Guides
Clear answers to the Australian money questions people actually search for — super, tax, GST and loans — each with a free calculator so you can work out your own numbers.
- Is super included in my salary?How to tell whether a job offer pays super on top or inside the figure — and what it means for your take-home pay.
- How to remove GST from a priceThe correct formula for working out the GST inside a total — and why you divide by 11, not take 10% off.
- Offset vs redraw: which saves more?Both cut the interest on your home loan — but they differ on access, tax and flexibility. How to choose.
- Do you pay tax on an annual leave payout?Yes — unused leave paid out when you leave a job is taxable. How it's taxed, and why the withholding can look high.
- HECS/HELP repayments 2026–27 explainedHow much you repay on your student debt this year, how the new marginal system works, and when it stops.
- Casual loading explained (the 25%)Why casuals get an extra 25% an hour, what it's meant to cover, and how to work out your real hourly rate.
- Weekly vs fortnightly mortgage repaymentsPaying fortnightly instead of monthly can quietly knock years off your loan. Here's the trick behind it.
- How much tax will I pay on my salary?The 2026–27 tax brackets in plain English, with worked examples and what actually comes out of your pay.
- What is the Medicare levy surcharge?An extra tax for higher earners without private hospital cover — and why basic cover can cost less than the surcharge.
- Compound vs simple interestSimple interest is paid on your original amount; compound interest earns on your interest too. Why it matters over time.
- How much super will I have at retirement?What drives your final balance — contributions, time and returns — and the levers that move it most.
- What is a balloon payment on a car loan?A lump sum left at the end of a car loan that lowers your monthly repayments — but costs more overall. How it works.
- Novated lease vs car loanA novated lease pays from pre-tax salary; a car loan from your own cash. The trade-offs, fees and when each wins.
- Gross vs net pay: what's the difference?Gross is what you're offered; net is what lands in your account. What sits between the two, and why.
- Do I need to register for GST?The $75,000 turnover test, who must register regardless, and what changes once you're registered.
- Salary sacrifice into super explainedDivert pre-tax salary into super, taxed at 15% instead of your marginal rate. The caps, benefits and catches.
- Principal & interest vs interest-onlyInterest-only keeps repayments low but pays nothing off. How the two compare, and the catch at the end.