Articles & Questions
Every week I publish a fun new article on a money topic I think you’ll find interesting. I also answer a handful of reader questions. Subscribers to my newsletter get to see everything first — but you can browse some of my past articles & questions on this page.
My Best Articles
Not sure where to start? Below I’ve handpicked a few of my favourites. And if you like what you see, don’t forget to subscribe to my free newsletter to get new issues before anyone else!
Search Articles
It’s the end of an era for Barefoot
It’s been an emotional week.
On Thursday afternoon I opened up news.com.au and saw my noggin smiling back at me.
The headline read:
“‘Disappointing’: ING scraps wildly popular Savings Maximiser high interest savings account.”
Don’t save to retire
“Don’t Save to Retire”
Thundered the headline as I doomscrolled in bed on Sunday night.
“Trillionaire Elon Musk says AI will overtake human intelligence in five years, one billion robots will be doing your jobs, and money will be meaningless.”
Dating an Orange Narcissist
An old mate of mine turned up to the farm with a baseball cap on.
It wasn’t sunny.
As we shook hands I noticed his head was bandaged.
“What have you done to your head, cobber?” I asked, concerned for his wellbeing.
Bank CEO is OUTRAGED
Another one of your predictions is coming true, with the Government planning on scrapping surcharge fees. I read in the paper today that the NAB CEO said he was horrified after he was slugged with a 10% surcharge for a coffee! Change is coming!
A warning to anyone who taps their card
“Would you like your receipt?” asked the cashier at my local IGA. I shook my head. I always shake my head. After all, most receipts are a waste of paper and ink. And I know that if I do take one, just to be nice, I’ll shove it in my pocket and it’ll invariably end up going through the wash and Liz will yell at me.
Which app is screwing you?
Imagine if the maps app on your phone was ‘dodgy’. Without you knowing it, Google directed you to routes with toll roads … because they got a kickback from the toll road company. Outrageous, right?!
ING Totally Sucks!
Let me count the ways that ING sucks. Their customer service absolutely sucks.
Is My Money Safe?
With another bank failing in the US, it’s starting to feel like 2008/2009 once again. How safe are our banks, and our money in the banks?
How to earn 3% on your savings
There’s a new app called Blossom that just has popped up. It’s still in the testing phase, but my fiancé has been invited to test it out. It’s targeting 3% returns on savings, and you can deposit and withdraw money at any time without any fees.
Following My Dream
I am trying to follow my dream of buying my own home before I turn 30, even though I am on an average wage. But my accountant recently put me in touch with his property advisory team and they are adamant I should buy an investment property (with their help) as a way to pay less tax.
Teenage Terms and Conditions
Recently my 13-year-old son received a letter from the ANZ bank with a new debit card and the promise of a PIN to follow. The problem is, his mum and I knew nothing about it!
ING Makes Life Difficult
Today I received an email from ING (I am sure you did too) saying that in March 2021 there would be an extra criterion to meet to get the best interest rates for the Savings Maximiser — at the end of the month your balance has to be more than what it was at the start of the month.
My eye-watering returns
When I look at my bank balance these days, I have the same reaction as getting a COVID test up the schnozz:
Eye-watering pain.
See, as a lifelong saver, it pains me to see the amount of interest I’m earning on my so-called ‘high interest online savings accounts’
Newsflash: CommBank Sucks
Scott, I have just received an email from the Commonwealth Bank that has left me furious. Without my consent they have reduced my home loan repayments to the minimum amount, to ‘help’ me during COVID-19.
Are the Banks Going to Collapse?
Hi Scott,Do you think any of the banks could collapse? I've heard people saying we should remove our savings.
Help! I'm with 28 Banks
Hello Scott, I am with 28 different banks (including credit unions). Some charge monthly, some are purely online.
Problems with ING
Hi Scott, Last week my husband and I were hit by scammers, who “ported” (transferred) all our business mobiles from Telstra. We contacted Telstra, who assured us that our mobiles could be recovered, and that they would report the matter to their fraud department.
I Am Adrian’s Mum!
Hi Scott, In response to your column last week about the Commonwealth Bank’s school banking program, I am “Adrian’s mum from Year 4” and I’m also the school banking co-ordinator for the primary school. Yes, I am a volunteer.
Tired of earning less than 3% on your money?
I’ve got an old bloke who comes out and services my tractor. Mostly we talk about hydraulics, but the other day he rifled through his overalls and pulled out an ad he’d ripped from a newspaper.
It’s time to knock out Dollarmites
Today I feel like a financial Rocky Balboa. See, I’ve been fighting CommBank’s Dollarmites for 15 long years … and haven’t so much as landed a punch.