The administrators handling the collapse of Booktopia have announced that orders placed with Australias largest online bookseller will not be filled and there may be no refunds either. It means out of pocket customers who placed orders prior to the company entering voluntary administration have now become, in effect, unsecured creditors which voids store credits…
A recent court case has demonstrated to trustees the withdrawal and transfer of superannuation benefits prior to declaring bankruptcy will not protect those assets from creditors claims even if they remain within the retirement savings system, according to an SMSF technical specialist. Heffron head of education and content Lyn Formica noted this outcome had occurred…
Key Points Bankruptcy lasts for three years but the consequences can last much longer. Bankruptcy wont release you from all your debts. Always seek the advice of a financial counsellor. Bankruptcy is a legal process that helps you regain financial control by releasing you from most of your debts. It allows you to start fresh.…
The family has raised questions after a father of three went overboard from a cruise ship after losing $9,000 over two nights on the P&O Pacific Adventure. Shane Dixon, 50, first lost $5,000, then borrowed money off his mother and lost another $4,000. Dixons family maintained he was lured by high-roller incentives into losing the…
A 16-year-old Melbourne boy was able to gamble nearly $100,000, including at suburban pubs, despite his mother desperately seeking help, a court has heard. The Melbourne magistrates court heard that when his mother discovered his gambling habits, she began a frantic mission to get him help, only to be repeatedly turned away. In April last…
Last week I scored a trifecta, managing to upset people in three ways. First, for my supposed anti-immigration stance, second, for hating on Elon Musk (the bromance is still strong with some readers, even though his car company is as bad as the rest in terms of spying on drivers) and, finally, from animal lovers…
Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This year, if there is no policy change, student debt balances will be increased by 4.7%. After sustained community pressure to change the way debts are indexed, the…
In short: Student debts will be lowered for more than three million Australians under reforms designed to stop HECS loans growing faster than wages. Loan indexation will now match whichever is lower out of the Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index which the government says will prevent another shock increase like last year’s 7.1 per cent…
Most personal finance experts tell you not to buy anything you dont need when youre paying off debt. And thats where I think we get it wrong. Who wants to give up all the fun of spending and have nothing to look forward to? Not me. When I was knocking out my debt, I considered…
It has been 33 years since the “recession we had to have” in 1991. Fears that Australia would enter a technical recession during 2023 didnt eventuate. At the time of writing, our economy continues to still be resilient (relying on massive population growth through migration) despite ongoing decreasing consumer sentiment but another year of slow…