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!

What I Really Think of Hostplus’s Index Balanced Fund

About the Barefoot Blueprint

How to Sort Your Insurance

Do I still use the ING Orange Everyday account?

What I Think of AFIC

Search Articles

Guest User 10/14/19 Guest User 10/14/19

My Bank Gave Me $25,000

Hi Scott, I am 24 and started my first full-time job this year, as a graduate teacher. I am travelling soon and my parents recommended I get a credit card for emergencies.

Guest User 10/14/19 Guest User 10/14/19

Big Brother Banking

Scott, I recently read an article about what CommBank can do with people’s personal data, and I am deeply disturbed. I would be willing to pay a bank to manage my money and do absolutely nothing with my data just for the right to privacy, but that isn’t how the world rolls these days.

Guest User 10/14/19 Guest User 10/14/19

Pass Me a Bucket

I glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw that my six-year-old had crossed arms and a cross face. “What’s wrong, cobber?

Guest User 7/1/19 Guest User 7/1/19

You Offended me Last Week

Hi Scott,I just read your Q&A and saw your column on ‘Why NAB employees read my book’.I am a little offended by what you wrote.

Guest User 6/17/19 Guest User 6/17/19

The Best Bank Accounts After the RBA’s Rate Cut

Interest rates are officially at their lowest level, ever. Which means things are grim for savers.

Guest User 6/16/19 Guest User 6/16/19

Dollarmites Out!

Yay! You made it into the Yarraville West Primary School newsletter: “After consideration, school Council has decided that Yarraville West PS will no longer host the CBA Dollarmites banking program.

Guest User 6/16/19 Guest User 6/16/19

You’re a Shocker, Barefoot

Mr Pape, Your ‘shock/horror’ credit card piece in the Sunday Times was one of the most irresponsible financial articles I have read for some time. My wife and I (73 and 78 years old respectively) have been using credit cards for everything since they came into existence.

Guest User 6/10/19 Guest User 6/10/19

The Great Australian Finance Experiment

My five-year-old son is obsessed with maths. The other night he worked out that the maths app game we play each night is charging us a recurring fee.

Guest User 6/3/19 Guest User 6/3/19

Westpac Jackpot!

Dear Scott I just wanted to say thank you! I received a letter from Westpac today to say that in response to my ‘query’ they have cancelled my credit card repayment insurance and refunded $1,100 in premiums paid over the past four years.

Guest User 6/3/19 Guest User 6/3/19

Introducing … Zuckbucks?

Facebook is set to launch its own crypto-currency next year, the BBC reported this week. (The article referred to the new currency as ‘GlobalCoin’ … though I much prefer ‘Zuckbucks’.

Guest User 5/12/19 Guest User 5/12/19

A Pig Gave me a Fridge Magnet!

The other day my son came home and announced he’d received a ‘present’ … from a stranger at the local park. “A pig gave me a fridge magnet!

Guest User 5/10/19 Guest User 5/10/19

St George Bank Swanns Around

Hi Scott, I am having all sorts of problems trying to cancel the credit card insurance that was added to my St George credit card when I first took it out. I was told that, as I was a single mum, I would not get the card without it.

Guest User 4/29/19 Guest User 4/29/19

ING Is Not Ethical

Hi Scott, Love your work. However, I was disappointed to see a news piece in the weekend paper about super funds being less than transparent about their ethics.

Guest User 4/1/19 Guest User 4/1/19

The fine print on Apple’s new credit card

Sir Richard Branson leaned across the table, smiled, and winked at me. “It’s pretty sexy, right?

Guest User 2/11/19 Guest User 2/11/19

What The Royal Commission Means For You

This column was supposed to be a rip-snorter. See, Monday — when the findings of the Hayne Royal Commission were released — was like Grand Final Day for me ...

Guest User 2/4/19 Guest User 2/4/19

My thoughts on The Royal Commission

Sir John Barnard was by all accounts a ripping bloke. He was one of the first officials to fearlessly take on the finance industry, and ask a simple question: “How do we stop these greedy finance bastards from ripping us off?

Guest User 12/9/18 Guest User 12/9/18

The Dollarmite Rebel

Hi Scott, I purchased your latest book, The Barefoot Investor for Families, and gave it to my nine-year-old son, who has taken to it like a duck to water. He is enthusiastically helping with cooking, and has set up his three jam jars.

Guest User 11/18/18 Guest User 11/18/18

Randy Andy

Scott Today I called my bank to negotiate after seeing a special home loan rate advertised on their website. I followed your script and asked for the new rate.

Guest User 10/21/18 Guest User 10/21/18

Is Dollarmites Done For?

Hi Scott, I read in the news this week that ASIC are finally launching a review into school banking -- maybe it has something to do with that book of yours! What is your view on this?

Guest User 10/17/18 Guest User 10/17/18

The Best Travel Money Deal

Hi Scott, I read an article saying that Australians are getting ripped off by $2 billion a year on foreign exchange, mostly by the big banks. I am heading overseas at the end of the year, so what would you suggest I do to get the best deal?