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The genuine article I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you, Paul, for making finance simple for ordinary people. As a person who came from a poor, working-class family, I had no idea about managing money. We just never had any money growing up. I love Money magazine and my own little family loved watching your TV show in the past. I am personally grateful to you for improving my lot in life and my children's too. Teresa HAVE YOUR SAY AND WIN A FREE SUBSCRIPTION Our letter of the month winner will receive a free 12-month subscription to Money magazine. Super nightmare Given the recent report in the media of a billion dollar superannuation fund imploding and investors funds ‘disappearing’, how can I be sure the same thing won't…

MATTHEW GIBBS Contributor ETFs are the people's product for building wealth. One trade can offer exposure to indices, industries, asset classes or themes, in Australia or overseas. For me, with funds focused on technology and local and international markets, ETFs put the passion into passive and make ‘set and forget’ an alluring strategy. I let experts do the hard work and worry about other things that matter. Like the topic for my next Money article. Matt's story on franking credits is on page 78. PAM WALKLEY Contributor iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) has been one of my best long-term investments, with an average return of 7.9% a year for 25 years since launch and almost 20% a year for the past three years. After clearing my mortgage, I…

For anyone who's ever been in therapy there comes a time when their therapist encourages the examination of present behaviours in light of the insight gained from re-examining past behaviours. The reason for this is that many of our learned behaviours, which might have been useful or even life-saving given the circumstances that led to them being internalised in the first place, are no longer useful and, in fact, could be dangerous to our health, happiness and wealth. Which leads us to the question of the month. Are our investment behaviours damaging our investment outcomes? How do we go about answering the question? In this instance we are focused on Australian equities. That keeps it simple and provides for a measurable outcome. For many investors, the core of their Australian…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Thursday, October 2 Balance of trade Wednesday, October 8 NAB business confidence Thursday, October 9 Westpac consumer confidence Tuesday, October 14 RBA meeting minutes Thursday, October 16 Unemployment rate The future of e-commerce is here It all started with a Sting CD. In August 1994, a man by the name of Dan Kohn sold a copy of Sting's fourth studio album, Ten Summoner's Tales, to a friend for US$12.48 ($19.11), postage included. This was no normal exchange between two mates. It's considered to be one of – if the not the very first – secure retail transaction ever made over the internet. It was the start of e-commerce. In the decades since, e-commerce has had its fair share of game-changing developments. In the late 1990s, secure payments…

We're still asking which labels count as fast fashion, hoping our favourite isn't on the list. But whether it's the original culprits (Zara, H&M), the sports giants, the new ‘ultras’ or even high-end brands, the distinction is beside the point. The question itself lays bare the problem: we consume clothes at the same rate as groceries. To change that, we need early intervention. To value our clothes – save for them, mend them and gasp at the idea of dumping them – we need to reach what I call pre-consumers: tweens and teens, peer-pressured away from crafts and play, pulled early into image and fashion. At [circular fashion consultancy] Slogue, we talk about fashion as a verb, not a noun. When young people sew, mend and reimagine clothes as projects,…

If you plan to lodge your tax return yourself, you need to be aware that the deadline for lodging your return is now just a few weeks away. The latest date for self-lodgers to get their tax returns in to the ATO is October 31, 2025. If you lodge after that date, you run the risk of incurring a late-lodgement penalty. Taxpayers who use a tax agent can usually lodge well beyond that deadline without penalty. The ATO gives tax agents concessional extended deadlines, which mean they can lodge returns on behalf of clients up to May 15, 2026 without incurring any penalty. If you are entitled (or believe you are entitled) to claim deductions, either for your business or as part of your job, it makes sense to get…

BOOK OF THE MONTH TOGETHER WE CAN by Peter Baines (Major Street, RRP $32.99) The inspiring story of Peter Baines who on December 1, 2024, at the age of 58, set off from the north of Thailand to run 1400km over 26 days. His goal? To raise $1 million. Once a forensic investigator with the NSW Police, he was deployed to Thailand after the Boxing Day tsunami where he met 32 children orphaned by the tsunami. Baines started a charity with the objective of building a home for these children. This home marked the finish line of his run, exactly 20 years to the day of the tsunami. In that 20-year period, the charity has raised more than $40 million. Read more on page 86. Five readers can win a…

MORE MONEY STORIES ON P48-59 Energy retailers in sight The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating whether energy retailers are misleading households by spruiking plans that promise savings or value, but deliver poor outcomes. The probe follows a designated complaint from consumer group CHOICE – the first it has lodged under the new system. The ACCC says the complaint raises “a significant or systemic market issue that affects consumers”. “Energy plans that promote savings or value may entice many consumers to a particular plan and influence their decision making,” says ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe. “We are concerned that consumers may be misled or deceived by plan names or descriptions of plans that offer savings that are not genuine, or that consumers may be discouraged from switching to…

Australian households are feeling the pinch at the checkout, with grocery bills climbing at the fastest rate in half a decade. Canstar Blue's 2025 supermarket survey shows that the average weekly spend for a family of four has jumped 11% in the past year to $240 – the biggest annual increase in five years. That adds up to $12,480 a year, almost $3000 more than the same household spent in 2021. To cope, more than 80% of shoppers have changed their habits, often using multiple tactics to keep costs down. The most common are checking unit pricing more closely (44%), buying in bulk where possible (36%), and snapping up items close to expiry at a discount (35%). Canstar spokesperson Eden Radford says choosing to buy supermarket-owned brand products can also…