Susan has been a finance journalist for more than 30 years, beginning at the Australian Financial Review before moving to the Sydney Morning Herald. She edited a superannuation magazine, Superfunds, for the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, and writes regularly on superannuation and managed funds. She's also author of the best-selling book Women and Money. Connect with Susan Hely on LinkedIn.
When financial counsellors are better than planners
Financial planners typically only want to see you if you have lots of money. So where do you turn when you're struggling just to keep the lights on?
How a five-year plan made my early retirement dream a reality
"I decided what I really wanted my life to look like in five years. I wanted to own a house and a car and to have won awards for my craftwork," says Joanna Jones.
Why a lounge was holding us back
Alisha and Leo wanted to become a nomadic family with their baby Dom, but initially didn't want to part with their expensive couch.
‘My main focus is financial independence’, says FI Explorer Jason
Jason has been on the retire-early journey for 20 years and is on the verge of deciding whether to leave his well-paid corporate job.
Being a single mum isn’t stopping Serina’s path to early retirement
Serina Bird is a single mother with two young boys who likes to take on budgeting challenges such as keeping her grocery bill down to $50 a week.
‘You can’t put a price on freedom’ says FIRE blogger Pat Seyrak
Thirty-year-old Pat Seyrak has an ambitious goal: to retire at the age of 35.
What to expect: how to budget for the cost of having a baby
When Vanvisa fell pregnant, she and husband Callum didn't expect their newborn daughter to spend two weeks in the special care nursery at a cost of $10,000.
How to avoid being ripped off by a dodgy financial planner
Mick and Beth Spence lived a frugal life as self-funded retirees. But their savings were also funding the extravagant lifestyle of their financial planner.
‘We preferenced interests of shareholders at the expense of clients’: AMP
Not only were customers misled, overcharged and paid millions of dollars for services they never received but AMP made at least 20 false statements to ASIC.
Downsizing to top up super could leave you worse off
For the 80% of retirees who fund retirement with a super and the age pension, it is important to assess the impact of downsizing on their pension eligibility, as the extra money will be counted in the assets and income test.
