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How to get started investing later in life

For some people – particularly women – investing may not have been an option until now, constrained by a lack of income while raising children or low incomes leaving nothing to invest once the bills were paid. Others find a new-found need to invest later in life, such as after a separation, inability to work through illness or injury, or the sudden death of their partner. No matter your reason for exploring investing later in life, the following pointers will get you on your way to building financial independence and a comfortable retirement. Update your strategy When was the last time you updated your spending and investment plan (or household budget)? It may have been before the kids left home, your mortgage was paid off, or you began transitioning into part-time retirement. If so, your living costs have changed significantly – work expenses, home energy consumption, groceries etc. Furthermore, your goals, healthcare and lifestyle needs may also have changed. Update your strategy to align with your current goals, values, income and spending habits. Only then will you understand how much you can afford to invest and where to direct those funds. Right-size your superannuation In your later years, super is likely to be front of mind. Ensure this investment works its hardest for you by scrutinising its: • Structure: retail or industry fund? SMSF? Each has its own costs and benefits to contemplate. • Investments: reexamine the types of assets held, level of diversification and risk weighting. • Insurances: do you have adequate life, permanent disability and income protection cover? • Take advantage of superannuation strategies you may not be aware of Unlock home equity The biggest source of money you likely have at this stage of life is equity in your home. This can be used to invest with minimal impact on your everyday finances. In fact, unused equity is effectively dead money (until you sell the property). I always urge caution on reverse mortgages. In theory, they seem like a great way of unlocking equity without saddling you with regular repayments. However, they typically: • accumulate more debt. • have higher interest rates than standard mortgages. • only grant access to a portion of your equity. • can restrict your options to downsize later. • could leave you with no remaining equity when you sell the property or nothing to leave to your benefactors when you pass away. Consider downsizing An alternative to refinancing is downsizing from the family home. As well as unlocking money for investing, you benefit from lower upkeep costs (and cleaning!) on a smaller property and can make a lifestyle change at the same time (moving nearer to family, away from bustling cities, or into supported care if required). Additionally, you may be able to use part of the sale proceeds (up to $300,000) to turbocharge your super with a one-off <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/growing-and-keeping-track-of-your-super/how-to-save-more-in-your-super/downsizer-super-contributions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">downsizer contribution</a>. Examine pension impacts Investing can impact your ability to claim the age pension when you retire, and how much you receive. This often comes to bite people who unlock equity in their home to invest, without realising that doing so means the money suddenly counts towards the pension means test. Before doing anything, methodically weigh up which will leave you financially better off – claiming a full or part pension, or self-funding your retirement through investments. Minimise tax Hefty tax bills can easily wipe out any investment returns, making tax a crucial factor in your decision-making. Potential tax considerations to factor into your strategy include: • Determining the most tax-effective ownership structure (e.g. do you invest in your or partner’s name? Through your super? Through a trust or company? • Incorporating stamp duty into purchase costs. • Ensuring there is enough profit from the sale of an investment to cover Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and income tax liabilities before deciding to sell. • Timing a sale to fall within the optimal financial year (e.g. in a year where your taxable income is lower or when relevant tax changes come into effect). Invest in knowledge Later in life, you have fewer working years remaining to recover any losses. Given the far-reaching implications of investing, I highly recommend first speaking to a financial adviser. Many times the fees are paid for in initial tax savings. They can help you maximise your returns, minimise your tax, ensure you don’t inadvertently leave yourself worse off and give you peace of mind. After all, the whole point of investing is to make money. And, without current professional advice, you simply don’t know what you don’t know! Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754.

Retirement Income

RBA cuts interest rate - so what happens now?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> The Reserve Bank of Australia <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2025/mr-25-13.html">cut the official interest rate</a> for the second time this year, as it lowered forecasts for Australian economic growth and pointed to increasing uncertainty in the world economy. The bank lowered the <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/cash-rate-target-overview.html">cash rate target</a> by 0.25%, from 4.1% to 3.85%, saying inflation is expected to remain in the target band. All the big four banks swiftly passed the cut on to households with mortgages. This will save a household with a $500,000 loan about $80 a month. Announcing the cut, the Reserve Bank <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2025/mr-25-13.html">stressed</a> in its accompanying statement it stands ready to reduce rates again if the economic outlook deteriorates sharply. <blockquote> The Board considered a severe downside scenario and noted that monetary policy is well placed to respond decisively to international developments if they were to have material implications for activity and inflation in Australia. </blockquote> <h2>Inflation is back under control</h2> The latest <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/latest-release">Consumer Price Index</a> showed that inflation remained around the middle of the Reserve Bank’s <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/australias-inflation-target.html">medium-term target band of 2-3%</a> in the March quarter. The Reserve Bank was also comforted by the underlying inflation measure called the “trimmed mean”. This measure excludes items with the largest price movements up or down. The bank noted that it has returned to the 2–3% target band for the first time since 2021. This suggests inflation is not just temporarily low due to temporary factors such as the electricity price rebates. <iframe id="QQ6io" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QQ6io/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> In February, Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/commrep/28670/toc_pdf/Economics%20Committee_2025_02_21_Official.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf">conceded</a> the bank had arguably been “late raising interest rates on the way up”. It did not want to be late on the way down. Perhaps Bullock is being unduly modest. The central bank looks to have judged well the extent of monetary tightening. It did not raise interest rates as much as its peers, but still got inflation back to the target. <iframe id="ZIcUE" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ZIcUE/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <h2>Unemployment remains low</h2> Last week, we got an <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release">update</a> on the strength of the labour market. Unemployment stayed at 4.1%. It has now been around 4% since late 2023, a remarkable achievement. This is below the 4.5% the Reserve Bank had <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/sp-ag-2019-06-12-2.html">regarded</a> as the level consistent with steady inflation (in economic jargon, the <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/nairu.html">NAIRU</a>). But neither prices nor <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/wage-price-index-australia/latest-release">wages</a> have accelerated. <iframe id="WYjUU" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/WYjUU/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <h2>Households and businesses may turn cautious</h2> In its updated <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2025/may/pdf/statement-on-monetary-policy-2025-05.pdf">forecasts</a>, the bank sees headline inflation dropping to 2.1% by mid-year but going back to 3.0% by the end of the year, as the electricity subsidies are removed. By mid-2027, it will be back near the middle of the 2-3% target. Underlying inflation is forecast to stay around the middle of the target band throughout. The Reserve Bank cut its forecast for gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.1% by December, down from its previous forecast of 2.4% made in February. It said: <blockquote> Economic policy uncertainty has increased sharply alongside recent global developments, and this is expected to prompt some households to increase their precautionary savings and some businesses to postpone some investment decisions. </blockquote> The unemployment rate is expected to increase to 4.3% by the end of the year and remain there through 2026. Cost of living pressures look set to ease, as real household disposable income grows faster than population. As the Reserve Bank governor told a media conference on Tuesday: <blockquote> There’s now a new set of challenges facing the economy, but with inflation declining and the unemployment rate relatively low, we’re well positioned to deal with them. The board remains prepared to take further action if that is required. </blockquote> <h2>Economic and policy ‘unpredictability’</h2> The main uncertainty in the global economy is how the trade war instigated by US President Donald Trump will play out. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/05/14/trump-tariffs-china-trade/">According to one count</a>, he has announced new or revised tariff policies about 50 times. “The outlook for the global economy has deteriorated since the February statement. This is due to the adverse impact on global growth from higher tariffs and widespread economic and policy unpredictability,” the bank noted. The US tariff pauses on the highest rates on China and most other nations are due to be in place for 90 days. But more measures may be announced before then. This uncertainty is likely to be stifling trade, and even more so investment decisions by companies in the face of rapidly changing policies. And it will weaken the global economy. In her <a href="https://rba.livecrowdevents.tv/MediaConferenceMonetaryPolicyDecision20May2025/stream">press conference</a>, Bullock said the board’s judgement was that “global trade developments will overall be disinflationary for Australia”. Not only is the global outlook weaker, but some goods no longer being sold to the US could be diverted to Australia. <h2>Where will interest rates go from here?</h2> The Reserve Bank’s updated <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2025/may/pdf/statement-on-monetary-policy-2025-05.pdf">forecasts</a> assume interest rates will fall further, to 3.4% by the end of the year. But this is just a reflection of what <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/cash-rate/assumptions/index.html">financial markets are implying</a>. It is not necessarily what the bank itself expects to do. It is certainty not a promise of what they will do. But the Reserve Bank still regards its stance as “restrictive”, or weighing on growth. So if it continues to believe inflation will stay within the target band, or the global outlook deteriorates, it will cut rates further.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256798/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-hawkins-746285">John Hawkins</a>, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/rba-cuts-interest-rates-ready-to-respond-again-if-the-economy-weakens-further-256798">original article</a>. Image: Sky News </div>

Money & Banking

Millions of Aussies set to receive cost-of-living pay bump

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown his government’s support behind a “fair” pay rise for Australia's lowest-paid workers, setting the stage for a potential showdown with employer groups ahead of the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review. In a submission to the Commission, the federal government recommended a real wage increase – meaning one above the rate of inflation – for around three million Australians earning either the minimum wage or under an industry award. The push is part of Labor’s broader strategy to ease cost-of-living pressures and boost household incomes. “This will help around three million workers across the country, including cleaners, retail workers and early childhood educators,” said Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth in a joint statement. “Boosting wages, cutting taxes for every taxpayer and creating more jobs are central parts of our efforts to help Australians with the cost of living.” While the government did not specify an exact figure, it made clear that any increase should outpace inflation, a stance likely to be met with resistance from employers. Business groups, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are calling for a more modest 2.5% increase, warning that anything higher could hurt struggling businesses, especially with superannuation contributions set to rise from 11.5% to 12% on July 1. Last year, minimum wage earners received a 3.75% pay rise, lifting the national minimum wage to $24.10 per hour, or $915.90 per week. With headline inflation then at 3.6%, workers saw only a marginal real wage increase of 0.15%. However, the economic backdrop has shifted. In the year to March, overall wages grew by 3.4% while the consumer price index rose just 2.4%, indicating a real wage growth of 1% for many Australians. Inflation is now within the Reserve Bank’s target band of 2-3%, which the government says supports its call for a generous, yet “economically responsible” wage hike. “An increase in minimum and award wages is consistent with inflation sustainably remaining within the RBA's target band and will provide further relief to lower income workers who are still doing it tough,” Chalmers and Rishworth added. Since Labor took office in 2022, the minimum wage has surged by historically high margins: 5.2% in 2022 – the largest rise in 16 years – and 5.75% in 2023. In total, the minimum wage has increased by $143 per week under the Albanese government. Despite concerns from employers over weak economic growth and rising business costs, the government remains optimistic about a rebound in domestic demand. Its submission acknowledged global risks, including the potential impact of Donald Trump's trade policies, but forecast stronger growth in 2025 and 2026. Prime Minister Albanese reinforced Labor’s commitment to wage growth during a cabinet meeting this week, saying a further increase to the minimum wage would be one of his top priorities heading into the next federal election. “Labor will always stand for improving people's wages and conditions,” he declared. Still, the looming expiry of the government’s $75 quarterly electricity rebates at the end of 2025 poses a risk of reigniting inflationary pressures – something the Fair Work Commission will weigh carefully as it prepares to announce its decision in June. The outcome of the review will directly affect 180,000 workers on the national minimum wage and an additional 2.7 million on industry awards, making it a critical flashpoint in the battle over how best to balance worker welfare and economic sustainability. Images: Instagram

Money & Banking

Refinancing your home later in life – what you need to know

There are many reasons why you may look to refinance your home. The obvious one is to lower mortgage repayments with a better rate. However, other reasons people refinance later in life include: <ul> <li>unlocking equity to invest</li> <li>paying down other debts</li> <li>buying a holiday home</li> <li>funding extended travel</li> <li>launching a new business</li> <li>supporting children with a property deposit</li> </ul> Regardless of why you want to refinance, the points below will help you navigate your options. Changing lenders It may have been a while since you last revisited your mortgage, meaning you may not be aware of current lending options and traps. A common trick lenders use is the so-called “headline rate” to grab your attention. However, this interest rate is typically not what you end up paying. It may only be an introductory rate for the first few months, or hefty fees attached may wipe out any savings. Banks aren’t the only ones offering loans nowadays. Registered non-bank lenders, fintechs and online lenders can refinance your mortgage and provide other credit services the same as any bank; they just don’t take cash deposits. Alternatively, you could explore credit unions and mutual societies. Also consider any shareholder benefits you may have. Most banks have done away with them now but may still honour pre-existing ones. If you change lenders, you could lose this entitlement – permanently. Reverse mortgages Generally, only available to people aged 60-plus, a reverse mortgage effectively allows you to unlock equity in your home without you needing to make immediate repayments. However, they often have strict conditions including: <ul> <li>minimum borrowing amounts</li> <li>maximum borrowing ratios</li> <li>higher interest rates than standard mortgages</li> </ul> Crucially, the interest accrues over time and is repaid when you sell, move or pass away. As such, your debt liability grows over time – potentially impacting your future living arrangements and how much is left for beneficiaries in your will. The Govt has the “loan equity scheme” as another option to lenders. I just want to highlight the need to be careful with reverse mortgages. Changing homes Rather than selling, downsizing could involve making an investment property your primary residence and then renting out your existing home. This approach may require you to refinance both loans simultaneously. There will also be tax considerations to work through – including Capital Gains Tax liabilities when you do sell, negative gearing, depreciation, and changes to your income tax. Then there are the lifestyle factors to weigh up, especially if you are moving to a different area: <ul> <li>living expenses</li> <li>insurance and travel costs</li> <li>access to healthcare</li> <li>rental income</li> <li>property management expenses</li> </ul> Remember that if you have a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF), it CANNOT own any property that you directly use yourself, including your home. Becoming Bank of Mum and Dad Refinancing can unlock equity to support adult children with their first property deposit. However, it isn’t without its risks. Ask yourself honestly: <ul> <li>Will this be a gift or loan?</li> <li>If a loan, under what terms? Will interest be applied? How and when will repayments be made? What if they default?</li> <li>What happens if their relationship breaks down, will you get your money back?</li> <li>How does going without that money affect your retirement?</li> <li>Do you have alternative assets to support you if your circumstances change?</li> <li>How does this affect inheritances or deposit contributions to your other children?</li> <li>Can you assist them another way without using your home equity?</li> </ul> Draw up a written agreement outlining all conditions and scenarios to avoid disagreements in the future. Pension impacts Don’t overlook how refinancing your home could impact your pension. While your home is exempt from the means test, any income or assets you generate from unlocking equity is not. You could inadvertently see your pension amount reduced or your eligibility voided altogether. This would come as a nasty shock if you haven’t pre-budgeted for such a change! Getting advice To ensure you get the best bang for your buck when refinancing, be sure to enlist the help of a good: <ul> <li>mortgage broker to source the best loans for your circumstances</li> <li>insurance broker to ensure your cover is right sized for your needs, risk and budget</li> <li>accountant to work through any tax implications</li> <li>estate planner to manage any changes</li> <li>financial adviser to keep your investments and financial strategy working for you</li> </ul> Ultimately, decisions – including about refinancing – are only as good the information you have at hand. So, make sure you have all the relevant facts before signing on the dotted line. Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a style="color: #467886;" title="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754.

Money & Banking

Why do I grieve my childhood home so much now we’ve sold it?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> Grief can hit us in powerful and unanticipated ways. You might expect to grieve a person, a pet or even a former version of yourself – but many people are surprised by the depth of sad yearning they can feel after selling the childhood home. In fact, it is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-018-0682-5">normal to grieve a place</a>. And this grief can be especially profound if it coincides with a parent dying or moving into residential aged care, leading to the sale of their house. Grief is the response to the loss of anything to which we have an emotional connection. A <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-018-0682-5">growing body</a> of <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203860731/counting-losses-darcy-harris">research</a> is looking at how grief can extend to “non-person” losses such as infertility, loss of religion and, yes, the loss of a former home. <h2>Why would someone grieve a house?</h2> The childhood home can be an important place for many of us. It literally housed our formative development, family bonds, and core memories. Hopefully, the childhood home is where we learned about safety, security and love. It was likely surrounded by our neighbourhood, and close to important places such as school, playgrounds and friends’ houses. It is no wonder we grieve it when it’s gone. It’s normal to <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315126197-20/grieving-lost-home-marc-fried">grieve things we can’t see and touch</a> but are real and valued. Just as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70031">serious diagnosis might trigger</a> grief for an imagined future for yourself, or an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732314538550">identity</a> you once cherished, loss of a childhood home can hit us harder than we think. When you sell a once-beloved home, you don’t just lose the physical space. You also lose all of what that space might represent, such as birthday celebrations, Christmas lunches, sleepovers with friends or many happy hours playing in the garden. The childhood home often is a symbol of family connection and an anchor in the storm of life. Thinking of the home and all it represents can elicit nostalgia. In fact, the word “nostalgia” <a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/nostalgia-cowbells-meaning-life">derives from the Greek</a> words nostos (return) and algos (pain). The word is rooted in the pain we often feel being away from home. And just as siblings are unique – each with different memories of and connections to their childhood home – their responses to its sale can differ markedly. It is normal if your sister or brother grieves the home in a different way to you – or maybe doesn’t even seem to grieve its loss at all. <h2>A complicated grief</h2> When a childhood home is sold because of the death of parents, the feelings of loss about the home are closely linked. The home being sold can be a type of secondary loss that sits in the periphery to the primary loss of parents. Grieving the deaths might, at first, take precedence over the loss of the home. It might only be later that the loss of the home and all it represents becomes apparent. Because the home provides a connection to the deceased person, the loss of the home might add another layer of grief about your parents. Perhaps you find that whenever you recall memories of mum or dad, they seem always to be at the house. It’s also normal if you feel immense <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-018-0682-5">guilt</a> about grieving the home. People might chastise themselves for worrying about “silly things” and not grieving “enough” about the person who died. <a href="https://www.agingcare.com/questions/how-do-i-deal-with-the-guilt-of-selling-moms-house-481550.htm">Guilt about selling the home</a> can also be common. Not everyone has positive memories of their childhood home. Difficult family dynamics, maltreatment and abuse can complicate the emotional connection to childhood spaces and the grief response to their loss. In such cases, the loss of the childhood home can elicit grief about the loss of the childhood that could have – and should have – been. The loss of a home that was the site of discord can be even more challenging than for people with more idyllic childhood experiences. <h2>How can I cope with this loss?</h2> Grief from the loss of a childhood home is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-018-0682-5">real and valid</a>. We should recognise this and be kind to ourselves and others experiencing it. We shouldn’t minimise the loss or make fun of it. Usually, the loss is anticipated, and this allows you to take photos, furniture or mementos from the home or garden before you leave or sell. Grief researchers call these “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X20300031">transitional</a> <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13576270412331329812">objects</a>”. They may help you maintain a connection to what is lost, while still grieving the place. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-018-0682-5">Social support</a> while grieving is important. Some people share memories and photos of the home with their siblings, or derive comfort from driving by the home. Just be prepared for the possibility it will likely change as the new owners adapt it to their needs. You might feel affronted, but hopefully can eventually accept the property now belongs to someone else. Chat to your doctor if the loss is particularly difficult, and your grief doesn’t change and subside over time. They might be able to recommend a psychologist who specialises in grief. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/251058/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-breen-1142446">Lauren Breen</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-grieve-my-childhood-home-so-much-now-weve-sold-it-and-what-can-i-do-about-it-251058">original article</a>. Image: RDNE Stock project/Pexels </div>

Home & Garden

"It makes my blood boil": Today reporter fires up over athletes' pay

Sports reporter and Today presenter Roz Kelly has fired up over a list revealing the highest paid athletes in 2024 for one major reason. <a href="https://www.sportico.com/feature/highest-paid-athletes-in-the-world-1234765608/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sportico</a> revealed the list on Friday, which features one concerning theme that caught Kelly's attention: not a single female athlete features in the top 100 list. The salary figures for each athlete combine their reported annual salary as well as endorsement deals that are often worth millions. The lucrative list is topped by football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who reportedly pocketed $411 million in 2024. "It makes my blood boil, it makes me so, so angry," Kelly said. "It's just proof of the gender pay gap in sport." "Some of these women are some of the most marketable in the world right now, they are on billboards everywhere." "I know like tennis players and surfers, they have equal prize money. There's still a long way to go in cricket, and soccer... I'm on a rant now." "When it comes to endorsement deals they are severely underpaid compared to their male counterparts." Five of the top 10 paid athletes in 2024 were football players, while basketball, golf, and American football also feature heavily in the top 20. Ben Simmons is the lone Aussie athlete in the top 100 after he earned $65m last year, coming in at 85th on the list. Image credits: Today / Shutterstock <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.333; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">

Money & Banking

Man whose partner lost $1.6 BILLION at a rubbish tip now wants to buy the entire dump

In what can only be described as the most expensive game of "Where’s Wally?" ever attempted, James Howells, 39, is continuing his decade-long battle to recover a hard drive that contains 8,000 bitcoins – now worth a staggering $1.6 billion AUD – from a landfill site in Newport on the southwest coast of Wales. The saga began in 2013 when Howells’ partner, in a move that will forever be known as the most expensive spring cleaning mishap of all time, accidentally tossed out the hard drive. Since then, Howells has been on a mission to reclaim his digital treasure from what is now essentially a very smelly version of Fort Knox. However, Newport City Council has repeatedly refused his requests to excavate the site, citing environmental concerns and, possibly, an extreme reluctance to deal with a man on a personal mission to unearth a high-tech pirate's chest. A recent legal bid to force the council’s hand was swiftly dismissed by the UK High Court, with the judge describing Howells’ plight as "akin to looking for a needle in a haystack" – though in this case, the haystack is 1.4 million tonnes of garbage, and the needle is worth more than most small countries’ GDP. But Howells refuses to be deterred. His latest plan? If he can’t dig through the dump, he’ll just buy it. Yes, the father-of-three is now looking to purchase the landfill site outright, a bold strategy that has left both financial analysts and waste management professionals scratching their heads. “I have discussed this option recently with investment partners, and it is very much on the table,” he told the BBC. This development adds a fascinating twist to the drama, as parts of the landfill are slated to be turned into a solar farm in the coming years. In what might be the most ironic plot twist in financial history, the very place where Howells’ fortune lies buried could soon be used to power the homes of Newport – while he continues to live in metaphorical darkness. “If they had just worked with me, Newport could have looked like Las Vegas or Dubai,” Howells lamented, apparently envisioning a city built on the back of Bitcoin-funded extravagance rather than well-placed street lamps and reliable waste collection. Despite his enthusiasm, Newport City Council remains unswayed. “Excavation is not possible under our environmental permit,” a council spokesman reiterated, likely while rolling his eyes for the hundredth time. “Mr Howells’s claim has no merit, and the council is vigorously resisting it.” Undeterred, Howells insists he has a team of AI experts ready to streamline the search, making the job “as easy as possible”. As things stand, it appears that for now, Newport’s garbage will remain just that – garbage. But if one thing is certain, it’s that Howells is not giving up anytime soon. Whether his future includes billions in Bitcoin riches or simply a very expensive pile of rubbish remains to be seen. Image: Supplied

Money & Banking

Should you use your retirement savings to pay off debt? Three things to keep in mind

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577">Bomikazi Zeka</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jasmine-kinsman-1438670">Jasmine Kinsman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nelson-mandela-university-1946">Nelson Mandela University</a> A host of countries have taken steps to reform the terms under which people can access their retirement benefits. South Africa is the most recent. In 2024 it <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-changed-its-retirement-rules-to-help-boost-country-savings-how-it-will-work-233287">introduced changes</a> that allow access to some retirement savings while ensuring that most of the money is still preserved for later. Other countries that have changed the rules to allow members to dip into their savings before retirement include Australia, Chile, India and Portugal. Changes were introduced to ease the financial strain caused by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. People across the world are grappling with debt and the cost of living. <a href="https://www.treasury.gov.za/comm_media/press/2024/2024%20Two-pot%20System%20Updated%20%20FAQ%20August%202024.pdf">Policymakers</a> have considered this an avenue that offers financially distressed fund members the flexibility to access their retirement funds while still supporting long-term retirement savings. Retirement funds are also often the only sizeable savings that fund members have. A recent report by South Africa’s <a href="https://www.discovery.co.za/portal/business/top-reasons-for-two-pot-withdrawal-requests">Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits</a>, which represents 3,000 employers that provide pension and provident funds for just over one million employees, found that people aged between 35 and 45 made the most claims to access the savings component of their retirement. When asked what they used the funds for, 24% of members said their withdrawals were for financing home or car expenses. Another 21% of members were using their funds to pay off short-term debt. The majority of members who withdrew their retirement savings were low-income earners (earning up to R125,000 or US$7,000 a year). On the other hand, withdrawals were lowest among high-income earners (earning more than R1 million or US$56,000 a year). This data provides evidence that most low- to middle-income South African consumers are grappling with the trade-off between preserving their capital for retirement and meeting their monthly financial obligations. Given that everyone’s financial situation, goals and needs are different, it’s always best to speak to a financial advisor to assess whether using your retirement savings to pay off debt will be a sound move. But, as academics who have focused on financial planning, we offer three pointers to consider: <ul> <li> understand what you owe, to whom, and what it’s costing you </li> <li> plan beyond paying off debt </li> <li> weigh the pros and cons carefully. </li> </ul> <h2>Know which debt to settle first</h2> Debt with a high interest rate often takes longer to repay, because at the start of the loan repayment period, most of the repayments are going towards interest payments – not reducing the capital amount. If you use your retirement proceeds towards this, it could shorten the period that it would take to settle the loan and reduce the interest repayments, which are compounded according to the outstanding loan balance. Short-term loans, such as those with a repayment term of up to 18 months, tend to have higher interest rates. Unsecured debt, which is debt that is not tied to an asset, also attracts high interest rates because they have little to no collateral requirements. Collateral provides the lender with a guarantee of compensation in the event of default. When there is no collateral, the cost of debt becomes more expensive. Using your retirement proceeds towards settling these short-term loans can free up cash that can be used towards settling other debt and will improve your credit score. <h2>Understanding borrowing behaviour</h2> Using your retirement savings to settle debt should be a priority if you have a plan in place to ensure that your overall financial position will improve. Once the debt is cleared, consider how you can use your free cash in your favour. This could mean boosting your savings or acquiring assets and investments. But if retirement savings are being used to pay off debt while you accumulate more debt, this indicates on ongoing cycle of debt. For example, paying off the minimum amount due on a loan but also consuming the balance that becomes available on the same loan is a sign of poor borrowing behaviour. A more extreme example is taking on more debt to service existing debt. Without a change in borrowing behaviour, using your retirement savings to pay off debt will leave you worse off. You will have missed out on the opportunity to grow your retirement savings and you will have got into more debt. <h2>Debt repayments vs retirement returns</h2> When considering withdrawing from your retirement savings to pay down debt, it’s also important remember this will be at the expense of building your retirement nest egg. For instance, if a 35-year-old were to draw down R30,000 from their retirement fund, that same amount could have grown their retirement capital by over R200,000 by the time they reached 55 years old (assuming an investment return of 10%). Withdrawing your retirement savings on a frequent basis could also mean you may need to work longer and past your intended retirement age to compensate for the withdrawals. Or you may need to find ways to supplement your retirement savings through other investments, or consider reducing your standard of living at retirement. <h2>Is this a sound move?</h2> Remember, withdrawal from retirement savings is subject to tax. While retirement may seem far off when there are more pressing financial needs, using your savings to pay down debt has its advantages and drawbacks. Since withdrawals are being used to pay for expenses and service debt, it’s also important to reflect on borrowing behaviours that may need to be corrected. Otherwise, using retirement savings could become a financial crutch that could make your retirement income less secure. Settling debt using your retirement savings should be done after careful consideration and planning. If in doubt, speak to a financial advisor.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244837/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577">Bomikazi Zeka</a>, Associate Professor in Finance and Financial Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jasmine-kinsman-1438670">Jasmine Kinsman</a>, Senior Lecturer in Financial Planning and Certified Financial Planner, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nelson-mandela-university-1946">Nelson Mandela University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-you-use-your-retirement-savings-to-pay-off-debt-three-things-to-keep-in-mind-244837">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Readers response: What does ‘self-care’ look like for you now compared to earlier years?

We asked our readers what self-care looks like for them during their retirement years. Here's what you said. Anne Henderson - More time and focus on my strength and fitness, and all of those things that will help with independence in old age. More saying no to society’s expectations … (including whether my 70 year old face and my clothing are acceptable to others)…. my routine has become simpler for this reason, not more complicated. Self care in older age to me is liberation from the shackles of all of the above. Marie Jones - Definitely focusing on strength and balance hence exercise class and walking. Happy with my grey hair but always moisturising and have toned down make-up. I wear what's comfortable for me. Dawn Dominick - Endless moisturising of my entire body not just my face any more. Margie Buckingham - Love having long baths to relax in. Going to the podiatrist every month. Moisturising twice daily. Not wearing makeup unless it’s a special occasion. Wearing comfortable clothes. Considering stopping the every 5 week hair colouring. <div dir="auto" style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; caret-color: #080809; color: #080809; font-size: 15px;">Image credits: Shutterstock </div>

Beauty & Style

Australian Open loser learns of "insane" pay day

A lucky Australian Open loser has learned of her massive pay day on camera after being knocked out of the competition in Melbourne. Eva Lys, a 23-year-old tennis champion from Germany, had never been beyond the second round of a grand slam but made the most of her last-minute opportunity to join the main draw in Melbourne to secure three wins worth 240 ranking points. As well as her win, the young player secured a cash prize of $420,000. Lys enjoyed the “humbling” experience on Rod Laver Arena making it to Round 16, and was told by a member of the media of her big pay day. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFD8WxNzHTW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFD8WxNzHTW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lachlan Wills (@lachlanwills1)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I loved that one of the members of the media here said to her, off air, it's $420,000 and she had no idea," Grand Slam Daily host Chris Stubbs said on Stan Sport. "She hadn't even looked at the prize money. And her reaction!" Lys ended up being knocked out by Poland's Iga Swiatek, as Mark Petchey said on Grand Slam Daily, "You walk out there if you're Eva Lys and you're wondering what's going to happen. She's had a great tournament, but Iga's looking supreme, she's looking dominant." "And that's what the best players do. Yes, they compete, great, but they also dominate." Image credits: 7News

Money & Banking

Research suggests those who use buy-now-pay-later services end up spending more

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067">Ashish Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Once, borrowing money to make a purchase was a relatively tedious process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing. True, some stores offered lay-by plans that would let you pay for goods in instalments. But if they didn’t, and you didn’t already have a credit card, you’d have to go to a bank and apply for one. That would mean providing a range of supporting documents, negotiating an appropriate credit limit, and waiting for approval. It’s unlikely you’d apply for credit just for a single, small purchase. In recent years, though, the financial technology or “fintech” revolution in the customer credit market has changed all that, with the meteoric rise of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services. BNPL credit allows consumers to split their purchases into smaller, interest-free instalments. It is often directly integrated into online checkouts with fast approval, making it easy to purchase something instantly and spread the cost over coming months. There are some obvious risks. Many BNPL providers charge less visible fees, such as late payment fees and account maintenance fees. In many countries, the BNPL sector is also less regulated than traditional credit. But does it also change our spending habits? Our recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">research</a> uncovered a concerning insight: consumers who use BNPL services end up spending more money online than those who don’t. This effect is particularly strong among younger shoppers and those with lower incomes. <h2>Our research</h2> We <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">analysed</a> data from an online retailer in the Nordic region that offered customers three payment options for online purchases: card, pay on delivery and BNPL. We found that consumers who used BNPL spent an average of 6.42% more than those who didn’t. This increase was particularly noticeable for low-ticket items, suggesting that BNPL may encourage customers to buy more when shopping for smaller, everyday things. Why might this be the case? For one, BPNL spending is constrained by the size of the loans on offer. In the US, the average BNPL loan amount is <a href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-use-of-buy-now-pay-later_2023-03.pdf">US$135</a> (A$217). It may also be related to what’s known in economics as the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/22/recession-cosmetics-lipstick">lipstick effect</a>”, where customers under financial strain tend to reduce spending on big-ticket items in favour of lower-priced luxuries. Selling such low-ticket items doesn’t always give online retailers the biggest profit margins. But it can play a crucial role in acquiring and retaining customers, and creating opportunities to upsell. Our research also showed that younger, lower-income customers were more likely to spend more when using BNPL services, likely because it provides them with additional “liquidity” – access to cash. <h2>Why might they be spending more?</h2> It’s easy to see why so many consumers like BNPL. Some even think of it as more of a way of payment than a form of credit. The core feature of such services - offering interest-free instalment payments for online purchases - has a significant psychological impact on customers. It leverages the principle that the perceived benefit of spending in the present outweighs the displeasure associated with future payments. This behaviour aligns with theories of “hyperbolic discounting” – our preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger later ones – and the related “<a href="https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/present-bias/">present bias</a>” phenomenon. Our results also suggest customers with high category experience – that is, more familiar with the larger product categories carried by a retailer – and those more sensitive to deals and promotions are likely to spend more when online retailers provide BNPL as a payment option. <h2>A growing influence on spending</h2> The economic impact of BNPL is substantial in the countries that have pioneered its adoption. In Australia, birthplace of Afterpay, Zip, Openpay, and Latitude, it’s <a href="https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFIA_BNPL_Research_Report-1.pdf">estimated</a> that (allowing for flow-on effects) BNPL services contributed A$14.3 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2021 financial year. Industry research firm Juniper Research <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/pressreleasesbuy-now-pay-later-users-to-exceed-670-million-globally/">projects</a> the number of BNPL users will exceed 670 million globally by 2028, an increase of more than 100% on current levels. Substantial projected growth in the sector is attributed to multiple factors. These include increasing e-commerce usage, economic pressures, the flexibility of payment options and widespread adoption by merchants. <h2>Buyer, beware</h2> BNPL services can be a convenient way to pay for online purchases. But it’s important to use them responsibly. That means understanding the potential risks and benefits to make your own informed decisions. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t let the allure of easy payments let you get carried away. Customers should explore beyond the marketing tactics of interest-free split payments and pay close attention to terms and conditions, including any fees and penalties. They should treat BNPL like any other form of credit. Whether you’re a shopper considering using BNPL or a business thinking about offering it, our research highlights that it may have the power to significantly influence spending patterns – for better or worse.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/246686/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067">Ashish Kumar</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-suggests-those-who-use-buy-now-pay-later-services-end-up-spending-more-246686">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Why the royal family is set to receive an eye-watering pay increase

The members of the British royal family are set to receive a record-breaking pay increase, funded by British taxpayers. From April 2025, the amount the royals will receive from the Sovereign Grant - funded by the UK’s public purse – will jump by a whopping £45 million (A$88 million), to £132 million ($260 million). Not everyone is happy about this enormous pay increase, as CEO of Republic Graham Smith said that while the UK remains in the clutches of the cost of living crisis, it is not the time for such a hefty increase to one of the richest families in the world. “This is public money, all of this money comes from the government, at a time when the government is not able to properly fund schools, hospitals police … It is scandalous,” Smith told <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a63330811/british-royal-family-money-finances-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Town & Country</a>. “Not only should it not be going up at all, it should be going down.” The increase was first announced last year, with Buckingham Palace officials saying at the time that a huge chunk of that extra cash will be put towards the £369 million ($728 million) bill for long-planned, necessary Palace renovations. The exact amount that is being allocated from this year’s Grant for the work has not been made public. The Grant was established in 2012 in order to help the royal family pay for expenses related to their official duties, with the vast majority usually spent on property maintenance and staffing. When the Grant first came into effect, there were many more working royals which required a larger pool of funding. Now that the royal roster has been stripped back, royal author Richard Palmer believes the public is now “getting less for their money”. He told Town & Country, “I do think that the monarchy in general does a good job for the country and is part of the glue that binds us all together but that doesn’t mean that as an institution, as individuals, they should be able to avoid criticism. They are not above scrutiny.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Mystery couple pay off dozens of toy laybys ahead of Christmas

An anonymous couple has paid off the layby gifts for almost 100 Melbourne families at Toyworld Pakenham. The mystery secret Santa put the plan into motion almost six months ago, chipping away at layby balances for families at the toy store. The kind act was revealed on Wednesday, with tearful customers thanking the family. “My children are actually going to have a great Christmas, thank you to all these people,” customer and mum-of-two Melissa Roberson told 7NEWS through tears. “It’s going to help us significantly.” Toyworld employee Sandra Evans said: “I don’t know much about the family, all I know is that it’s a husband and wife and they’ve got four young children." “It’s been going for a while, so to hide that from everybody that comes in asking ‘can I put this on layby’, thinking 'you’re going to get this paid off soon’.” The couple were not the only ones who are trying to spread some Christmas cheer, last week a mystery Good Samaritan performed a similar act at Toyworld in Helensvale on the Gold Coast. Customer and mum Brooklyn Manu received a call saying a generous gentleman had walked in the store and told the manager he would pay off every layby item in the store - including the presents she was paying off for her children. “We were very teary-eyed, all of us were,” Toyworld manager Aleka Riggs said. “It’s a feel-good thing you don’t see a lot, it’s beyond kindness — really amazing someone would do that.” All those families have now saved thousands of dollars, and Riggs said: “Just thank you again, I can only imagine there are a lot of families that might be struggling to pay those laybys off." Image: 7NEWS

Money & Banking

Remains of missing couple found 44 years later

US police believe they have located the remains of Charles and Catherine Romer, a couple who went missing more than four decades ago. Human remains were found submerged in a Georgia pond, inside a Lincoln Continental, a vehicle similar to the one that belonged to the New York couple who disappeared in 1980. “The vehicle is similar to the description of a vehicle that Charles and Catherine Romer were believed to be driving when reported missing in April 1980,” police said. A human bone was found in the submerged vehicle that was located in a pond between the Royal Inn Hotel and Interstate 95, police said. The car was found by a sonar team from Florida, and is being drained to determine if there are additional remains. The Glynn County Police department is collaborating with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Retired oil executive Charles Romer, 73, and his wife Catherine, 75, vanished while travelling home from Miami Beach, Florida in 1980. At the time, police expressed concerns about potential foul play as Catherine was wearing about $81,000 worth of jewellery. Image: Facebook

Legal

Booking a summer holiday deal? Beware ‘drip pricing’ and other tactics to make you pay more than you planned

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Have you ever spotted what looked like a great deal on a website, added it to your “basket” and proceeded to checkout – only to find extra fees added on at the last minute? It’s frustratingly common when making airline, hotel and many other kinds of bookings to see an advertised price get ratcheted up at checkout with additional fees – perhaps “shipping insurance”, “resort fees” or just “taxes”. The practice is known as “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/pricing/price-displays">drip pricing</a>” and it can <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WH-Junk-Fees-Guide-for-States.pdf">distort</a> consumer decision-making and affect competition. Nonetheless, there is no specific ban on this conduct in Australia. Some companies have, however, effectively been prosecuted for it under the Australian Consumer Law, which contains some strict rules about misleading consumers through advertising. Many of us have already begun booking flights, hotels and more as we head into the summer holiday season. Here’s what the law says about companies changing prices in the lead-up to checkout, and how you can protect yourself as a consumer. <h2>What’s wrong with drip pricing?</h2> The tactic that underpins drip pricing is to draw a customer in with an attractive “headline” price but then add in other fees as the customer approaches the checkout. It’s reasonable to ask whether there’s anything wrong with this practice: after all, the customer still sees the final price at checkout. Why might that be seen as misleading conduct under Australian Consumer Law? The reasons lie in views about consumer buying behaviour and the nature of the statutory prohibition. Typically, the closer a consumer gets to a sale, the less likely they are to pull out or even fully notice any additional fees. They may then end up paying more than they intended and also have lost the opportunity to deal with other suppliers of the same product at a better price. In the relevant section of Australian Consumer Law, there’s no requirement of an intention to mislead. It’s also not necessarily relevant that the true pricing situation is eventually revealed to the consumer or that it’s in the “fine print”. Thus, in the eyes of the law, it can be enough that consumers were enticed by an attractive headline price. <h2>Price surprises</h2> This legal position is well illustrated by a <a href="https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/2013/54.html">case</a> settled by the High Court in 2013, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took on telecom provider TPG Internet in <a href="https://www.mondaq.com/australia/advertising-marketing-branding/282802/advertising-and-the-acl-fine-print-couldnt-save-tpg-internet-in-the-high-court">2010</a>, alleging misleading conduct. In this case, TPG had been advertising broadband internet services for $29.99 per month. But on reading the fine print, you’d have discovered this deal was only available with a landline service costing an additional $30 per month. The case moved up through Australia’s court system, but ultimately, the High Court majority held that the telco had engaged in misleading conduct. The High Court recognised that the very point of advertising is to draw consumers into “the marketing web”. It is therefore not enough to disclose the true (higher) price only at the point the transaction is concluded. TPG was fined $2 million in this case. Since then, the maximum penalties have increased, now the higher of: <ul> <li>$50 million</li> <li>three times the value obtained from the contravention, or (if the benefit can not be determined)</li> <li>30% of the business’s adjusted turnover during the breach period.</li> </ul> <h2>Dynamic pricing</h2> Other pricing complaints have been in the news recently, including concerns about point-of-sale dynamic pricing. Basically, this means using an algorithm that adjusts ticket prices in response to demand, as consumers wait in a virtual purchasing queue. Recent media reporting has centred on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-14/ticketmaster-live-nation-dynamic-pricing-tickets-class-action/104469646">concerns</a> about the use of point-of-sale dynamic pricing in the events ticketing industry. A form of dynamic pricing is used by hotels and airlines. They increase prices seasonally and according to demand. But these “dynamic” prices are clearly visible to consumers as they start looking for a deal. Some bodies even publish helpful tables of likely prices at different times. The kind of dynamic pricing that happens at the very point consumers are waiting to buy is very different and arguably creates an “unfair surprise”. Whether these kinds of practices also fall within the category of misleading conduct remains to be seen. But it is arguable that consumers could reasonably expect the real-time movement of prices to be disclosed upfront. Earlier this year, the government announced <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-government-promises-to-ban-dodgy-trading-practices-234142">plans</a> to address both drip pricing and dynamic pricing as part of a broader ban on unfair trading practices. <h2>What can consumers do?</h2> While all this law reform and litigation is playing out, here are some things you can do to avoid pricing shock. 1. Slow down. One of the strategies that online markets often rely on is “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/12/accc-suing-coles-woolworths-pricing-strategies-allegations">scarcity signalling</a>” – those clocks or numbers you see counting down as you move through a website. The very purpose of these is to make a consumer rush – which can mean failing to notice those additional fees that may make the buy not a good deal. 2. Take screen shots as you progress. Remember what it is you thought you were getting. Doing this also provides a basis for lodging a complaint if the headline and actual price don’t match up. 3. Check. Take a close look at the final bill before pressing pay. 4. Report. Tell your local Fair Trading Office or the ACCC if the advertised deal and the final price don’t meet up. A recent action taken by the ACCC against <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/23/accc-suing-coles-woolworths-discounts-misleading">Woolworths and Coles</a> alleging “illusory” discounts was launched because of consumer tip-offs.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244825/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, Professor of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/booking-a-summer-holiday-deal-beware-drip-pricing-and-other-tactics-to-make-you-pay-more-than-you-planned-244825">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

A man scouring Google Earth found a mysterious scar in the Australian outback – and now scientists know what caused it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matej-lipar-1372667">Matej Lipar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> Earlier this year, a caver was poring over satellite images of the Nullarbor Plain when he came across something unexpected: an enormous, mysterious scar etched into the barren landscape. The find intrigued scientists, including my colleagues and I. Upon closer investigation, we realised the scar was created by a ferocious tornado that no-one knew had occurred. We outline the findings in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/ES24023">new research</a> published today. Tornadoes are a known threat in the United States and elsewhere. But they also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.03.011">happen in Australia</a>. Without the power of technology, this remarkable example of nature’s ferocity would have gone unnoticed. It’s important to study the tornado’s aftermath to help us predict and prepare for the next big twister. <h2>Australia’s tornado history</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-05381-8">Tornadoes</a> are violent, spinning columns of air that drop from thunderstorms to the ground, bringing wind speeds often exceeding 200 kilometres an hour. They can cause massive destruction – uprooting trees, tearing apart buildings and throwing debris over large distances. Tornadoes have been reported on every continent except Antarctica. They most commonly occur in the Great Plains region of the United States, and in the north-east region of India–Bangladesh. The earliest tornado observed by settlers in Australia occurred in 1795 in the suburbs of Sydney. But a tornado was not confirmed here by Western scientists until the late 1800s. In recent decades, documented instances in Australia include a <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/tornado-murray-river-townships-victoria-2013/#:%7E:text=Tornado%20%2D%20Murray%20River%20townships%2C%202013&text=At%20approximately%208.00pm%20on,border%20of%20New%20South%20Wales.">2013 tornado</a> that crossed north-east Victoria and travelled up to the New South Wales border. It brought winds between 250–300 kilometres an hour and damaged Murray River townships. And in 2016, a severe storm produced <a href="https://theconversation.com/severe-thunderstorms-are-sweeping-through-southern-australia-but-what-makes-a-thunderstorm-severe-241555#:%7E:text=In%202016%2C%20huge%20rotating%20supercell,after%20taking%20down%20six%20towers.">at least seven tornadoes</a> in central and eastern parts of South Australia. It’s important for scientists to accurately predict tornadoes, so we can issue warnings to communities. That’s why the Nullarbor tornado scar was useful to study. <h2>A whirlwind mystery</h2> The Nullarbor Plain is a remote, dry, treeless stretch of land in southern Australia. The man who discovered the scar had been using Google Earth satellite imagery to search the Nullabor for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24267-0_11">caves</a> or other karst features. Karst is a landscape underlain by limestone featuring distinctive landforms. The discovery of the scar came to the attention of my colleagues and I through the collaborative network of researchers and explorers who study the Nullarbor karst. The scar stretches from Western Australia over the border to South Australia. It lies 20 kilometres north of the <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/trans-australian-railway">Trans-Australian Railway</a> and 90 kilometres east-north-east of Forrest, a former railway settlement. We compared satellite imagery of the site over several years to determine that the tornado occurred between November 16 and 18, 2022. Blue circular patterns appeared alongside the scar, indicating pools of water associated with heavy rain. My colleagues and I then travelled to the site in May this year to examine and photograph the scar and the neighbouring landscape. Our results have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/ES24023">published today</a> in the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/633465/original/file-20241121-17-bx4uhg.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="map of Australia's southwest coast with dots showing recorded tornadoes" /><figcaption>Map showing tornado events in Western Australia and South Australia between 1795 and 2014. The location of the tornado scar in the study is shown with a red dot. Source: Severe Thunderstorm Archive/Australian Bureau of Meteorology</figcaption></figure> <h2>What we found</h2> The scar is 11 kilometres long and between 160 and 250 metres wide. It bears striking patterns called “cycloidal marks”, formed by tornado suction vortexes. This suggests the tornado was no ordinary storm but in the strong <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720008829">F2 or F3</a> category, spinning with destructive winds of more than 200 kilometres an hour. The tornado probably lasted between seven and 13 minutes. Features of the scar suggest the whirling wind within the tornado was moving in a clockwise direction. We also think the tornado moved from west to east – which is consistent with the direction of a strong cold front in the region at the time. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622894/original/file-20241002-20-xzi4qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="spiralling masks in dry earth" /><figcaption>‘Cycloidal marks’ in the tornado scar, caused by multiple vortexes. Google Earth satellite imagery</figcaption></figure> Local weather observations also recorded intensive cloud cover and rainfall during that period in November 2022. Unlike tornadoes that hit populated areas, this one did not damage homes or towns. But it left its mark nonetheless, eroding soil and vegetation and reshaping the Earth’s surface. Remarkably, the scar was still clearly visible 18 months after the event, both in satellite images and on the ground. This is probably because vegetation grows slowly in this dry landscape, so hadn’t yet covered the erosion. <h2>Predict and prepare</h2> This fascinating discovery on the Nullarbor Plain shows how powerful and unpredictable nature can be – sometimes without us knowing. Only three tornadoes have previously been documented on the Nullarbor Plain. This is likely because the area is remote with few eye-witnesses, and because the events do not damage properties and infrastructure. Interestingly, those three tornadoes occurred in November, just like this one. Our research provides valuable insights into the tornadoes in this remote and little-studied region. It helps us understand when, and in what conditions, these types of tornadoes occur. It also emphasises the importance of satellite imagery in identifying and analysing weather phenomena in remote locations, and in helping us predict and prepare for the next big event. And finally, the results are a stark reminder that extreme weather can strike anywhere, anytime. <hr /> Hero Image: Author supplied/Google Earth This article has been amended to clarify that a reference to early tornado observations relates only to the period after British colonisation.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239867/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matej-lipar-1372667">Matej Lipar</a>, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-man-scouring-google-earth-found-a-mysterious-scar-in-the-australian-outback-and-now-scientists-know-what-caused-it-239867">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

The government wants to keep cash alive for buying essentials. Here’s why it’s such a challenge for businesses

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steve-worthington-138">Steve Worthington</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Cash usage has <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2023/jun/cash-use-and-attitudes-in-australia.html">fallen off a cliff</a> in Australia, but the federal government says it must have a future. So, it’s going to mandate one. The Australian government will require businesses to accept cash for essentials such as groceries and fuel. Some (yet to be determined) small businesses will be exempt. According to <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/media-releases/ensuring-future-cash-and-next-steps-phasing-out-cheques">Treasury</a>, losing cash as a means of payment would leave too many people behind: <blockquote> Around 1.5 million Australians use cash to make more than 80% of their in‑person payments. Cash also provides an easily accessible back‑up to digital payments in times of natural disaster or digital outage. </blockquote> In its announcement on Monday, Treasury pointed to what had already been achieved with similar schemes in other countries such as Spain and Norway, and a range of US states. It’s an honourable cause. There are, however, some aspects of life in Australia that will present unique challenges for achieving it. <h2>Why does using cash cost so much?</h2> Some merchants in Australia already refuse to accept cash as a means of payment. That means relying entirely on digital payment methods such as bank cards and mobile wallets. It mightn’t be immediately obvious why some businesses don’t like cash. But for many, it’s the most costly payment method to accept. While cash transactions don’t come with a surcharge fee like bank cards, they do carry a wide range of other hidden costs. Businesses typically need to keep a “float” of cash in their tills overnight, so that next day’s early customers can be given change if needed. This float needs to be regularly updated and rebalanced with appropriate currency so the correct change can always be given. Businesses also have to make sure no cash goes missing during their opening hours, count their cash take at the end of each day, make sure it is secure on their premises, and make periodic physical deposits into their bank account. Both maintaining a float and making deposits can involve unpredictable trips to a bank branch or post office throughout the week. <h2>Things are getting harder</h2> For individuals and businesses, getting cash into and out of a bank account is becoming more of a challenge. And if you’re in regional or remote Australia, the nearest location where you can do so may be an hours-long drive away. The most recent <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/authorised-deposit-taking-institutions-points-of-presence-statistics">figures</a> from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) show that across Australia since 2017, the number of ATMs has fallen by about 60% and the number of bank branches by 41%. Many remaining bank branches have reduced their hours, and some have even stopped dealing in cash entirely, especially in rural and regional areas. Moving cash around the country isn’t getting any easier or cheaper. The dominant provider of cash-in-transit services, Armaguard, has been under <a href="https://theconversation.com/future-of-cash-secured-for-now-as-banks-and-retailers-bail-out-armaguard-233087">sustained financial pressure</a> in recent years. Earlier this year, it secured a deal with Australia’s big four banks and some of its other major customers to receive a $50 million bailout. Some countries facing similar situations – <a href="https://www.link.co.uk/helping-you-access-cash/banking-hubs">including the UK</a> – have persuaded their banks to fund the idea of “banking hubs”. Typically under this model, a location is identified in a regional community and banks collectively share the space, with each bank having one day a week in residence so that nobody is excluded from these services. <h2>Could a regional branch levy help?</h2> Also this month, Treasury proposed a <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/banks-face-new-levy-to-keep-rural-branches-open-20241115-p5kqwu">new regional services levy</a>, to support what should be the minimum level of banking services in regional areas. Banks with a relatively large regional presence would be cross subsidised by a proportional levy on banks with relatively fewer services in these areas or none at all. This funding would help banks sustain the number of branches, their opening hours and their ATMs. Under the proposal, banks that fell short of baseline requirements could purchase credits from others that did. The reasoning behind these measures is that like <a href="https://www.transparency.gov.au/publications/communications-and-the-arts/australian-postal-corporation/australia-post-annual-report-2022-23/other-important-information/community-service-obligations">Australia Post</a>, banks should have a formal community service obligation. That is, a baseline of minimum services that must be provided. <h2>Questions still to answer</h2> In its <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/ensuring-future-cash-and-next-steps-phasing-out-cheques">media release</a>, Treasury only gave a big picture view of what they wanted to achieve. There are still many questions that need to be resolved before any of its plans can become legislation. Some concern where and how to target support. If regionally focused, how should regional be defined? Which areas and towns prioritised? How should the banks and other financial services providers be required to help support cash use? Exactly which businesses will be affected – and which exempt – must also be clearly defined, along with any enforcement measures. And there is likely to be robust debate over what exactly constitutes the “essentials” for which merchants will be mandated to accept cash payment.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243919/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steve-worthington-138">Steve Worthington</a>, Adjunct Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-wants-to-keep-cash-alive-for-buying-essentials-heres-why-its-such-a-challenge-for-businesses-243919">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

New research calls for later-in-life driving lessons

New research has shown that older drivers should be coming forward to test and update their driving skills to keep people safer on the road, and keep senior drivers behind the wheel for longer. A new website launched by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and neuroscience institute NeuRA aims to help drivers aged in their 50s and above stay safe when driving, while also helping to update their skills to keep them on the roads for longer. Cognitive aging expert and UNSW professor Kaarin Anstey told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-old-is-too-old-to-drive-in-australia-new-research-shows-ageing-motorists-should-have-driving-lessons/6a470fa9-f0c3-4571-a229-672e689f1e76" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a> later-in-life driving lessons were crucial as our population grows and ages. "We obviously want people to stay on the road as long as it's safe for them to do so. And that's the issue: they have to be safe on the road," Anstey explained. "That's the point of the website, to empower older drivers, family members and health professionals." "We've been working on this issue of older drivers for over 20 years because the second biggest cause of injury in older adults is motor vehicle accidents or crashes (after falls)." Anstey said her research in <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/11/should-age-determine-how-long-drive-car" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Better Drive Study</a> analysed how the driving habits of older motorists changed if they had a refresher course. "A lot of people got their licence in an era where the cars were different, the roads were different, the road rules were different," she said. "We just feel there's a certain amount of improvement that probably all of us, not just the older age group but lots of people, could benefit in refreshing their driving skills." Anstey's pilot study, that followed motorists aged over 65 over 12 months, found older people were more likely to develop bad habits such as not checking blind spots or not keeping up to date with key road rules. She said people who did the driving lessons had a "big improvement" in their safety on the road. Later-in-life lessons could also identify if a person should be looking at giving up their licence, as Anstey added, "Sometimes there's people who we find who are not very safe drivers, or who have an impairment that they may not have been aware of." When asked what they thought of the initiative, some older drivers told 9News, "I think it's a good idea, there are some older people who definitely need a refresher but there are some that are still quite good." "I'd rather not go through those grills but I guess for everyone's safety it's a very good thing," another added. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

"Unimaginable curse": Karl Stefanovic pays tribute to fallen father

Karl Stefanovic has paid tribute to Lachlan Webb, a young Queensland dad who sadly passed away from a rare genetic brain disorder. Webb first started showing symptoms of Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) early last year, a rare degenerative brain disorder where the inability to fall asleep is just one of the many symptoms of the condition which many describe to be a living nightmare. From there the symptoms progress to the inability to walk, loss of sight and speech and eventual total shutdown of the body's ability to keep itself alive among others. The Queensland father had already lost his grandmother, aunties, uncles and his mum Narelle to the disease, with his mum passing away just six months after she was diagnosed. The condition is so rare that only 50 families worldwide are known to carry the gene. Karl Stefanovic first met Webb and his sister Hayley back in 2016, after they both learned that they carried the fatal gene. Despite the diagnosis the siblings were determined to ensure the "curse" ended with them, travelling to the US to participate in a clinical study. The siblings also both underwent IVF with their respective partners to ensure that their children won't carry the gene. "Lachlan was a remarkable man battling an unimaginable curse," Karl said on the Today show. "Everyone at Today is thinking of the Webb family, Hayley, Lachlan's beautiful wife Claire and his little boy Morrison." "Hayley also has that gene, their bravery and resilience was incredible to witness firsthand and it's such an important message - everyday is a gift and our thoughts, our prayers and our love are with you all this morning." Images: Nine

Caring

Humans evolved to share beds – how your sleeping companions may affect you now

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/goffredina-spano-2240566">Goffredina Spanò</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gina-mason-2240569">Gina Mason</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brown-university-1276">Brown University</a> <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(24)00176-9">Recent research</a> on animal sleep behaviour has revealed that sleep is influenced by the animals around them. Olive baboons, for instance, sleep less as group sizes increase, while mice can synchronise their rapid eye movement (REM) cycles. In western society, many people expect to sleep alone, if not with a romantic partner. But as with other group-living animals, human co-sleeping is common, despite some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945710000377">cultural</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721820303053?via%3Dihub">age-related variation</a>. And in many cultures, bedsharing with a relative is considered typical. Apart from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945710000377">western countries</a>, caregiver-infant co-sleeping is common, with rates as high as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079216000265">60-100%</a> in parts of South America, Asia and Africa. Despite its prevalence, infant co-sleeping is controversial. Some western perspectives, that value self-reliance, argue that sleeping alone promotes self-soothing when the baby wakes in the night. But <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221325.2021.1905599">evolutionary scientists argue</a> that co-sleeping has been important to help keep infants warm and safe throughout human existence. <a href="https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(22)00077-8/abstract">Many cultures</a> do not expect babies to self-soothe when they wake in the night and see night wakings as a normal part of breastfeeding <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945713002220?via%3Dihub">and development</a>. Concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) have often led paediatricians to discourage bed-sharing. However, when studies control for <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107799">other Sids risk factors</a> including unsafe sleeping surfaces, Sids risk does not seem to differ statistically between co-sleeping and solitary sleeping infants. This may be one reason why agencies such as the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022?autologincheck=redirected">American Academy of Pediatrics</a>, the <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs37/chapter/Quality-statement-5-Safer-practices-for-bed-sharing">National Institute for Health and Care Excellence</a> and the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/">NHS</a> either <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022">recommend that</a> infants “sleep in the parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed, but on a separate surface,” or, if bedsharing, to make sure that the infant <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs37/chapter/Quality-statement-5-Safer-practices-for-bed-sharing">“sleeps on a firm, flat mattress”</a> without pillows and duvets, rather than discouraging co-sleeping altogether. Researchers don’t yet know whether co-sleeping causes differences in sleep or, whether co-sleeping happens because of these differences. However, experiments in the 1990s suggested that co-sleeping can <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.20736">encourage more sustained and frequent bouts of breastfeeding</a>. Using sensors to measure brain activity, this research also suggested that infants’ and caregivers’ sleep may be lighter during co-sleeping. But researchers speculated that this lighter sleep may actually <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1905599">help protect against Sids</a> by providing infants more opportunities to rouse from sleep and develop better control over their respiratory system. Other advocates believe that co-sleeping <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638319301237">benefits infants’ emotional and mental health</a> by promoting parent-child bonding and aiding infants’ <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/10253890.2012.742057">stress hormone regulation</a>. However, current data is inconclusive, with most studies showing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638319301249?via%3Dihub">mixed findings</a> or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616734.2024.2380427">no differences</a> between co-sleepers and solitary sleepers with respect to short and long-term mental health. <h2>Co-sleeping in childhood</h2> Childhood co-sleeping past infancy is also fairly common according to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945713011076?via%3Dihub">worldwide surveys</a>. A <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/126/5/e1119/65347/Relationship-Between-Bed-Sharing-and-Breastfeeding">2010 survey</a> of over 7,000 UK families found 6% of children were constant bedsharers up to at least four years old. Some families adopt co-sleeping <a href="https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13034-023-00607-w">in response to</a> their child having trouble sleeping. But child-parent bedsharing in many countries, including some western countries <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2005.00358.x">like Sweden</a> where children often co-sleep with parents until school age, is viewed culturally as part of a nurturing environment. It is also common for siblings to share a room or even a bed. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">2021 US study</a> found that over 36% of young children aged three to five years bedshared in some form overnight, whether with caregivers, siblings, pets or some combination. Co-sleeping decreases but is still present among older children, with up to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fare.12955">13.8% of co-sleeping parents</a> in Australia, the UK and other countries reporting that their child was between five and 12 years old when they engaged in co-sleeping. Two recent US studies using wrist-worn actigraphs (motion sensors) to track sleep indicated that kids who bedshare may have <a href="https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.11352">shorter sleep durations</a> than children who sleep alone. But this shorter sleep duration <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">is not explained by</a> greater disruption during sleep. Instead, bedsharing children may lose sleep by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">going to bed later than</a> solitary sleepers. The benefits and downsides of co-sleeping may also differ in children with conditions such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945717303842">autism spectrum disorder</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1">mental health disorders</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dmcn.13300">chronic illnesses</a>. These children may experience heightened anxiety, sensory sensitivities and physical discomfort that make falling and staying asleep difficult. For them, co-sleeping can provide <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11325-018-1710-y">reassurance</a>. <h2>Adults sharing beds</h2> According to <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NSF_Bedroom_Poll_Report_1.pdf">a 2018 survey</a> from the US National Sleep Foundation, 80-89% of adults who live with their significant other share a bed with them. Adult bedsharing has shifted over time from pre-industrial <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/106/2/343/64370?redirectedFrom=fulltext">communal arrangements</a>, including whole families and other household guests, to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jdh/article-abstract/23/3/275/359439?redirectedFrom=fulltext">solo sleeping</a> in response to hygiene concerns as germ theory became accepted. Many couples find that bedsharing boosts their <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1978364/">sense of closeness</a>. Research shows that bedsharing with your partner can lead to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2017/8140672">longer sleep times</a> and a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/17/4/308/2753131">feeling of better sleep</a> overall. Bedsharing couples also often <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00583/full">get into sync</a> with each other’s sleep stages, which can enhance that feeling of intimacy. However, it’s not all rosy. Some studies indicate that females in heterosexual relationships may struggle more with sleep quality when bedsharing, as they can be <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00320.x">more easily disturbed</a> by their male partner’s movements. Also, bedsharers can have less <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27624285/">deep sleep</a> than when sleeping alone, even though they feel like their sleep is better together. Many questions about co-sleeping remain unanswered. For instance, we don’t fully understand the developmental effects of co-sleeping on children, or the benefits of co-sleeping for adults beyond female-male romantic partners. But, some work suggests that co-sleeping can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11325-018-1710-y">comfort us</a>, similar to other <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.14174">forms of social contact</a>, and help to enhance <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.20736">physical synchrony</a> between parents and children. Co-sleeping doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. But remember that western norms aren’t necessarily the ones we have evolved with. So consider factors such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945716301265">sleep disorders</a>, health and age in your decision to co-sleep, rather than what everyone else is doing.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241803/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/goffredina-spano-2240566">Goffredina Spanò</a>, Lecturer in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gina-mason-2240569">Gina Mason</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brown-university-1276">Brown University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-evolved-to-share-beds-how-your-sleeping-companions-may-affect-you-now-241803">original article</a>. </div>

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Humans evolved to share beds – how your sleeping companions may affect you now

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