Avoid the interest-free rip off

Buy now, pay later - there's no shortage of interest-free offers from stores selling everything from designer furniture to home theatre packages. While it's tempting to take home the very latest gizmo and worry about paying for it later, be aware of how another big debt could affect your finances after the novelty wears off and real life kicks back in.

Are banks keeping credit cardholders in debt?

As interest rates rise so does the minimum repayments on your credit card, right? Wrong! Only a handful of credit card providers have changed their minimum repayment requirements over the years despite the credit card interest rate rises.

Micro chipped credit cards boost security

All credit card issuers now provide "chip cards", ie. cards with microchip security built in. The idea behind chip cards is that the data previously held only on the magnetic strip is also held inside an embedded micro chip.

Are Australians wising up to bank fees?

It seems bank fees can be a licence to print money and no-one wants banks profiting at their expense. So how can you eliminate, or at least minimise, bank fees from your life?

A Kardashian credit card habit on a pauper's budget

The Kardashians are renown for their indulgent lifestyle, and while credit cards are an accessory rather than a monetary requirement for the reality stars, the rest of us run the risk of falling into miserable credit card debt if we even try to keep up with their extravagant spending.

Australia's worst drivers: males or females?

Are young women safer drivers than their male counterparts? It’s hardly an easy question to answer and the debate tends to get quite heated, with both sides of the argument keen to demonstrate who is the safest. Unfortunately for the guys however, many of the big name insurers offer discounts on their premiums for female drivers under 25

Battle of the sexes hots up behind the wheel

Are young women safer drivers than their male counterparts? It’s hardly an easy question to answer and the debate tends to get quite heated with both sides of the argument keen to demonstrate who is the safest.

Australian car loan rage

The number of fees and penalties attached to car loans may well give rise to a new phenomena 'car loan rage', a syndrome where normally placid people see red when reading their car loan statements. In the most severe of cases, steam emanating from the ears is clearly visible.