How to make money at the federal election

How to make money from the federal election, Aussie investors keep their cool through market turbulence, and time is running out to use Catch gift cards. Here are five things you may have missed this week.

How to make money from the federal election

In case you missed it, a federal election is just around the corner.

Polling day is officially May 3 - a chance to grab a democracy snag and have a say in who runs the country for the next three years.

If you're out of town, working or otherwise unable to vote on polling day, early voting opens on April 22.

If you are on the electoral roll and you skip voting altogether, expect a $20 fine.

It's not much. But there are better ways to spend 20 bucks, right?

Or, you could make money from the election.

Up to 100,000 temporary jobs are available with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which is looking for workers across regional and rural Australia to count votes, help at polling booths and fill administrative roles.

No prior experience is necessary, and training is paid.

Pay rates range from $30.14 to $36.64 per hour. Overtime can include a 50% or 100% loading.

Head to the AEC website to register your interest.

Smart investors play it cool as markets heat up

We've seen plenty of action on sharemarkets lately as investors globally have responded to on/off tariff announcements coming out of the US.

But research by HSBC shows over half (51%) of Australian investors are still investing consistently and regularly using dollar-cost averaging despite market volatility.

Donahue D'Souza, head of investments at HSBC Australia, says this is a positive result given the current economic climate.

He believes it shows investors are taking a holistic view and being less reactive to market moves.

D'Souza adds, "What we're seeing from the research is that investors are leaning into the golden rules of investing, one of which is to not try and time the market and to make regular contributions over time."

According to D'Souza, "The number of investors looking to diversify their portfolios has increased significantly since last year, demonstrating even further how Australians are taking a smart and considered approach to investing, a strategy that can help them weather market fluctuations."

Redeem a Catch gift card before April 30

A reminder that discount online site - Catch, is closing down, and if you have a Catch gift card you have until April 30 to use it or lose it.

Finder says Australia is a gift card graveyard, with Aussies sitting on $1.25 billion in unused gift cards.

The average Australian has $181 in gift vouchers languishing in drawers and wallets, and some will expire before they can be used.

Finder's Taylor Blackburn doesn't mince his words about taking action on unused gift cards.

"Not using gift cards is like flushing money down the dunny," says Blackburn. "Currently a third of us have put the cash in the bowl and are reaching for the handle."

A staggering 21% of Australians have wasted money on gift cards they did not use.

Farewell Taco Bell

The final bell may be tolling for Taco Bell - the Mexican-inspired fast food chain owned by listed company Collins Foods, which also owns a swag of KFC outlets.

Collins Foods says it will either sell the Taco Bell stores or explore 'alternate' options.

Taco Bell has a chequered history in the local market.

It first launched in Australia in the 1980s, and then again in the 90s.

The third attempt to crack the Aussie market came as recently as 2017.

But the rise of Tex Mex chain Gusman Y Gomez (also owned by a listed company) as well as the home-grown Zambrero brand hasn't helped Taco Bell hit the right notes with taco-loving Aussie consumers.

Small businesses step up the battle against Easter scams

A new survey commissioned by CommBank shows the vast majority of small to medium enterprises are either taking action to protect their business from scams or are planning to do so.

More than one-third (36%) reported having experienced a scam at least once since starting their business.

CommBank's Rebecca Warren says there is often a spike in scam events during busy holiday periods, calling for extra caution during the upcoming Easter break.

"We know running a small business involves wearing many hats, and it often means you're incredibly busy with not much time to spare," says Warren.

"As a result, business owners may be less likely to spot some of the red flags, which can make them vulnerable to scams."

The primary scam that impacts businesses of all sizes is the business email compromise scam.

This involves scammers gaining unauthorised access to an email account for the purpose of intercepting and redirecting payment requests.

"Awareness, combined with robust processes and technology, will significantly reduce risk for hard-working Aussie small business owners," says Warren.

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