Is 2016 the test for DIY investors?

Paying for tertiary education

Donna WillanMoney cents

My children are likely to want to go to university and that is going to bankrupt me, and seriously mess with my retirement plans – Help! Not being completely naive to this possibility I took out a small investment when both were born. My son started grade 1 this year, which means in 11 years ...

Budget blues

Donna WillanMoney cents

Ever since I started my first ‘real’ job I have always had a detailed household budget listing income and expenses, ensuring that expenses do not exceed income, and yet this seems to only work on paper. I update it every time my bills increase, but somehow, despite what the budget says, it doesn’t seem to ...

What am I teaching my children about money?

Web AdminMoney cents

How can we support children to have a healthy attitude towards money? Children watch what we do with money and they absorb our attitudes like sponges. So what am I teaching my children? There are three critical things I want my children to absorb when it comes to money: firstly, money is a finite resource; ...

Retirement: Challenge accepted!

Web AdminMoney cents

“Retirement – am I doing enough to ensure I can retire at a decent age, or will I be working forever?” These are the words I used to end my last column and they have haunted me; I do not want to work forever, so I need a plan to retire. I am a single ...

I want to afford holidays

Donna WillanMoney cents

Holidays. I want them, I need them, I deserve them. But can I afford them? I am thinking about different types of holidays – perhaps a short, local, get away; or a big two week holiday; or simply time at home relaxing and doing fun things that we never have time to do. Yes I ...