April magazine

In the magazine

Health check
By Maria Bekiaris

Just how financially fit are you? Money-doctor Maria Bekiaris will help you get you and your finances back on track in April with the Money health check.

Do you have the right home loan? Is your credit card debt under control? Money has all the answers to help you control your debts, set your goals, live on less, boost your super and much more. See how much you could save this month.

How to earn more
By Nicola Field

Education can be the key to earning a lot more- recent studies have shown having a degree could boost your pay packet by up to 31%! This month, Nicola Field takes a look at qualifications, and shows you how to get them and what they can help you earn.

Am I better off
Using a mortgage redraw or an offset account
By Paul Clitheroe

Nowadays, mortgages come in all shapes and sizes- many with redraw facilities that let you take money out of your mortgage if you’ve put in extra. Or, if you’ve got some spare cash, mortgage offset accounts allow borrowers to use cash savings to reduce their home-loan interest. Paul Clitheroe investigates this month to let you know which way of managing your home loan is most suitable for you.

Redundancy
Starting again
By Susan Hely

We’ve been warned more people will lose their jobs this year, and we all hope we’re not next. But what do you do if the worst happens? Susan Hely lets you know what to expect, how to prepare and how to start again with Money’s essential guide to redundancy.

Retirement
Getting the right balance
By Peter Freeman
In retirement, there are smart ways to ensure you have enough to live on, and there are dumb ways. While not saving at all is clearly pretty dumb, some of those who save obsessively, in most cases by making painfully large superannuation contributions year after year, are equally misguided. This month, Peter Freeman shows how a retirement plan based on a combination of personal savings in super and a part age pension will help give you the right balance.

Property
Bricks & mortar
ByPam Walkley
As house prices and interest rates fall and rentals rise in many areas, astute investors are looking at getting into “bricks and mortar”. Now might be a really good time to use your home’s value to get into property investment and buy a second home. Pam Walkley shows you how this month.

Smart lending
Family loans
By Maria Bekiaris
Lending money to your family can be tricky. Do you make a contract? Do you charge interest? What do you do if they don’t pay you back? This month, Maria Bekiaris goes through the complicated implications of lending money to your family and let’s you know what to consider before you put your hand in your pocket

Highlights and giveaways

• Collect your second coupon for the chance to win $26,688 in Money’s Happy New Year competition!
• Our Letter of the month winner gets a 12-month subscription valued at $55 Book of the month: Teach Yourself About Shares - we’re giving away five copies to our readers
• All Money readers can get $600 free brokerage courtesy of online broker Commsec