insurance is something most people only think about when it is too late – when they need to make a claim.

And we’ve all heard the horror stories of people who thought they were covered only to find out that their policy didn’t cover them when they needed it most.

It doesn’t have to be this way

By taking a small amount of time to review what your policy covers, you can ensure you have the insurance that matches your busy lifestyle.

For example, we all know that home and contents insurance covers your valuables while they’re in your house. But…

Traditionally, if you wanted to watch a TV show or movie you pretty much had three choices: you could watch it on free-to-air TV, watch it on cable TV, or rent or buy a DVD.

But there are now more ways than ever to watch TV shows and movies in Australia – at last count there were over 20.

With the advent of the internet, and now the convergence of television and online services, your choices are way beyond what you could have imagine even five years ago.

And you don’t even need to be stuck in front of the television any more. You can now watch television…

Have you ever wondered what inflation is and how it affects you?

Do you wonder why goods and services seem to be getting more expensive, and why prices increase over time?

If so, read on.

What is inflation?

Put simple, inflation is the rate of increase in prices for goods and services. The reverse, a decrease in prices, is called deflation.

Inflation is usually expressed as a percentage rate – example 3% – and represents the average increase of prices…

This article is by staff writer Amanda.

So my eldest child went to camp for the first time today.

He has been away from home before, but he has only ever been in the care of family – except for the odd sleep over at a friend’s place – and what I found amazing was how quickly I transitioned back into ‘that mother’.

You know the one – the ‘I forgot to pack tissues’, ‘I should have bought him a new suitcase’ (the Powers Bitter bag is 20 years old, was free and is perhaps a tad inappropriate for an 11 year old to be carrying around), ‘I want to wave him off but I’ve…