Start early and stay out of the red this Black Friday
If you’re a Black Friday veteran, you’ll know that you don’t have to wait until the designated day to snap up a bargain.
Retailers have been dropping their prices all month, and your inbox and social media have probably been inundated with offers for Black Friday steals because of your past purchases.
Seven dining dates worth your dollars
Aussies love to dine out and with such a wonderful array of cuisines and venues to choose from, who can blame us?
But the rising cost of living is making many consumers think twice about how much we fork out for food and where.
Baby boom: Is private health insurance necessary if you’re planning for pregnancy?
Planning to have a baby? Pregnancy is an exciting time but also a nerve-wracking one. There is so much to think about, not the least of which is where to have your baby.
Australians are fortunate to have access to good health care. And most women will give birth in a public hospital, where the charges will be limited. But many opt for private hospitals because they believe it will be a better pregnancy experience, including the promise of a private room after the birth.
It’s one of the reasons women who are thinking about getting pregnant take a closer look at private health insurance. This might mean updating their existing policy to cover pregnancy and birth. Or taking it out for the first time specifically for that reason.
Dying to know: Is life insurance worth the premiums?
What is life insurance? It is basically a contract between you and an insurance company under which you pay a regular amount of money in return for a lump sum benefit.
Unlucky break: Will travel insurance protect you when you need it?
Australians are big travellers — at least we were before Covid hit. Now that we’re getting back out on the road and into the air again, should we protect our hard-earned money with travel insurance?
Some people might say that travel insurance is a waste of money. After all, what are the chances that something will actually happen to you while you’re on holiday? But the truth is, anything can happen when you’re away from home. And if something does go wrong, travel insurance can be a life saver. But is it really worth the extra expense? And how has Covid changed things?
Dead loss: Is funeral insurance worth the money?
Dying isn’t something any of us like to think about it, let alone discuss. But there’s little doubt shelling out $15,000 for a funeral while grieving the loss of a loved one just compounds the pain.
The fact is funerals can really be that expensive. According to Canstar, it can cost anything from $4,000 to $15,000, depending on the ceremony.
Toyota paint peel proves power in numbers
When paint started peeling off his Toyota Corolla in great chunks, Chris McInerney thought maybe he had done something wrong.
But a little digging showed that he was far from alone. A problem with primer paint on several makes and models had even resulted in Toyota Canada extending warranties by up to 14 years.
Road danger: Hyundai owners warn of car failures while driving
Mandie Cowley was driving with her daughter on a busy regional highway in Victoria when her Hyundai started losing power.
“The only place I could pull over was on a bend and there was a lot of trucks. I was absolutely petrified that a truck was going to come up behind me and hit the car,” she said.
Michael Steele’s son, still a P-plater, was driving his Dad’s car at a similar high speed on a country highway in Queensland when it made a grinding sound.
"And it just came to a halt, nothing was working. He was very lucky to get it to the side of the road,” Michael said.
Nina Persin’s partner was driving at 100kmh on the Pacific Motorway, in south-east Queensland, roads still slippery from the floods, when his engine seized up.
“There was no warning light, nothing,” she said. “When the engine seized, the brakes stopped working, as did the steering wheel. My partner had huge difficulties steering the car away from the right-hand lane, avoiding the trucks on the road, towards the left lane.
“I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened."
The right direction: How to get the best car loan
We love our cars. In fact, the number of registered vehicles in 2021 was almost as many as the country’s total population. But it's no secret that buying a car is a costly exercise.
In fact, the cost of a new car has risen by an average of 7.4 percent in the past year, according to the latest figures.
Add car insurance, registration and general running costs, and it's easy to see why many people opt for a loan when buying a new set of wheels. But with so many lenders in the market, how do you find the best car loan for your needs?
Digital platforms: The complaints nightmare
In January this year, thousands of Crypto.com users were locked out of their accounts when the digital platform was forced to change security settings after it was hacked. To add insult to injury, support channels were not working and all users were told by the platform’s CEO was that "you could be using the wrong email address" — via a Tweet.
Chances are you have experienced something similar. New research has found that almost three-quarters of Australians are dissatisfied with how complaints are being handled on digital platforms.