Time for a check-up: Take a closer look at your private health insurance
It’s that time of the year again. Your advice about the annual rise in your health insurance premiums has just arrived. But don’t just sigh and make a mental note of the extra dollars coming out in a few days. Take it as a sign - a sign to reexamine your policy and make sure it is working for you.
It’s not just about your age, but your stage in life. Are you thinking about having a baby? Do you need a lot of physio? Is your health deteriorating to the point you think you might be more likely than not to need to go to hospital within the next year?
You may not want to ditch your health insurance altogether, but by taking a closer look and thinking about what and where your policy delivers - or isn’t delivering - you could get a lot better value for money.
Unclaimed money: Do you own a slice of $1.5 billion?
We’ve all dreamt of winning the lottery but you could already have a tidy sum — a small fortune, even - in your name and not know it.
According to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), there’s about $1.5 billion of unclaimed money just waiting to be returned to its rightful owners. This money may be tied up in forgotten bank accounts, life insurance policies, superannuation, or other financial accounts. If you think you may have some unclaimed cash, it’s worth doing a little digging.
World Consumer Rights Day: It’s time to make yourself heard
“Their voice is not always as loudly heard in Washington as the voices of smaller and better-organized groups – nor is their point of view always defined and presented. But under our economic as well as our political form of democracy, we share an obligation to protect the common interest in every decision we make.”
John F. Kennedy was writing on March 15, 1962, on what is now known as World Consumer Rights Day, in a “special message to Congress on protecting the consumer interest”. But swap Sydney or Melbourne for Washington and the then US President’s words are just as true for Australian consumers in the 21st century. If not more so.
Know your LED: How to buy the right TV
Buying a TV used to be straightforward. You'd simply pick a model with the largest screen that you could afford, and you’d be home on the couch with the remote in no time.
Now, there's a whole new vocabulary with bewildering terms like 8K, HDR and Quantum Dots. What does any of it mean? And how do you determine whether that $3000 television really is worth more than the one half its price?
Is pet insurance worth the money?
With more than 30 million pets across the country, Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world and we fork out a pretty penny to keep our fur babies happy too.
According to Animal Medicines Australia’s Pets and the Pandemic report, dog owners spend about $3200 a year, while feline owners spend about $2100 per cat.
Taking credit: Don’t pay for your credit report
We’ve all seen the ads encouraging us to find out our credit score or check our credit report, but how much do we really know about the process?
According to Choice, one in three Australians have no idea how credit reporting works and have never seen their credit report.
A credit report, also known as a credit file, helps financial institutions determine whether or not to lend money to an individual. A good credit history indicates that you are likely to pay your debts on time and in full. Poor credit history could make it difficult - even impossible - to get approval for loans, car leases, mortgages, or other forms of financing.
Renting rights: Lessons from real estate hell
The warning signs were there from the start.
Just before we took possession of our new rental, we were informed that the kitchen on the lower floor had been flooded. Not an event anyone could have foreseen. So we decided to move in after an agreement outside the lease was made to reflect the need for repairs.
At first, we were all working together to get the job done. But the real estate agent soon showed how bad life can get with a terrible property manager. In fact, as our experience showed, the property manager is far more important than the property.
Flower power: Avoid some thorny issues this Valentine’s Day
What's your plan for Valentine's Day? Romantic dinner? Tick. Chocolates? Tick. A beautiful bouquet of roses for your Valentine? A big cross!
Flowers are the most popular Valentine's Day gift in Australia. A study published last year found Aussies would spend more than $110 million on flowers for their loved ones - or the ones they’d like to love. And why not? They're pretty, smell good, and are generally cheaper than jewellery and healthier than chocolates.
But while they look blooming lovely, there’s an ugly side to the flower industry. Behind the fragrant scent of roses in full bloom are toxic chemical fumes designed to keep flowers fresh and pretty, specifically the imported ones.
Curious about cryptocurrency? Do your homework
More than four million Australians, or almost 20 percent of the total population, own a crypto asset. And the number is rising every day. You may have read about people like Regan Gallagher, who got into the crypto game early and did very well indeed.
On the flipside, there are those who have lost everything to cryptocurrency scams. In August last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Watchdog reported Australians lost more than $70 million and predicted that amount to double within six months.
So what exactly is cryptocurrency? Is it the currency of the future or just another way to make, or lose, money? We take a closer look.
What to wear: Finding a fitness tracker fit for purpose
If you’re a fitness fanatic, it’s likely you have already invested in the modern tool for monitoring your efforts. And you’re not alone - according to Deloitte Consumer Trends 2021 report, one in five Australians own a wearable fitness tracker.
But if you’re kicking off 2022 with an action plan that includes a whole lot more exercise, you may be curious about their benefits. Is it worth adding a fitness tracker to your get-fit arsenal? What do they actually do? And how will they help you reach your goals?