How Much Do Natural Disasters Cost Australia

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With the QLD floods happening last year. How costly was it to Australia? And where does it sit on the top 6 list for the most costly Disasters Australia wide.
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Want to get a great broadband deal. Today Show has got all the best deals.
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Rate Cuts Boost Confidence

Today
Could Australian consumers confidence be back on the rise again? Commonwealth bank says yes.
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Where Are The Facts

Sunrise
Banks are not giving people the information on their products. Customers are urged to switch and ditch their home loans.
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The Ascent Of Money Episode One part one

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The Ascent Of Money Episode One part two

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The Ascent Of Money Episode One part three

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Diamonds Are Not A Girls Best Friend

The Morning Show
A money expert talks about why women and men should invest differently. What are the three questions every woman should ask herself about money?
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Do We Trust The Big Banks

The Morning Show
Money expert Anthony Bell talks about why the Big 4 are losing trust. Recently all the banks have increased rates regardless of the RBA suggestions. So do you trust them?
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Credit Cards Rarely Make Me Smile

Hills Newspaper NSW By Adam Goulding (Aka Mr Home Budget)
There has never been a better time to talk about credit cards than right now. The big banks are under fire for unfair late payment fees. The federal government is bringing in new laws to help consumers tackle their credit card debt. And Australia's current credit card debt stands at $49 billion. Yes, you read correctly, that's with a "b".

Would you believe this is $2,248 for every man woman and child? And since children do not have credit cards this is an extremely high amount. To put this total amount into perspective, in 1985 Australians only owed $168 per person on credit cards. So we have increased this total amount by $2,080 in just 26 years. Something is not right here!

Now, as someone who advises people on what they should be doing with their home budget, my first golden rule is Get Rid of the Credit Card. This plastic (not so) fantastic is probably costing you more money than you know. The following 3 reasons should have you running to cancel yours quick smart or, better yet, take a chainsaw to it.

Most points/freebie systems associated with credit cards are not free at all. In fact, my research on point systems has shown that most earned points only have a value of half a cent per dollar spent. To earn back an average annual fee of $100 in shopping vouchers, you would need to spend $20,000 per year. Only after you earn back the yearly annually fee can you consider these points working in your corner.

Are you just paying the minimum payment of your statement each month? If so, you might have long wait until you pay back the card in full. This is because banks allow you to pay back as little as 2% of the total outstanding balance. If you owed $10,000 and just kept to minimum payments, you would be looking at around 84 years. Who in their right mind would take any sort of loan out for 84 years?

Most people in Australia don't know what credit card merchant fees are. Each time you select credit on your EFTPOS machine the retailer gets slugged a fee from the transaction. This is normally around 2%. Prior to 2003 the retailer would wear this cost. However, they are now allowed to pass it directly on to you. While by law they are meant to inform you if they are passing it on or not, many don't bother or forget. You wear this cost — and 2% on any purchases can really add up after a while.

But I have some great news for you. While it might seem like it, credit cards are not mandatory in Australia. We can all quit them any time we like. Debit cards work in the same ways, but with fewer toxic side effects. So bring a smile to your bank balance and get rid of your credit cards today.