Personal loans are going head-to-head with credit cards in the battle for debt consolidation. For consumers facing a raft of options, the trick is to choose carefully. What helps one borrower manage their debt may not be the best option for you.  

Debt consolidation – where you fold several high interest debts into a single lower rate loan, used to be the exclusive domain of personal loans. But these days plenty of credit card providers are pitching at the same market, which has lead to some very appealing balance transfer offers, presently ranging from zero percent interest for 6 months to around 4.99% for the life of the outstanding balance.

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After the long carbon tax debate, most Australians are tired of hearing the word “carbon”, but aside from the politics do you really know what a carbon footprint is?

Human activity is increasing atmospheric levels of known greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. These form a blanket around the earth trapping heat, a process known as the ‘greenhouse effect’, which experts believe is linked to global warming and climate change.

The carbon footprint, as the term denotes, is the impression that these gases leave behind in our atmosphere. Estimating a carbon footprint seeks to highlight the volume of greenhouse gases produced by a particular activity or a product over its lifetime. Usually this is measured in terms of equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide produced. This general definition can also be applied to determine the impact of an individual, an organisation or company, or a country

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A New Year provides the incentive to sweep a new broom through many areas of our lives, and there’s no better place to start than with your household finances.

Kick off a personal money makeover by listing your assets – things of value you own like your house, savings and investments. Then compare this to your liabilities – your mortgage, personal loan, car loan and credit card debt. 

If your assets are worth substantially more than your liabilities give yourself a pat on the back, you’re on the way to achieving financial security. But if your liabilities are close to, or overtaking your assets it’s time to get serious about bringing debt under control.

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