ask paul

Dear Paul, I'm 35 and a fan of your books. I wanted to ask you about the government's recent announcement regarding the increase of the super rate. It has floated the questionable idea that when it raises the super contribution from 9.5% to ... More

My husband and I are retired and still have two adult children at home. We have $550,000 in self-managed super, which is just sitting in our Commonwealth Bank account, on which we received a return of $23.37 for January 2021. We also have $235,000 in ... More

Dear Paul, I fractured my skull in the Royal Australian Navy 30 years ago and have developed epilepsy. I went into a massive depression and PTSD and turned to drugs and gambling as a pain reliever. Thanks to the staff at National Centre for Veteran's ... More

G'day Paul, I currently have funds invested with a major peer-to-peer lender on a five-year basis, earning around 7% annually - interest paid monthly. I'm about to get a mortgage for a new home build at 2.49% variable. Would I be better off ... More

Dear Paul, We have a boat which we live on (so principal place of residence) at present we are in Turkey. Value is around $450,000. We each receive the aged pension of $721 per fortnight. We have $262,500 owed to us (as a second mortgage) from the sale ... More

Dear Paul, I am a 63-year-old female, no partner or children, and I recently gave up my position as a Registered Nurse due to COVID-19. I officially retired and took all my superannuation and paid off my mortgage and credit loans. Was this the right ... More

Dear Paul, We need to fix our house. It needs a new kitchen and bathroom - nothing too fancy. As we are only on seniors' pensions, would getting a loan from bank instead of private lender be better? Have you any suggestions on which to choose from? ... More

Dear Paul, We are currently residents overseas with my husband working as an expat while I am a housewife (no kids). We have two properties: an old elevated, four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Nightcliff, Darwin, and an old (but in good condition) ... More

Dear Paul, I would like to buy a small unit or house in the near future. I had a workplace accident five years ago and am waiting to receive an impairment compensation payout because, unfortunately, I cannot work again. Payments cease this week and ... More

Dear Paul, I'm retired, aged 66, and a self-funded retiree. I live with my partner, who owns the home we live in. We are financially independent of each other. I bought a residential investment property 10 years ago and have 20 years left to repay the ... More