Recent figures show personal debt levels in Australia are among the highest in the world. So does this mean we’re heading for a debt disaster? Or are we doing the right kind of borrowing to get ahead with finances? Find out what kind of debts can be a problem and how to keep borrowing within safe limits.

As well as super guarantee payments from your employer, there are all sorts of ways to save more into super and boost retirement savings. Find out more in this comprehensive super contributions guide.

It is a tough decision choosing between an exchange traded fund (ETF) or a managed fund. While there are plenty of similarities between the two investment vehicles – particularly if they track an index – you need to understand that there are some significant differences that could sway your mind.

Whether you’ve been plotting it for years or just recently decided to go for it, starting your own business is a big leap.

Now that you’re taking the first steps, pause for a moment to consider some often-overlooked factors that will set you up for success. While these may not be as exciting as dreaming up your vision or designing your marketing, building these tasks into your planning will give you the best chance to hit the ground running.

We often hear about gearing when people talk about investing in property – that is, they’ve taken out a mortgage to help pay for the property or they hope to benefit by negatively gearing it for tax purposes.

But many investors use gearing to fund other asset classes, such as direct shares and managed funds.

Gearing can magnify your gains, but it can also magnify your losses. Here are some factors to consider

Ready to take the plunge and buy your first home? Make sure you know exactly what to expect from the home buying process with our simple step-by-step guide, covering everything from making an offer to moving in.

No one likes unpleasant surprises. Talking about your Will with your family can be stressful, but it can also help to avoid a worse situation when you are gone.

Contemplating one’s own death can be hard and in many families, talking about money or inheritances is taboo. Some parents worry that letting their children know how much they stand to inherit may cause a sense of entitlement or encourage them to become less productive. Others fear the chat could stir up jealousies, insecurities and feuds among family members.

February is a great place to start hitting some of those money goals you made for the new year.

Most likely you’re coming off the back of a Christmas period when your hands felt perpetually shoved in your pockets, and the school holidays mixed with a heavy January social calendar have done nothing to alleviate those money woes.

A financial fast in the form of Frugal February may be just what the money doctor ordered.

Your home may be looking minimal and serene in 2019 thanks to author and TV host Marie Kondo. But could your finances do with some decluttering too? Find out how to go about it with our guide to simplifying your budget, bank accounts, super and debts.

Ready to discover the life changing magic of simplifying your money management? Taking the lead from minimalism guru Marie Kondo, we bring you a step-by-step guide to applying decluttering principles to your finances.

Take control of your future by setting some financial goals this year. Here are our top tips to help make 2019 your best year yet.

Make a plan for your money

What are your money goals for this year? To give yourself the best chance at achieving them, your goals need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Setting timely goals means giving yourself a timeframe to achieve them.

It has been said (and many books have been written about) that habits play a critical role in achieving success.

While it’s all well and good to set lofty goals, it’s the (seemingly) small and positive habits that we adhere to on a daily basis that will give us the best chance of success in the long run.

This truth applies equally to investing in the markets. It’s true that many investors set big goals and financial objectives, but how many do you think will stick to a daily habit to ensure that they are moving closer to those goals each day?