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!
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Facebook Gets Freaky
Mark Zuckerberg wants to get to know your kids. Specifically, he wants to get to know your primary-school-aged children (after all, he already knows more about your teenager than you do).
My Husband Ran Off with a Younger Woman
Dear Scott, Well, I never thought I would be writing this but … a month ago my husband of 21 years fessed up to wanting to run off with a girl 25 years younger who he met only a week before. Ouch!
Daddy’s Girl
Dear Barefoot, My father monitors my money from afar and, as a 25-year-old woman, I feel I am being treated like a child. He thinks my partner and I are financially illiterate, and disagrees with us having joint bank accounts (he and Mum keep their money separate).
Too Old to Die Young
Scott, Subconsciously I always thought I would die young, as my parents and older sister did. So I have tended to ‘live for the moment’.
Help! My Wife’s a Ball-Breaker
Hey Scott, My wife and I are currently following your teachings. However, we have come unstuck on overtime payments and additional income.
The Barefoot Movie
Hi there, I am successfully following your instructions on splitting my income -- 10% to ‘Splurge’, 10% to ‘Smile’, 20% to ‘Fire Extinguisher’ and $3,000 in ‘Mojo’. I see in the book it says that Mojo will grow, but I cannot find any instructions on how to add to it.
Spill the Beans
Hi Scott, I am a 32-year-old tax accountant earning $100,000 a year -- and I am facing a dilemma. I could (for $300,000) buy in as a partner in the accounting firm where I currently work, replacing a partner who is soon to retire.
Jimmy Barnes and I go head to head
“Last year industry outsiders Jimmy Barnes and Scott Pape taught the book industry how to sell books”, wrote the Bookseller + Publisher recently. Yee-haw!
Uber’s Dirty Little Secret
If you’ve got an Uber account, you really need to read this. You may have heard that last week Uber fessed up to the fact it had been hacked in October last year -- with the names and contact details of 57 million of its user and driver accounts being stolen.
My Mother-in-Law is a Sponge
Scott, My soon-to-be mother-in-law is bad with money. She has over $100,000 in credit card debt, as well as a couple of 60-month interest-free loans that were never paid and are now charging 29.
The Acorns App
Hi Scott I wanted to get your thoughts on the Acorns app and whether using this would be just as good as, if not better than, using a ‘Smile’ saver account for Mojo. I want to see my money grow quickly but am unsure whether using Acorns is relatively risk-free and worth it?
You’re Wrong, Barefoot
Hi Scott, I have been taking you out for Date Nights (well, your book) and I am up to Date Night Number Two, which is getting my super sorted. There’s a problem, though.
ScoMo’s $250 million air kiss
Right now Parliament House reminds me of a seedy share house I lived in when I was at uni: no one could quite work out who lived there, or where they came from, and everyone was busy screwing each other. Poor old Malcolm.
The Scary Stepmother
Dear Scott, I need help to do a ‘full life’ money plan for my 21-year-old stepson -- and I am getting migraines! Here is how I picture it: he puts 12.
You’re Wrong, Barefoot
Hi ScottI love your Q&A column, but it’s very shortsighted of you to say “no-one ever regrets the kids they have”. I know many women who had children because they felt they HAD to.
Banker Bait
Dear Scott, My 18-year-old daughter lives at home, pays no board, works full time, and is saving for her first property. She also wants to buy a new car ($20,000) so she can get a credit rating, which will make it easier to get a home loan.
Should I Buy an F45 Fitness Franchise?
Hi Scott, I’m a 26-year-old woman working full time in a job I hate. Quite frankly, I am sick of working for the man!
If you’ve got an ING card, read this
The other day, ING sent me a mass-marketing email with the subject line: “Scott, refer a friend and you can both get $100.” Now, given that my book recommends setting up a couple of ING accounts ...
Can I Trust My Parents-in-Law?
Hi Barefoot, My parents-in-law (both in their 60s and retired) have put a proposition to my boyfriend, and I am very uncomfortable about it. He is in serious debt, with credit cards and personal loans.
Ripping Off a Pensioner?
Hi Scott, My mother received around $300,000 as an inheritance. Being financially illiterate (after a lifetime of illness and living on disability pension), she went to a NAB financial planner, who put her money into a superannuation account with MLC.