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What is the work bonus?

In September last year the Pension Bonus Scheme was closed to new entrants and a new program, the Work Bonus, was introduced. What is it and how will it affect your retirement plans?

Centrelink assesses eligibility for an Age Pension on your income and assets.
The income test and the assets test are applied and can reduce the maximum pension rate if you are above a set threshold.
The Work Bonus provides a dispensation for employment income for all workers who earn money after turning Age Pension age (currently 65 for men and 63.5 for women).

This means about half of an individual’s employment earnings up to $500 per fortnight will not count as income under the income test.

This doubles for couples – both parties may have up to half of $500 of their own income not counted. An individual’s assessable income may be reduced by up to $250 a fortnight, while couples may have up to $500 excluded.
This could mean an extra $125 of income a fortnight (approximately $3,250 a year) for single pensioners and double this amount for a couple.

Read all the detail in the downloadable PDF on the Centrelink website.

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Here are the facts

· Over one in six Australian adults (that’s over 3.5 million people) have some form of hearing loss – this rises to 1 in 3 over the age of 60
· Poor hearing has a major negative impact on people’s lives; creating feelings of extreme frustration and increasing isolation from their family and friends
· Large numbers of people with hearing loss don’t recognise their problem, or are in denial – delaying treatment for 3 or more years
· Unlike eyesight, hearing responds far better to early diagnosis and treatment
· People with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss
One of Australia’s Leading Preventative Health Specialists, Dr Ross Walker, says everyone aged 60 and over should have their hearing checked every couple of years, and every 12 months for anyone with diabetes.

Click here to order your FREE copy of The Australian Guide to Hearing Loss, which contains useful information on hearing health and includes the range of treatments and financial assistance available.

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Quick hearing test

Take this short quiz which may help you identify the symptoms that indicate possible hearing loss:

1. During conversations, do you miss key words or ask people to repeat things?
2. Do you have difficulty hearing conversations in noisy places like crowded restaurants, shopping centres etc?
3. Do you often need to turn up the volume on your TV or radio?
4. Do you have difficulty hearing on the telephone?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to two or more questions, it indicates potential hearing loss and you should get your hearing tested.

Click here to arrange a free hearing check with AudioClinic. 

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$500 About Seniors discount

AudioClinic is accredited by the Government to provide free hearing assessments and free or subsidised hearing aids and services to eligible clients.

The Australian Government subsidises the costs of hearing tests and hearing devices for many people through the Office of Hearing Services program.

To be eligible for assistance, you must be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident over 21 years of age, be a Centrelink or Department of Veterans Affairs client, and be a:

· Centrelink Pensioner Concession cardholder,
· Centrelink Sickness Allowance recipient,
· DVA Pensioner Concession cardholder,
· White Health Repatriation cardholder (for hearing loss),
· Gold Health Repatriation cardholder,
· Dependant person of one of the above categories, or
· A member of the Australian Defence Forces

If you don’t qualify for government assistance, you may be able to claim a tax rebate or your private health insurance may provide certain benefits. An AudioClinic clinician will be happy to explain what assistance or benefits you may be entitled to, and how to ensure you receive them.

Private clients at AudioClinic can also take advantage of their unique Premier Care Plan, which includes free batteries, loss & damage cover, VIP repair service & discounts for extra peace of mind. This offer is exclusive to AudioClinic clients.

For a limited time, AudioClinic is offering all About Seniors subscribers a special $500 discount on premium hearing devices not covered by the Government’s scheme.
Click here to download your discount voucher today.

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Word of the Week

Have a little fun updating your vocab with our Word of the Week, kindly provided by Macquarie Dictonary. Find out what the most recent “buzz words” really mean and pass them on to your family and friends.

Analemmatic

Relating to a scale that shows the seasonal difference between time as shown by clocks and by the sun.

The word is the adjective derived from analemma. One sense of this is a scale shaped like a figure 8, giving the declination of the sun and the equation of time for each day of the year. This shows how clock time differs from that given by the sun (which varies a little season by season because the Earth’s orbit isn’t exactly circular). It derives from Latin analemma for the pedestal of a sundial (and hence the sundial itself), which comes from the Greek word for a prop or support.

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Chat Room

Welcome to the About Seniors Chat room page.
You will need to login with a Username each time. If asked for, the password to our channel is Australia.
*Please note* that this chat room is run by another website for our community, therefore your About Seniors username and password are not registered automatically in this chat room. If you do have a “common” username, you may need to add a number or different letter to your username if you wish to continue using it.

Enjoy!

If you are looking to stay logged in until someone logs on to chat and want to have a sound notification, the best thing for you to do would be to following the steps in the following link:

http://www.wyldryde.org/a/001425.php

Once you get to Step 7, You need to put in About Seniors as the channel to join. If prompted with a Password, it is Australia.

Now here is the part that gets a little frustrating and hard to remember to do every time.

To register your username with this program (as we cannot put in the About Seniors database) you will need to type in the following command /msg NickServ REGISTER password email
Replace ‘password’ with a unique password and ‘email’ with your legitimate email address.
Or an example would be /msg NickServ REGISTER mysecretpassword

Once you have registered you will need to remember to type the following every time you login.

/ns identify password
Be SURE to replace ‘password’ with the unique password you created during registration

If at any time you lose the AboutSeniors channel you can re-join it by typing /join #AboutSeniors

If you forget to identify your password and your nickname is changed, you can type /nick drewp, as the example for what i would type and this will change it back and you will have to identify.

Welcome to the About Seniors travel in Australia and New Zealand page. No matter what your state, we have it all covered with Campervan Holidays, Skiing tips and trips and also if you just want to drive around, our Hit the Road page gives you all the great day trip ideas around Australia. Travel is about having fun and we hope to give you some great touring options around the continent – and in neighbouring NZ. Whether you are coaching or motoring, enjoy the many suggestions on offer.

$1 Campervan Rental

If you have ever dreamed of travelling in a campervan to visit family or friends, or just wanted to explore Australia, $1 campervan relocations make it incredibly affordable.

Centrelink on the road

If you’re running away from home for a length of time, make sure you understand any implications your trip will have on your pension entitlements.

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Technology News

The About Seniors Technology News page is updated weekly with the latest breaking news. You can find out the latest tricks on how to successfully bid and earn money on EBay, download the latest Free Anti-Virus software, or even update yourself on the latest Spam and Scams making the rounds so you don’t get caught out!

Whether you're a beginner or technologically advanced, About Seniors Technology page has everything you need to understand and make the most of your computer. Whether you are looking to set up a Social Networking page on Facebook, Myspace or Twitter, or just looking find the best broadband or wireless internet deals, this page has it all!

Our Q&A Page answers alot of your Computer questions and our How-To page provides you with the latest hints and tips to update your skills. If you are looking for a Senior friendly mobile phone, latest Technology news, something fun on YouTube or a Free Anti-Virus Scanner, we have it all ready for your convinence!

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Mobile phone plans explained

Choosing the wrong mobile phone plan can be a costly error but working your way through the myriad of information available is almost impossible as About Seniors subscriber, Brian, has found.

Q. Brian
I have an 80 year old friend who has a problem evaluating which mobile telephone company is the best deal for him. He presently has a “use only”
account with Optus which he pays at the end of a month. This industry is a minefield for everybody but especially for the aged as it is so complex. Is there a website in existence that can give clarification in this matter?
Thank you

Your mobile phone plan may come with $100 bonus minutes, but it may amount for less than $20 on another network!

The mobile phone industry in Australia is increasing rapidly with thousands of mobile phone plans on offer, but what do they all mean?

I will detail two different plans for SIM only (you already have your own phone) on offer and compare what they really mean.

Three $29 Cap
Plan Cost per month: $29
Included Monthly Value: $150

SMS (text messages) – $0.25 per message
MMS (multimedia messages) - $0.75 per message
PXT (picture messages) - $0.75 per message
Mobile Phone calls – $0.30 flagfall, $0.40 per 30 seconds
National Phone calls – $0.30 flagfall, $0.40 per 30 seconds
Video Phone calls – $0.30 flagfall, $0.50 per 30 seconds

Vodafone $29 Cap
Plan Cost per month: $29
Included Monthly Value: $150

SMS – $0.25 per message
MMS - $0.75 per message
PXT - $0.50 per message
Mobile Phone calls – $0.35 flagfall, $0.42 per 30 seconds
National Phone calls – $0.35 flagfall, $0.42 per 30 seconds
Video Phone calls – $0.35 flagfall, $0.63 per call

As you can see, Vodafones flagfall fees are $0.05 more per phone call and $0.02 per 30 seconds than the Three deal. SMS and MMS prices are the same. If making phone calls and sending SMS messages are all you need, then the Three $29 cap would be better value for you, though if you make Video phone calls, the Vodafone $29 Cap offers a fixed rate on all Video Phone calls at $0.63 per call which seems quite reasonable, and is a far better price than the Three $29 Cap’s $0.50 per 30 seconds.

You can find a wide range of deals with or without phones included at YouCompare.

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Search Results

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Welcome to the About Seniors Cakes and Desserts page. Enjoy our recipes, updated weekly and don't forget to check out our Wine Search page! Our Main Meals page has the largest selection of food with categories such as Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Seafood, Meat-Free Food and Other meats.

If you are looking for something a bit Sweet, our Cakes and Desserts page features a Chocolate Pudding to die for! The Noodles and Pasta page has some great noodle dishes, and features a delicious Tuscan Potato Gnocchi. If your looking to host a party or just have a couple of friends around, our Party Foods page has a large variety of recipes ranging from Salt and Pepper Calamari to Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil.

Welcome to the About Seniors Pet page where you will find the latest information and updates on Pets. Whether you are looking to buy a new pet, or make some food on the cheap to feed them, we have the information for you!

Welcome to the About Seniors Indoor Activities page. On this page you will find articles and links to organisations for all kinds of interests. About Seniors's DVD and Movie Review and Book Review pages are updated weekly with the latest reviews of newly released Books, DVDs and Movies! Our Genealogy page helps you track down your past while our Seniors Stories page gives you a look into over peoples lives!

Local history

A great way of meeting people is by having something in common and you can also benefit from experiences they’ve had and are willing to share. Why not try your local genealogy society?

Welcome to the About Seniors Outdoor Activities page. On this page you will find articles and links to organisations for all kinds of interests. About Seniors's Gardening page brings you the latest techniques and tips on choosing and caring for your plants. Our Spa and Health Resorts page has some great escapes and tips to help you relax and unwind. Check out our More Outdoor Activities page as there is a range of topics and helpful tips for having fun!

Local history

Keeping fit just got more fun. Del, an About Seniors subscriber has kept us up-to-date with the opening of a playground especially for big kids!

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The Indian Pacific

Congratulations to Catherine Moar of Victoria for winning a trip for two 2 adults on the Indian Pacific Gold Service from Sydney to Perth or vice versa valued at approximately $2950. Thanks to everyone who answered our Green Living Survey!

The most important thing you can have apart from your Passport when you travel, is travel insurance, incase something happens while you are enjoying yourself in an overseas country. Knowing what Travel Insurance Plan suits you is important, and About Seniors are happy to give you some Tips on picking the correct Travel Insurance plan and have found the best Seniors Travel Insurance offers available on the market.

Welcome to the About Seniors Train Travel Page. Sit back and relax with an adventure on one of the worlds great train journeys, whether you decide to take a trip on The Ghan, travelling across Australia on train, or if you are keen to travel abroad, you could look at some international train journeys such as the famous Rocky Mountaineer rail journey travelling through Canada’s West and the Canadian Rockies. If Europe is more your thing, there are some great train journeys through Switzerland, The Netherlands or even England on offer, while you can find some great deals for getting around Europe if you decide to purchase a Flexi Pass.

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A new take on native garden

A native garden is one of the easiest ways to minimise your carbon footprint and keep you garden looking it’s best when water is scare. Native gardens need not be drab and scruffy as demonstrated in About Seniors PDF, A new take on native gardens. 

Finding a job when your Over 50 has become harder with the recent downturn in the economy, not that it wasn’t already hard! About Seniors Jobs for Over 50 Workers & Seniors site is aimed at giving helpful tips and advise to find a job you want!

On our Casual Jobs for Travellers page, we outline ways to Earn money on the road while you travel, which can come in handy for those looking to make their way around this great southern land we call Australia.

Bed and Breakfast

There are thousands of Bed and Breakfast properties right across Australia,
NZ and elsewhere throughout the world and most of these businesses are small to medium enterprises, owned and operated by couples, with many of them situated in very desirable locations.

As with most small business, many of the operators have difficulty in finding the “right type” of relief managers to look after their businesses in order to take a break, resulting in people not taking breaks, or shutting down their business to enable them to do so.  Neither option is ideal, not for the owners nor the business. Find out more.

Welcome to the About Seniors Financial Incentives for Older Workers page. It can be hard at the best of economic times to find a job as a Mature worker, even though older workers have a strong work ethic, are dependable and possess versatile work experiences.

On this page, there are Special Programs for Mature Workers aimed at promoting mature age employment.

You can also find information on how to get Pension Bonus & Tax Offsets and if you need any more help finding a job, you can get Centrelink Assistance as it provides a range of self-help facilities called Employment Self Help for all job seekers.

Welcome to the About Seniors Volunteering page. We aim to outline as many Volunteering options as possible to give you a wide range of selection. If you want to Volunteer for your Community, to Mentor Students, or even to travel overseas and Volunteer as a Conservation Volunteer, we give you all of those options right here!

The greatest gift in life, is to give to someone else, and Volunteering is a great way to do it, so get out there if you can and donate some of your time to make this world of ours a better place!

Welcome to the About Seniors Hobbies and Activities page! What do you enjoy in your leisure time? Are you looking to sit down and enjoy a good book or movie? Check out our Book Reviews and Movie Reviews pages to read up on the latest releases, and while your there, check our the Senior Food and Wine page where we feature hundreds of great recipes to light up your evening, including some great beverage ideas! Laugh along side other members and read our Jokes. If your looking for a challenge, then playing our Sudoku, Daily Crossword Puzzles or Aussie Crossword Puzzles may be for you! They are great for brain health also!

Welcome to the About Seniors Activities for Seniors page. On this page you will find articles and links to organisations for all kinds of interests. Our Indoor Activities page covers Arts & Crafts, DVD and Movie Reviews, Model Making, Genealogy, Book Reviews and many other subjects of interest, while our Outdoor Activities page covers Gardening, Spa & Health Resorts, Bird Watching, Bush Walking, Golf and many other subjects.

Local history

A great way of meeting people is by having something in common and you can also benefit from experiences they’ve had and are willing to share. Why not try your local genealogy society?

Welcome to the About Seniors Centrelink & Pension Page. With so much information out there, we know you want a simple and easy way to find everything easily, and we have provided that! Stay up to date with the latest Centrelink News.

Our Age Pension page has a vast range of information covering eligibility ages to Bonus Payments.

We have not forgotten those on the Widow Allowance, Disability Support Pension (DSP) and those receiving Carer Payments, with information updated weekly.

Pension payment complaints

About Seniors website is happy to ask questions on your behalf about entitlements and benefits. Read some recent Q&A on pensions here. But if you have a specific complaint it is probably best to approach Centrelink directly yourself. 

Welcome to the About Seniors Superannuation page. We are constantly updating our Superannuation News page with the latest government and industry updates. Did you know there is over 5 billion dollars in unclaimed superannuation with roughly 1 in 2 Australians losing out, Find your super money now!

Are you finding your managed industry super fund is not performing? Why not try a Self Managed Super Fund? It is easier to set up than it sounds!

67 before you get your super!

Hidden behind the budget news is the recommendation, apparently in the finally released Harmer Review and also the Henry review, to increase the age (from 55 to 67) at which super can be accessed. What will this mean?

Find your super

With more than five million unclaimed superannuation accounts reported, roughly one in two working Australians are losing out. During 2006/07 managers of unclaimed superannuation sitting in Eligible Rollover Funds made $1million in fees, based on $5.65 billion remaining in ERFs. Despite increased media coverage to highlight the issue of unclaimed superannuation, the amount continues to grow year-on-year. Find your super money now!

About Seniors Mortgage & Home Loans page is here to help you understand what is involved with a Mortgage and Home Loan and to give you helpful tips on when it is appropriate to take out a Reverse Mortgage.

Reverse Mortgages

How to fund your living expenses after retirement is a difficult decision to make with more Australians turning to the capital in their home as a means of income.

Reverse mortgages are on the rise, with more lenders offering this type of borrowing.  With the financial markets taking a hit, cashing in on your largest asset may seem like a clever move.  But just how much will it cost you?  There are many things to be considered that will all have an effect whether a reverse mortgage is the correct choice for you. Find out more

Welcome to the About Seniors Legal page. Our Power of Attorney page provides you with relevant information to make the decision if it is for you, while our Wills page gives you all the information you need to decide what you want to do when you leave it all behind.

What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney is a document which means that the person to whom it is granted becomes virtually indistinguishable from the person granting the Power of Attorney, in so far as the institutions which require transactions to stand up in court are concerned. More than one Power of Attorney can be appointed if it’s appropriate. But decide if they will be able to act only together (jointly) or together and separately (jointly and severally). If one person could be away when a signature is needed, it might be worth them being able to act separately. Find out more

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Asset Tests

This assets test is effective from 20 March 2009 and this information applies to all pensions, allowances and to Austudy payment.

Please note: The rate of payment is calculated under both the income and assets tests. The test that results in the lower rate (or nil rate) will apply.

# Limits will increase if Rent Assistance is paid with your pension.

* Assets over these amounts reduce pension by $1.50 per fortnight for every $1,000 above the limit (single and couple combined). Newstart Allowance/Widow Allowance/Partner Allowance/Sickness Allowance/Special Benefit/Parenting Payment/Youth Allowance/ABSTUDY and Austudy payments are not payable if assets exceed these amounts.

+ Pharmaceutical Allowance included.

** For Disability Support Pension, these limits apply if you are over 21. For under 21 assets/income limits visit your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre.

Your principle family home is excluded from the assets test.

For more information about which assets are assessed by Centrelink, visit their website here.

If your looking to get a top of the line Seniors Mobile Phone, a brand new Camera or even the latest and MP3 Player, About Seniors Gadgets page has all your technological needs covered!

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Are you in the right fund?

With the recent changes to superannuation announced in Wayne Swan’s Budget last week, ensuring you are making the most of your superannuation contributions is more important than ever. Analyse your super fund with About Seniors’ downloadable PDF Are you in the right fund?.

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The Activity Finder

How do I search for an activity?

The About Seniors activity finder has been programmed specifically to search for postcodes and for certain words, or even a combination of both. For example if you live in Glen Iris, Victoria, your postcode would be 3146. So you enter 3146 into the activity finder and it will show any related searches in your area. If you cannot find something in your area that you like, type in a specific word for example flower. This will show you all activities Australia wide related to that word!

Visit our activity finder page now!

How do I add an activity?

On the activity finder page, you can click on the “Add your own activity here link” or simply click here now.

*Please note when you are adding an activity that if you do not fill in all the required areas, that it will not submit, so if there is no details for that area, put in a dash.*

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The Pension Bonus Scheme

The Government will close the Pension Bonus Scheme to new entrants from 20 September 2009.  This measure will not affect existing members. Read more

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Understanding Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease occurs in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra when certain nerve cells either die or become impaired, preventing the production of a vital chemical known a dopamine which allows smooth coordinated function of the body’s muscles and movement. Parkinson’s disease appears when around 70% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged or die.

The most common symptom of Parkinson’s is Tremors, but actually only occurs in 2/3 of all people when the condition is first diagnosed. Muscle stiffness, slowness of movement, freezing, micrographia and lethargy are all common symptoms.

Parkinson’s Disease is currently managed by Medication, Neurosurgery and multidisciplinary therapy.

Find out more by visiting the Parkinson’s Australia website.

Medications are important to living a healthy and long life. About Seniors discuss the different kinds of Vitamins & Supplements available on the market and looks at Alternative Medicines, some which are available subsidized through Medicare.

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Answer our survey and win!

Thank you for everyone who answered our survey. The winner of the Prize will be notified as per our terms and conditions by 8 June 2009 and we will be posting the Winners name after that date.

About Seniors Mental health page aims at providing the most up-to-date information on a range of topics effecting Australia’s ageing population. Mental health affects an individual’s ability to enjoy life. Depression affects many Australian families, and can go unnoticed by friends and family, resulting in alcohol and drug abuse, or even suicide. While there are treatments and medications for Depression, There is currently no treatments for Dementia patients, only stimulation exercises and healthy suggestions to prevent the onset of this disease. Dealing with these disadvantages can be made a little easier through Centrelink with the Disability Pension and Carer payments helping ease the strain.

Whether your looking to meet healthy and active or just trying to keep up your Fitness, you better move it or lose it! About Seniors features the latest information to keep you active, while providing informative Healthy Eating tips and Comfort Food Recipes. 

Family is important to all of us, with that in mind, About Seniors Family page provides you with the latest news and information for Grandparents, Seniors and Your Parents, while also having specific pages for Men’s Health and Women’s Health. The loss of someone close can affect you in many different ways, our Grief and Loss page is targeted at helping you and your family handle this difficult time, including valuable information on funeral planning.

When you are diagnosed with a disease or medical condition, your life will change significantly and impact those around you. About Seniors Disease page is aimed at providing you and your acquaintances with relevant up to date information on the most common diseases, medical conditions and life changes, ranging from Breast Cancer, which is the leading cause of death in women world wide, to Lung Cancer, the most common cause of cancer related death in men world wide.

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Google maps, made easy!

GoogleMaps finds you directions to where you want to go in seconds, providing a easy to read, turn by turn direction guide. It can even show you what the destination address looks like!

We start by visiting the following link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl








Once you are at the site, in the section shown above, enter the street address, city name, state name and postcode if you have all those details for example. Flinders Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000.

Please note you can also search by landmark name, for example the Great Wall of China, by simply entering its name and by clicking on the desired search results on the left hand side of the page.

Now that you have the address you desire. To adjust how far in you want to zoom in or out, simply place your mouse over the button pointed out by the red arrow (picture on the right of this text). Hover your mouse over this button and hold down your left click mouse button and drag it up to zoom in or down to zoom out (Please note that if you take it all the way to the top, it most likely will not load an image, I would suggest you go 4/5 the way up the scale for best results).

The next feature’s that we will look at are the pictured in the photo to our lower-right. Located at the top of each map after you have done the steps labeled above.
You can see clearly in the image further down this page the four tabs labeled “more...”, Map, Satallite and Terrain.
The default view you will start out on is Map, which shows us a nice clear map view of the location we are viewing. What we want to see it the actual Satellite images that will astonish you when you search your own house! Simply click on the word Satellite and it will take us to a Satellite view. Please note that you may need to zoom out a little for this to work, and then zoom in as far as you can slowly!

The final, yet extremely useful, feature we will look at tells us the best route to travel to get from one place to another, instead of us having to search it up in our street directory!

You can start by either putting in your starting address or the location address to which you are travelling.

Once you search for this map, the information shown on our right, will appear.
If you are looking to travel to, for example: 102 Collins street, Melbourne, Vic 3000, then you would click To here, pointed out by the red arrow, while if you are starting at that location you would click the From here button pointed out by the blue arrow.




You will be presented with the following:

Simply put in the address of the other location you wish to travel and it will give you the directions and a map!

Click here to read about Google Street View!

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Real people do win competitions!

Mr Bevan Commens is a 60-something year old farmer from Pittsworth in Queensland – and the happy winner of the About Seniors competition with the prize of a $5000 RaboPlus savings account.
We phoned Bevan to inform him of his win, and he said he was as “pleased as punch” and the money would help “top-up” his savings in these tough times.
We’re also thrilled that Bevan has won and advise all our visitors and enewsletter recipients to stay tuned for more amazing competitions.

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U3A online

Myths and Legends, Left, Right or Centre and Australian Flora are just three great new courses on offer from U3A Online.
U3A online are freely hosted by Griffith University and cover a huge range of topics, there’s sure to be one that suits most people. To view a list of courses available to study online, visit U3A Online. Locate a U3A by clicking the “Locate a U3A tab”.

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University of the Third Age

Universities of the Third Age, or U3As as they are more often called, are voluntary, non-profit organisations which aim to offer older people low-cost educational opportunities that operate in a pleasant, supportive social setting. There are no formal entry requirements, no examinations and no “awards”. U3As are built on the premise that, collectively, older people have the skills & knowledge to provide learning for themselves.

Click the link below to find a U3A in your area! or visit their website U3A Western Australia.

Western Australia

Central
In The City
Joondalup
Mid North
North Coast
Rockingham & Districts
South East
South West Metro
Swan Hills
The Hills
Spanish

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Travel insurance guidelines

We may be rejoicing at the cost of travel coming down but as with many insurance products, the cost of travel insurance is on the rise. Shopping about for the best price is a wise move but be careful not to substitute cover for cost.

For older Australians or those with pre-existing medical conditions, getting cover may be difficult and its tempting to take the first policy offered.  Insurance criteria is often restrictive, even for healthy travellers, so its important that your selected policy really offers true value for money.

Knowing simple facts such as insurance cover may be void if the country you are travelling to is on the Government’s watch list, or failing to disclose information that you may not consider relevant can void your cover, regardless of the nature of your claim, can save you from making a costly mistake.

The Insurance Council of Australia have guidelines to steer you on the right path to making an informed choice when it comes to travel insurance.

For more information, download the PDF, Travel Insurance – Guide for Travellers

Read travel insurance Q&A.

There are more than thirty powerhouses involved in the social networking phenomenon sweeping the internet at the moment, with undoubtedly Facebook and Myspace leading the charge.

Facebook

Not just for college students anymore, Facebook is the largest social networking site. You can meet new people, but now the site seems to be mostly about searching and connecting with your old ones. With some useful tools, Facebook has started to base some of their features around what has made Twitter so popular.

Twitter

By far the fastest growing of the new social networking sites, Twitter is focused towards communicating with friends, family and co-workers to communicate online and let them know what you are doing! While at the same time, letting you know what they are doing!

Myspace

The key factors of the success of this website are, unique web design, the easiness in sharing pictures, communicating with friends, and option to create the best customized profiles. Another cool feature of myspace which we loved is the independent music bands anchored on myspace for easy music discovery.

LinkedIn

Gaining popularity recently, this site is about networking for professionals. Over five million users. The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection. Even if you do not have many connections, you can learn a lot on this website as many people are constantly asking for advise on situations and ideas in business. 

Once a passive phase of life, now retirement has almost been phased out!

Yet life planning is important for those wishing to ensure good Health and Wealth in their later years. On our About Seniors Retirement Planning page we offer planning tips and resources, financial information, a ‘Ready to Retire?’ quiz, as well as the latest books and sites for you to explore.

For a down-to-earth retirement guide, you can also read the following retirement planning articles from Your Life magazine.

Your money or your life – a three-step plan for financing your retirement
Go there

Retirement planning – How to double your nest egg
Go there

Retirement Planning

Retirement planning gets bad press. The consequence is that a majority of 45 to 64-year-old Australians have entered the land of denial when it comes to this issue. And there seems little to get them out of denial when most retirement planning information is full of references to aged care, going grey, becoming dependent, and dying. Clichéd photographs of grey haired couples drinking lattes or walking hand-in-hand on the beach suggest singles don't matter, and happily retired couples just play. How does this affect you? If you're feeling fit, healthy and happy to work for a few more years at least – can't your retirement planning wait? Find out now

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Twitter

One of the largest services for friends, family and co-workers to communicate online, Twitter has taken the world by storm over the past few months, but what is it?

Twitter’s soul purpose is to help you communicate one message to your friends, family and co-workers, what you are doing! While at the same time, letting you know what they are doing!

Twitter is free to use and simple to sign up, I will walk you through the process and get you started!

How to sign up to Twitter:

Visit www.twitter.com

Click on the words “Get Started – Join” which is located at the bottom of the front page

To register you will need to enter:
· Your Full name,
· A Username which you will go by, if you do not get your desired username, you may need to add an extra letter or number
· A password of at least 6 characters
· Your current email address
· The two separate words in the security box provided that have lines crossed through them. Please note you will need to type them as follows for example: match space

Click Register and you are signed up.

If you are using Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail or MSN for your e-mails, at the next step, click the relevant tab on the left hand side, and then enter your e-mail address and password. This will show you a list of which of your friends have registered on Twitter and you can select to add them to your watching profile instantly!

Important
Unlike other sites, Twitter will not send any emails to your contacts from these lists without your permission unlike facebook and other services.

Once you have selected the relevant people, click the continue button at the bottom.

Now you will be given the option to send a request to any of your friends on your list for them to sign up and follow your Twitter. Go down the list and click on the email addresses and click the invite button at the bottom of the page when finished. Alternatively, below the invite button is a “skip this step” button.

On the next step are a number of high profile celebrities already Twittering and you can add them to your list to follow! Click Finish when you have done selecting or click the “skip this step button” below it!

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Earning from eBay

Trading on the belief that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, online auction site eBay has taken the world by storm. This online community, allows you to sell items and hidden treasures that you no longer need or want.

How to get started

Step 1: Identify the items you are looking to sell, take a digital image of them and jot down a brief description of each item in Word or similar program.

Step 2: Go to http://www.ebay.com.au and register with the site. At this stage you will have to click a link in your email to activate your account.
It is also recommended to sign up to PayPal (http://www.paypal.com.au), the largest online transaction company in the world, owned by eBay and is the preferred method of payment on eBay.

Step 3:
Log into your eBay account.
At the top right of the page, there are a number of tabs. Run your mouse over the Sell tab and a dropdown menu will appear.
Click on the “Sell an item” tab.
On the next page, click the “Start selling” button.
You will now have to enter three words that are relevant to the item category.  For example, if you were selling a computer monitor, you would put in the brand name (dell), size (17”) and type of item (computer monitor). A list of categories will appear, select at least one. You may have to pay additional fees for more than one category. Select a title carefully and try to be as descriptive as possible.
Attach at least one photo of the item to your listing.
Insert the prepared description into the area. Think carefully about how you describe it in the title and body content, as this will set you apart from similar items.
You will also need to fill in details about the merchandise, i.e. condition, colour, size, etc.

Step 4: Select the reserve price, which is the lowest price you will accept for the item. You can also select a “Buy Now” price, which is a price you would be happy to skip the auction for and take straight away. You also need to select the duration of the auction (3 days is normally optimal), and how you wish to be paid for the item. Select how a potential buyer can contact you (email is best here).
Select your postage options, eBay can calculate the postage or you can specify your costs for all buyers. You can also list pickup from your house if the person is in the same state to save on postage costs for the buyer.

Step 5: Review all the information and once you are happy that it is all correct, you can now post your ‘treasure’. Buyers are allowed to ask you questions, so be prepared to check your email.

Step 6: You will be advised of the details of the winning bidder and provided with the final price and contact details. Contact and arrange payment, remember, never send the item before you receive payment!

Step 7: Once payment is received, send the item and leave feedback on the purchaser’s eBay with positive feedback, as the person will leave you feedback when they receive the item, which will gain you a positive reputation and increase bids on your items in the future.

Congratulations, you have become one of millions of people buying and selling on eBay every year!

While eBay may be the biggest, there are more websites offering similar services.
Other sites include:

Gray’s Online – this site specialised in liquidation stock and bulk buys direct from manufacturers and retailers.

Oztion – this site is an alternative to eBay and is an Australian based site.

Bidsell – You’ll be hard pushed to spot the difference between this site and eBay but they are not the same.

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Do it yourself Superannuation Funds!

With Super taking a battering as of late, managing your own superannuation fund starts to look like a better option than leaving it to the large companies who charge you huge fees and have not delivered on their services.

This week’s how to is on creating and managing your own superannuation fund.
Click here to download it now!

Not everyone is trustworthy. The sheer size of the internet and its “virtual” anonymity of transactions and conversations mean ever more vigilance is required. The About Seniors Security, Spam and Scams page is aimed at providing you with the latest news and updates to keep you secure. Why not get a Free Anti-Virus Scanner, find out the latest Spam and Scams doing the rounds so you are not hit, or read up on how to prevent Identity Theft!

The following tips will assist you to protect your privacy and your financial information.

1. Get protected and stay protected

To protect your computer from unauthorised users accessing your information, it is important to install and update security software and constantly remember to use it. It is important when installing your Anti-Virus packages to set up the scanner to look over your system daily for any suspicious programs

2. Be smart and stay smart

Think before you click. Most importantly, don’t open any suspicious emails from unknown addresses. When you are asked to provide a password, make sure you use strong passwords, which involve at least one letter and number, and change this password every three months.

Always remember if it sounds too good to be true, it is!

3. Make payments safely and securely

When purchasing online, it is important to remember before you enter your credit card details that all secure websites are enabled with a padlock in the web browsers’ frame. Another way to check if you are on a secure site is to look at the website address when you are prompted to submit your credit card details. The site address should begin with “https” with the “s” standing for secure. If you are still unsure about using your credit card over the internet, most sites offer the use of payment over Paypal or Western Union. Another alternative is to purchase a prepaid credit card available from most financial institutions and Australia Post outlets.

4. Be wary of social networking sites

There are many social networking sites on the internet, with the two largest being Myspace and Facebook. In recent times, such social networking sites have been used to access information and data needed to hack into visitor’s email addresses and financial accounts of unsuspecting victims who offered data such as answers to person questions, not realizing this could be used against them. Make sure that you never list any information that may relate to a secret question on any accounts you may have on the internet.

Security of online transactions is a concern for all so AboutSeniors has a handy, downloadable PDF, Staying secure online, which will help you bank, shop and play safely.

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Safe senders and overcoming spam

Whether you are looking to add the About Seniors newsletter or a relative’s email to your safe senders list, Webmaster, Drew, shows you how to add them in five different email systems. He also shows you how to combat spam!

Click the link that Corresponds with your Email System.

Microsoft Outlook Express
Microsoft Outlook
Hotmail
Yahoo
Gmail

Microsoft Outlook

In Microsoft Outlook, click on “Tools” and then “Options”.
This will open up the Options window and the default will be Preferences. This is where we want to start!

Click on the “Junk Email button” and you will be presented with a number of different tab options.

The first tab we will start on is Options. As you see there are a number of different filtering options. Currently, I have the Low option clicked and receive quite a few, but not a large amount of spam email (not enough to annoy me). I check my Junk Email regularly and have yet to find a single email that I require being placed into there. It is possible to select High, but I would suggest checking your Junk Email box weekly.

The next tab is Safe Senders. This is quite useful for keeping all your friends on your safe list. The wonderful thing is that you don’t have to add just a full email address; you can add the domain in which the email is coming from, such as @aboutseniors.com.au. We will step you through setting up our Enewsletter address as the example.

Click the add button located on the right hand side of the screen. Type in @aboutseniors.com.au as pictured below and click ok.

Once you have done this, you can add in more addresses by clicking add again.

The next important step can be seen in the above image. At the bottom of the screen on the left there are two tick boxes, one is clicked and one isn’t for Also trust email from my Contacts and Automatically add people I email to the Safe Senders List.

It is very important to click both of these (I have also clicked the 2nd box now!). This will automatically add emails to your safe senders list without you having to go through this step process every time!

Now that we have added our friends and work colleagues to our lists, it is time to filter the junk!

At the top of the current Junk Email Options screen there are a number of different tabs, click on the Blocked Senders tab. We will be presented with a similar screen to the Safe Senders. We click the add button on the right hand side and can enter the exact email address, or even the domain which the email came from for example @test.com.au and this will be permanently move any emails from these senders to junk mail. Please note, I would NOT suggest adding hotmail, yahoo or any other large providers emails within your country or global emails to your blocked list, as this may filter legitimate emails.

Once you have completed this step, click ok for the Junk email screen and then click ok for the Options screen and we are done!

Hotmail

Log into your hotmail account and get to your inbox screen.

Once you are here, as pictured to the right, please click the options button located on the far right hand side, above your emails.

You will be taken to the options screen. 1/3 of the ways down the page you will see options for Junk Email as shown in the image below.  We will start by clicking on the Filters and reporting.

We are presented with a number of different options and I will walk you through these.

We firstly have to choose a junk email filter. Currently on my hotmail account I have an Exclusive filter. This means that everything else apart from my contacts will be placed into my Junkmailbox. I would not suggest this unless if you are happy and willing to check your Junk mail daily.

I would suggest that you choose the standard junk email filtering option. This means that a majority of the spam will be filtered out effectively. I would suggest that you do check your junk email box at least once a week, as some can slip through the cracks, and if this does happen, open the e-mail and simply click “Not a junk email” and it will not happen in the future.

The next section is Delete junk email.

You always want to have Later selected as your option, as if you click immediately, you may loose some of those “missed” emails that automatically went to your junk email box.

The final section here is Report junk messages.

I would always suggest leaving Report junk as the clicked option, could you imagine if no one had this option clicked, our email box’s would be receiving 1000 messages a day!

Once we are done here, click save, located at the bottom right hand side of the screen.

You will be taken back to the options screen. 1/3 of the ways down the page you will see options for Junk Email as shown in the image below. We will now select Safe and blocked senders.

You will be presented with three different headings to choose from. We will start with the top one, Safe Senders. Click on Safe Senders and we will be presented with a screen that is going to allow us to add new safe email addresses AND domains (for example aboutseniors.com.au).

To remove someone from your current safe list, select them from the list on the right hand side and simply click the remove from list button in the middle.

Below is an example of how we will add a new email address, you can use this as your first try, which will also ensure our enewsletter never goes to your junk email box!

As shown below, type in aboutseniors.com.au to the box on the left hand side. Simply click the Add to list button and it will load it into the box. You can then start to put in your friends, family and other important email contacts so that they are never lost!

Now it is time to go back to the Safe and blocked senders options screen. Hotmail is not too user friendly, but there is a simple way for us to get back. As seen in the image below, look at the top of your screen above where on the white background in black it says Safe Senders, there will be on light blue background the words Safe and blocked senders, click this as shown below.

Now click on the Blocked Senders option, which is the third one down.

You will now be taken to the current Blocked Senders list. Have a quick read through this and remove anyone you “think” you may know, as you could have accidentally added them by mistake!

Once you have done this, if there are any email addresses or domains that are constantly barraging you with spam emails, type in the address to the box on the left hand side. Simply click the Add to list button and it will load it into the box.

Yahoo

Log into your Yahoo account and go into the relevant folder containing the latest newsletter that was sent by AboutSeniors, for example the Spam folder.

When you have found an Email from us, left click on the email, and then right click on it and the following drop down box will appear as on the right of our screen. Click on the option at the bottom named Add Sender to Contacts. You will not have to change any of the information, so just click Save. Once you hit Save, a box will appear confirming that the Contact was added. Click ok, and now you are done, and can do this for other contacts as well.

Gmail

Safe Senders
Log into your Gmail account. Next to the email you are wishing to add to your Safe Senders list, there will be a check box as per the image to the right. Left click inside the check box. Now up to the right as per the image to the right, left click on “more actions” and left click “Filter messages like these” from the drop down list.

You will now be presented with the “Create a Filter” option. In my example, I am looking to add the About Seniors newsletter to my safe sender list. As I selected the newsletter, it has already added to the “from” box. This is all we need to make the email from About Seniors stay in the Inbox, so we will click the Next step button at the bottom right hand side of the options.

The next screen will give you 7 options. The one we are looking for is the bottom option called “Never send it to Spam”. Left click in the check box. Now left click “create filter”. We are done! If you are looking to block certain words as in the previous sentence

Junk Mail Filtering
Log into your Gmail account. Left click inside the check box next to any of your emails (it does not matter which one you choose). Now in the menu bar above to the right of this email, left click on “more actions” and left click “Filter messages like these” from the drop down list.

You will now be presented with the “Create a Filter” option. The email address of the message you selected will appear in the “from” box. Delete the email address from this box. There is an option in the top right called “Has the words”. This is a very handy tool for blocking the majority of the spam emails reaching your email box. For our example we will block the word “nude”. Type in the word nude in the box and then now left click “create filter”.

You can repeat this process to block words such as viagra, fedex, westpac, paypal, etc. depending on the types of junk emails you are receiving.

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A night to remember

AboutSeniors subscriber, and lucky competition winner, Lara Morello, shares with us her unforgettable experience and the generous hospitality of the staff at the Sydney Harbour Marriott on New Year’s Eve.

We most definitely enjoyed the whole experience.
The hotel was great, the room was awesome having a great view of the Harbour Bridge, the meals were delicious and the fireworks, as always, were incredible - to be so close to all the sights and sounds was truly amazing!

For most of the two days I sat on the window ledge watching all the happenings on both the land and the water as the city prepared for the major event. And it was so nice to walk around the area knowing we had the comforts of a beautiful hotel room to return to.

Our friends and family were most envious!

Thank you so much for this memorable opportunity! (Our only problem now is our New Years Eves will never be so good!)

Lara Morello

To make a trip to Sydney Harbour a memorable experience, why not experience the Sydney Harbour Marriott for yourself, with one of the special AboutSeniors’ deals.

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Travel Insurance

One of the difficulties older people have when travelling is finding suitable insurance. In our handy downloadable PDF, Break a limb, not the bank, Perry Morecombe has some travel insurance tips.

Click here to download the file.

If you would like to save the file to your computer, simply use your right mouse button to click on the words Click here, and select Save Target As, and select where to save it to your computer!

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Seniors Week 2009

Here are the dates and links for Seniors Weeks across Australia in 2009.

New South Wales

15 – 22 March 2009. For more information click here

Victoria
4 - 11 October 2009. To check for latest information click here

ACT
15 - 22 March 2009. For more information click here

Queensland
15 - 23 August 2009. For more information click here

Tasmania
1–7 October 2009. For more information click here

Western Australia
25 October - 1 November. For more information click here

South Australia
1 October - 30 October. For more information click here

Northern Territory
1 August - 31 August. For more information click here

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Pensions, Payments, Allowances and Tests

Age Pension age for social security purposes is 65 years for men. Women qualify at different ages depending on their date of birth in accordance with the table below so by 2014 the minimum qualifying age for women will also be 65 years.

Beginning in 2017, the Age Pension age will be increased to 67 years at a rate of six months every two years as indicated in the following table.

The qualifing age for male veterans with qualifying service and a service pension is 60. For female veterans the pension age is being raised by six months every two years so that by 1 July 2013, female and male pension ages will be the same; see the table on our Veterans’ Affairs page.

Visit this Centrelink page for information on the Age Pensions and other pensions, Income and Assets tests, Carer Payment, Rent Assistance, other allowances and benefits, age pension eligibility and other qualification information.
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The Disability Support Pension is a payment for people whose physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment prevents them from working, or for people who are permanently blind. For eligibility conditions, amount of pension, claiming and other information go to this Centrelink page:
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Check this Centrelink page for a guide as to what are considered assessable assets under the asset test:
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You can also check what assets are exempt. Note this includes "your principal home and curtilage (the land around your house you use for private purposes) of no more than two hectares". If the area is more than two hectares the excess is included as an asset.
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If you are receiving a payment through Centrelink and you are planning to go overseas, including Norfolk Island, call Centrelink because while away you could be overpaid or your payment could be stopped. If you are receiving a pension, phone Centrelink on 13 23 00. Veterans’ Affairs pensioners should contact their DVA office (click here). Note that from 1 July 2004 there is provision that payment to any Centrelink customer can be suspended or cancelled while overseas if Centrelink is not notified. Also, from 1 July 2004, you cannot receive a Centrelink payment for more than 13 weeks overseas (this excludes Age Pensioners and entitled wife and Widow B Centrelink customers).
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Guide To Australian Government Payments Booklet The Guide To Australian Government Payments gives details of the payment rates and eligibility criteria for all payments made by Centrelink and the Family Assistance Office. It is updated quarterly to reflect any changes in payment rates during this time.
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Compensation If you can claim compensation for an injury or illness, you should be aware that Centrelink will take it into account when determining eligibility for most payments. The booklet Compensation Kit 2001-2002 Bookletcontains essential information on how compensation affects social security entitlements; choices for rehabilitation; review and appeal rights; and specialist services for a person claiming compensation. You can get from Centrelink or download it from this site:
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Data matching is a program used by Centrelink and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to compare information with each other and with the Australian Taxation Office. Its purpose is to ensure that pensioner payments are correct. If you fail to tell Centrelink or DVA about changes to your financial situation you could be missing out on a higher rate of pension or you could be receiving too much and it will have to be repaid. For more information see What should I do if my circumstances change?
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Gifting. Before 1 July 2002 your payment was not affected if you dispose of assets or make gifts up to $10,000 in one year. From 1 July 2002, the $10,000 annual limit still applies but there is also $30,000 limit over rolling five year periods. If you exceed either limit the excess amount will remain considered as a financial asset for a five year period and deemed income rules will apply. Find out more:
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Income support payments. You may have been eligible for payments such as Mature Age Allowance or are eligible for Newstart. In return, you may have to meet obligations such as training or community work. Mature Age Allowance cannot be claimed from 20 September 2003 but if you were receiving it before then the payment may continue. For information on the Mature Age Allowance:
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For information on the Newstart Allowance:
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Investments such as managed funds and shares are reviewed every six months and the updated values may affect payment to pensioners.

The Pension Bonus Scheme provides a tax-free lump sum for people who voluntarily defer claiming Age or Service Pension. To get the benefit you have to register and continue to work for at least 12 months. The bonus is paid when you finally retire and receive a pension. You should register within 13 weeks of meeting the requirements. For details of registration, eligibility, payment and other matters check this Centerlink site.
Go there

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Ten worst money mistakes

Successful investment is not about reacting to market turbulence. It is based on a clear understanding of the long-term nature of wealth creation and how making sensible, unemotional decisions about where and when you will invest. This week we share a downloadable PDF on the Ten Worst Money Mistakes – and how to avoid them written by financial services guru, Louise Biti. 

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Quote of the day

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What to do when the market falls

It’s hard to sit tight in a falling stock market, grin and bear it, stay calm. So this week we are offering a useful “how-to” on What to do when the market falls. Written by Dante de Gori, Technical Manager of Clearview Retirement Solutions, it offers a plain-English understanding of how a “steady as she goes” approach to the stock market can result in a more predictable retirement income in a downloadable PDF format. Written before the very sharp falls in recent weeks, it nevertheless shows how you can manage your holdings – even in times of volatility.

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What is PayPal?

If you are looking to purchase products online or have in the past, you may want to know if PayPal, the preferred payment system by EBay and many other sites, is secure and safe.

PayPal has been operating since 1999 helping individuals and businesses process money transactions all over the world. During this time, PayPal have managed to provide a secure and safe service to their customers at a reasonable price.

Recently, using PayPal has become easier, with the use of your credit card without having an account to pay someone via PayPal has been introduced. The only negative of this system, is that it opens up a lot of possibilities for fraud, when a credit card is stolen from someone in the real world.

With customer purchasing protection and the option to reserve a payment transaction within a certain time frame if the item does not arrive, PayPal makes the job of purchasing online easy!

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Government Contact Listing

Aboutseniors has compiled a list of all current local members and senators with contact details. Click here to view this list.

Welcome to the About Seniors Seniors Food and Wine page.
Enjoy our recipes, updated weekly and don't forget to check out our Wine Search page! Our Main Meals page has the largest selection of food with categories such as Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Seafood, Meat-Free Food and Other meats.

If you are looking for something a bit Sweet, our Cakes and Desserts page features a Chocolate Pudding to die for! The Noodles and Pasta page has some great noodle dishes, and features a delicious Tuscan Potato Gnocchi. If your looking to host a party or just have a couple of friends around, our Party Foods page has a large variety of recipes ranging from Salt and Pepper Calamari to Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil.

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Online bookshop

Q. Simon I like your lists of books and recipes. With the books I think it would be very helpful if you could provide us with links to on-line book sellers who have them in stock. This way they would be much easier to purchase especially for us folks who live out in the country areas. Also an indication as to whether the books you feature are recent releases or not.

A. Many thanks for your feedback Simon. Many people have their favourite bookshop, be it online or in a local shopping strip however, many of the books reviewed on AboutSeniors can be purchased online at our AboutSeniors Bookshop which comes with a 10% discount on all book purchases. You can access via the banner on our book review page or click here for a direct link. If books are published by Government or are available from certain organisations, then we do try to state this and give a link where possible.

Welcome to the AboutSeniors international travel page. This page will provide you with extensive information and links to a variety of travel options in a range of countries. Discover beautiful Asia with a variety of tour options and information available, or how about a train trip in Canada, truly a once in a life time experience. Boasting stunning scenery from lush fields and dramatic coastlines to vibrant villages and cosmopolitan cities, Ireland is a great travel option. Have you ever wanted to visit Italy? Why wait! Check our our Italy page for some great tours and travel offers.  You can check out our Frequently Asked Questions regarding International Travel. Also check out our Seniors Travel Insurance page to get the best deal!

The About Seniors Resource page provides you with extensive information and links relating to Organisations, Government and Giving for a good cause.

Here you will find information and resources on the various seniors’ services provided by the Australian Government through the departments of FACS, Health and Ageing and Veterans’ Affairs. Whether you are a senior or not, this page will provide you with relevant information! Centrelink also delivers services and is a source of information on matters financial. Here we feature the ‘need to know’ shortcuts to government departments and what they can offer you or your family.

We feature the latest news from the Federal Government on the Pension increases on our Pension News page, while our Centrelink page is updated weekly with relevant questions and answers from readers, answered by Centrelink!

You can also find information relevant to your State or Territory.

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Hazel’s non-boring writing tips

This page is all about you, and how to help trace your family, write about in a way that will interest others and read the fantastic stories that other have to tell. Hazel Edwards shares with us her tips for writing in different genre’s and keeping it interesting!  In this section she covers:

Non-boring family histories
Co-writing with family
Non-boring travel writing
Non-boring writing column
Non-boring autobiographies and memoirs
Choosing titles: committee-itis
Writing for and with grandkids
Hints for interviewing relatives
Writing eulogies
What is Faction?
Words as gifts

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Face behind the screen

Drew, our very clever Webmaster, this week explains to us the ins and outs of Facebook, and how to make it work for you.

Most of us use the computer on a daily basis, and most of us will talk to people via forums or emails and will never see the face of the person at the other end. Over the past few years, this trend has changed with the introduction of the MySpace phenomenon and recently, this has extended to a new site named Facebook. Facebook is much like MySpace, but more advanced. Instead of having to contact all of your friends directly, when you create an account, it will be able to look up your e-mail address book and send all your friends an invitation to add you to their Facebook.

Facebook is not just about having a profile, letting the world see who you are and what you look like, it is also about reconnecting with old friends. The search function is really simple to use. In your profile you can include which school you went to and when you graduated, you can even search for people who finished in the same year if you want to - that is how advanced this website has become!

I will step you through how to set up your Facebook account for the first time, how to get that automated email sent to all your friends, show you how to setup your profile and how to join the AboutSeniors Facebook community site!

The first step is to visit the website. You will be prompted with a simple looking website with an easy to use registration in the bottom right of the page as seen below.

Simply fill out the following information and click signup. You will have to enter a security code that comes on the screen (this is to prevent spammers).

Once you have done this, you need to open your email address and click the relating link to activate your account. It will take you directly to the next page as seen below.

For example, as seen above, it will have your e-mail address already typed in, and a selection of e-mail providers in the drop down menu too choose from. Simply click “find friends” and it will send an e-mail to your friends who will be prompted to either join up or add you as a friend, alternatively, those friends who may have invited you in the past, in the next screen you will be prompted to add them to your Facebook!

Now that we have passed this step, it is time to setup our profile.  You can use as little information as you like in this step, it all depends how much time you want to put into the profile. Click on the edit button shown below.


We will be prompted by a new screen, fill out all the following information and as seen in the next photo, there are different section tabs for us to click on once we save the changes. Make your way through each of the following until you have filled out all the information!

Now that we have set up your profile, it is time to add yourself to the AboutSeniors community! As seen below, the following bar appears on the left side of every page, click the “Groups” button.

Now you will be prompted to search for the group, as seen in the image below, type in AboutSeniors and hit the enter key on your keyboard to search for it (Do not hit create a new group).

Once you have done that, the only option that will appear will be our community group as seen below, click join group where the arrow points it out.

Now you have joined the group, you can browse all the members who have joined, post discussions and share photos!

Let us know how this works for you.

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Your Quotes

Got some quotes you love and want to share with us?

Send an e-mail to with the quote and the author’s name, and we will endeavour to post it as soon as possible!

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Andreas’ linguine

Andreas Donnerbauer, Executive Chef at the Sydney Harbour Marriott, has kindly agreed to share some of his favourite recipes with AboutSeniors subscribers. This week, we salivate over his delicious, but easy to prepare, Linguine with Vine Ripened Tomatoes

Linguine with Vine Ripened Tomatoes
(serves 4)

Ingredients

250g linguine
500g vine ripened tomatoes
80g onion, peeled
40g garlic, peeled
80g fresh basil
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
50ml extra virgin olive oil
125g butter
50g parmesan cheese
salt, white pepper

Directions

Cut tomatoes in chunky pieces and set aside.
Melt the butter and the extra virgin olive oil in a medium sized pot
Add onions and garlic and sweat until transparent.  Add the tomatoes and herbs.  Cover and turn heat down to a slow simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, remove lid and let simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Season to taste and set aside until needed
Boil the linguine until “al dente”, which means the pasta should have a bit of bite.
Add the pasta into the sauce and stir.  Serve in soup bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaf and shaved parmesan.

Enjoy with some fresh crusty bread, a glass of light pinot noir and lots of friends.

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Australia’s Great Train Journeys

Kick back, relax and enjoy some of the best train journeys in the world, through the centre of Australia.

The 2008–09 Australia’s Great Train Holidays brochure is now available, with loads of information and new package, tour and accommodation options.

The adventure of train travel across this great southern land offers passengers an unparalleled variety of authentic Australian experiences. Travel on The Ghan, Indian Pacific or The Overland and experience Australia as never before.
If you are an Australian Pension and Commonwealth Senior Health Card holder an unforgettable train holiday is made even easier. With these cards you are eligible to save up to 55% on Great Southern Rail services. You can get even more generous concessions by using your Pension Free Travel Voucher*. This makes your next train holiday within easy reach.
*Conditions apply. Visit www.gsr.com.au for full terms and conditions.

THE LEGENDARY GHAN
The name The Ghan was inspired by the pioneering Afghan cameleers who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia over 150 years ago.
Boarding The Ghan in Adelaide or Darwin, you’ll experience one of the most fascinating great train journeys of the world. Marvel at the spectacular Australian landscapes; from the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding the fascinating town of Alice Springs, gateway to Uluru and the Red Centre, then north to Katherine and the lush tropical splendour of Darwin.
The north-south 2979km journey through outback Australia further enhances what is already considered one of the world’s great train experiences.
Great Southern Rail is also excited to announce that the new Platinum Service will be launched on The Ghan service departing Adelaide for Darwin on 10 September 2008 and ticket sales are now open for booking

Platinum Service is a new luxury level of train travel, like no other Australian train accommodation*. Platinum Cabins will be approximately twice the size of our standard Gold Twin Cabins with each room offering deluxe accommodation including double beds, spacious ensuite and 24 hour room service. They will have all the modern comforts, in a classic style, with a distinctly Australian character.  The Ghan will now also offer accommodation options that rival the best world-class trains. This new service level is in addition to our existing Red and Gold Services, which will continue to operate on The Ghan. This means The Ghan will now cater to all budgets from Red Service the most economical way to travel, through to Gold Service for those holidaymakers who want to travel in comfort.

THE MIGHTY INDIAN PACIFIC
The Indian Pacific travels an amazing 4352kms from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Unlike many other world-renowned train journeys, the Indian Pacific spends the majority of its time removed from civilization. From the barren Nullarbor Plains, where the uniquely Australian outback landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, to the lush green beauty of the Blue Mountains, the Indian Pacific traverses some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery.
There is no better way to see and feel the magic of the Australian continent than on the world famous Indian Pacific and witness parts of Australia that cannot be seen any other way.

THE OVERLAND
Travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne, The Overland began as the Intercolonial Express over 100 years ago. The century old name The Overland came from the affectionate term ‘Overlander’, an adventurer who had travelled across the country.
More than a century later, there’s no more relaxing way to enjoy the trip between Melbourne and Adelaide than on the newly refurbished Overland. The Overland provides a comfortable, relaxing way to travel between the cities or to ease into a great holiday in either Melbourne, Adelaide or their surrounding regions.

On board, The Overland guests have the choice of two levels of service; Red Service and Red Premium Service. Red Service offers a value for money option with all the comforts you need, while Red Premium gives guests more services and more personal space. Both service levels offer guests ample room to move around the train and stretch their legs. The licenced Café Carriage also provides the chance to meet your fellow travellers and socialise in a comfortable, friendly environment.

The Overland operates daylight services to and from Adelaide three times a week.

For further information or bookings visit www.gsr.com.au or call 13 21 47 .

Post an advertisement on AboutSeniors, an established and highly respected website within the fastest growing demographic in Australia, 50+, and give your business the best chance of capturing your target market online.

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Disability Services

State governments offer plenty of information on disability services under their control.  From their websites you can find information on events, services on offer and legislation, as well as forms for applying for services and support.  For more information on what’s available in your area, click on your state below.

Queensland
Western Australia
Victoria
Tasmania
New South Wales
South Australia

There is also a host of information on Federal and Commonwealth legislation and services on the Federal Government website.  For more information on services available and useful government links, visit the Federal Government website

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Spicy Christmas Calamari

Enjoy spicy salt and pepper calamari as a snack with family or friends.

Ingredients
1 kilo fresh Australian calamari, skinned, gutted and cleaned - then cut into 2-3cm pieces
1 cup flour
1 cup corn starch
3 teaspoons Vegeta stock powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder

Method
1) Heat oil in pan, enough to deep fry the calamari
2) Mix all the dry ingredients together
3) Evenly coat one piece of calamari in the mixture and fry. Try this piece for flavour and add more salt and pepper to dry mixture if needed.
4) Fry the remainder of the calamari
5) Serve on a bed of coriander, with mayonnaise on the side

Crack open a bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy!

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Classifieds and personals

At AboutSeniors, one of our aims is to assist you to find affordable, if not free, ways to enjoy life and to connect and interact with those near and far.

Our online community is growing every day: the personals page is running hot and the classifieds are offering more and better deals. As well, the AboutSeniors forum is proving to be a popular place for people to exchange information, throw around ideas and freely express themselves.

· We were delighted Zoe H posted a personal in order to get a group of women together to form a rowing team. Read her post now and find out more about what rowing has done for Zoe since she took it up at the age of 65, by clicking here
· Anne H wants to know where she might find a penpal. Read her query now
· Ross J has a friend with a fascinating, perhaps controversial, point to make about the amount of the Age Pension. Go there now
· George B has also made an interesting point about the tax rate for older Australians. Read what he has to say now

To view our Discount Directory, Click here

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Getting things in order

Perhaps you offered to deal with a seemingly simple bureaucratic matter on behalf of a friend or family member, only to discover you have no authority and cannot do a thing. Everyone, no matter what age, needs a Power of Attorney.

This article from Your Life magazine outlines why a Power of Attorney is so important, what the different types are and what could happen if you don’t have one. Remember this is a state issue, so terminology and details differ from state to state.

Think you don’t need a Power of Attorney? Here are a few good reasons to use this simple safeguard.

Whether far from home in a remote jungle or unexpectedly incapacitated in hospital, you could regret not appointing someone you trust as your Power of Attorney. For instance, if you have an extended hospital stay, bills will still need to be paid. Or while you are on that three-month Italian sojourn, there could be myriad impossible-to-anticipate administrative and financial details requiring your signature and which no one else can help you with unless they have been granted Power of Attorney. Or perhaps your parents are overwhelmed by call centres, being put on hold and having to remember endless passwords just to ask a simple question about financial or household concerns. As they age, it could make life easier for all if you can represent them and sign on their behalf. You may think a Power of Attorney is only necessary if a person is totally incapacitated, but even if you want to be able to help your parents with something as simple as a telephone account or withdrawing cash it is vital to have been granted Power of Attorney. Don’t assume the beneficiaries of a will have the power to act in such matters – they don’t.

What is a Power of Attorney?
A Power of Attorney is a document which means that the person to whom it is granted becomes virtually indistinguishable from the person granting the Power of Attorney, in so far as the institutions which require transactions to stand up in court are concerned. More than one Power of Attorney can be appointed if it’s appropriate. But decide if they will be able to act only together (jointly) or together and separately (jointly and severally). If one person could be away when a signature is needed, it might be worth them being able to act separately.

Are there different types?
There are four main types of Power of Attorney and each state and territory has slightly different uses and powers for the different types. See the MORE box at the end of this article for where to find specific information for your state or territory. 1. General Power of Attorney is for use when you can’t sign anything because you are hiking in Thailand or because you are in hospital. You may wish to consider having an expiry date for a General Power of Attorney if you are going overseas.
2. Enduring Power of Attorney is more powerful. It comes into use when someone has no means of looking after themselves and documentation has to be dealt with in regards to their long-term circumstances, often to do with living arrangements. A General Power of Attorney would not continue to be effective should the person lose mental capacity but an Enduring Power of Attorney would. Check your state’s laws in regards to the specific boundaries and definition of this type of Power of Attorney as there can be crossover with Enduring Guardianship (see below).
3. Medical Power of Attorney is known under different names in different states: in the ACT, Enduring Power of Attorney; in Victoria, Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment); in SA, Medical Power of Attorney; in NSW and Tasmania, Enduring Guardianship; in WA, Guardianship Orders; and in the Northern Territory, Medical Enduring Power of Attorney. It’s about appointing someone to make life and death decisions, such as whether to continue with life support. You might want to appoint someone in this role if you have no living relative, as hospitals will usually make such decisions in collaboration with the family.
4. Enduring Guardianship is important if someone can no longer make decisions about where to live, whom to live with, what health care to receive, and daily issues like diet and dress. In some states you will need an Enduring Guardian rather than an Enduring Power of Attorney to decide on living arrangements.

What does it cost?
You can buy a Power of Attorney from any legal stationer for about $5, but it can be a complicated process to fill it out, requiring correct numbering, layout etc. It’s worth paying a lawyer to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’. The minimum legal cost would be $200, more if you have to be visited in hospital. So get it done now and save everyone the hassle later.

Why you should get one now
There will be someone you trust to look after you or your parents’ personal and financial affairs in a manner of which you or they would approve. Not having a Power of Attorney can create enormous logistical problems for children or friends and can hold back important processes. It can help save legal costs should problems arise with financial situations and matters end up in court. Most of all, if you or someone you love hasn’t appointed a Power of Attorney, no one has that most precious commodity – peace of mind.

Disclaimer
The information provided is of a general nature, and should not be construed as legal advice. The information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of it. Please contact AussieLegal for further information:
Ph 1300 728 200
Web http://www.aussielegal.com.au

MORE
Who’s who
Here are the relevant government websites for each state. Just type ‘power of attorney’ into the search window of the web page.
New South Wales
Web www.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory
Web www.nt.gov.au
Queensland
Web www.qld.gov.au
South Australia
Web www.service.sa.gov.au/agencies.asp
Tasmania
Web www.tas.gov.au
Victoria
Web www.justice.vic.gov.au
Western Australia
Web www.justice.wa.gov.au/portal/server.pt

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Leaving it all behind

The importance of estate planning cannot be overstated. To find out all about probate, joint ownership of assets, what happens if you don’t have a will, and the cost and expectations of being an executor.

Read these two articles from Your Life magazine to learn about the process for those left to sort out the often complicated and time-consuming legal tasks involved with an estate. Plus, there is information on how more and more people are including community and charitable organisations in their legacy – a wonderful expression of an individual’s values and beliefs.

We may be leaving it all behind, but there’s work ahead for our families and executors in distributing our worldly goods when we die, as Mark van den Berg explains.

We read a lot about legal wills and how important they are. But we don’t often read about what happens after someone dies – from a legal aspect, that is. Understanding what your family will be required to do when you do quit this life may affect how you arrange your estate.

What is a will?
A will is a document that contains your instructions on how you want your property (including assets such as land, a home, shares, cash etc.) to be distributed after you have died. It can also set out who you want to look after any children who
are minors if the unthinkable happens to you and your partner – an unhappy thought, but an essential consideration if you have young children.

What happens after you die?
Your nominated executors are responsible for ensuring that your wishes are carried out. In the vast majority of cases, this means dealing with your assets. The most common assets in a typical estate are bank accounts, shares, motor vehicles,
real estate, superannuation, life insurance policies and personal possessions. Your executor’s job is to have these various assets sold, or transferred into the name or names of the beneficiaries listed in your will.

Now comes the hard part. Your executor will need to contact the company, body or government department that controls the title to those assets and request that they transfer the asset either into the name of the executor if the asset is to be sold, or directly into the name of the beneficiaries. In some cases, the controlling body will oblige after you send them a copy of the will and death certificate. But in other cases, the controlling body will ask for a Grant of Probate from the Supreme Court before they will transfer the assets. The type of asset and whose name or names are on the title of the asset will determine if a Grant of Probate is required. The reason they ask for this document is to protect themselves against being sued by someone who may have a financial claim of some kind against the estate. It is worthwhile noting that there are no death duties in Australia. The application for a Grant of Probate is not about the State collecting money. It is a ‘due diligence’ processdesigned to ensure that your estate is properly administered.

Assets in joint names
Jointly-owned assets are assets that are in two or more people’s names. For jointly-owned assets, such as real estate, title to the asset automatically passes to the second person when the first person dies. The title laws override the laws covering wills and probate, and thus jointly-owned assets would not be covered by a will. Examples of assets in the sole name of the deceased that are normally subject to probate include land and real estate, bank and savings accounts above $10,000, share accounts where the value of each separate company is above $15,000 and, in some cases, life and superannuation policies. Examples of assets where probate is usually not required include motor vehicles, personal possessions and, in some cases, life and superannuation policies. Your life insurance policy and superannuation account are a little different from other assets in that in some circumstances they form part of your estate, and are therefore subject to probate, and in some cases they are excluded from your estate, and therefore not subject to probate. If you have named a specific beneficiary or beneficiaries in either of these, then on your death, title passes directly to them. If you have not named a specific person or persons, then the monies will be deemed to be part of your estate. The insurance company or super fund will almost certainly require a Grant before they will release the funds to your beneficiaries.

The probate process
So what exactly is required to obtain a Grant of Probate? The executors named in your will are required to make a formal application to the Supreme Court in your State for a Grant of Probate. The application consists of a number of completed forms and affidavits (sworn statements), your will, the death certificate, and a copy of the death notice placed in the newspaper. As each State has different requirements, the format, content and number of forms for the application vary. The Probate Registry with the Supreme Court is the area that would process your application and they are extremely pedantic about the accuracy and content of the forms. A misspelled name is sufficient to cause the rejection of an application. Once the Grant is issued, your executors will have the authority to deal with your estate.
What happens if you die without a will?

If you die without a will, your assets will usually be divided according to the intestacy laws in your State. The result of this is typically that your property may not be divided according to your wishes, your children and other minors in your care may not receive the financial and other assistance you would have desired, your de facto spouse, stepchildren, friends and favourite charities may miss out and your estate may be administered by someone of whom you disapprove. State intestacy laws typically have
fixed rules on how your estate will be divided among your family members. Unfortunately, it will be extremely difficult for your family to change this outcome if they are not happy with the way the estate is distributed. As the body controlling the title to your assets requires a Court authority before releasing the asset, an application to the Supreme Court still needs to be made. The application process is similar, but follows different rules and is more complex than probate. In this case, the application can only be made by a relative or, in special circumstances, a person who has a valid claim on your estate. The application would be for a Grant of Letters of Administration, and the applicant would be seeking the role
of administrator of your estate.

What is the cost and how long does it take?
If you have been asked to be an executor, or you wish to apply to be the administrator for a relative, you have a number of options with regard to applying for a Grant. A solicitor will typically charge $3000 to $5000 to prepare the application for a Grant of Probate and $5000 to $8000 to prepare an application for Letters of Administration. In addition to the legal fees, there is the cost of advertising and the Court filing fee of around $500. An application by a solicitor will usually take two months to six months. However, there are alternatives. At AussieLegal we have created a number of DIY legal kits to assist people, including a range covering probate and Letters of Administration. The kits are complete with instructions, example forms and blank forms that can be edited and are written in plain English. The price of Handling Probate kits ranges from $199.95 to $999.95, depending on how much you want to do yourself, while the Letters of Administration kits range in cost from $499.95 to $1499.95. Personal applications can be done in as little as three to four weeks.

MORE
AussieLegal is a legal information and law firm referral service; Mark van den Berg is the organisation’s managing director. The services AussieLegal offers include Legal Advice Line, Finda-Lawyer, DIY legal kits, a legal forum and access to a range of legal articles.
Ph 1300 728 200
Web www.aussielegal.com.au
Email
Contacts for State probate offices are:
Probate Division, Supreme Court NSW
Ph (02) 9230 8111
Probate Office of NT
Ph (08) 8999 7953
Probate Office of Tasmania
Ph (03) 6233 3716
Probate Office of Victoria
Ph (03) 9603 9296
Probate Office of WA
Ph (08) 9261 7699
Probate, Registrar ACT
Ph (02) 6267 2761
Probate, Registrar Queensland
Ph (07) 3247 4313
Probate, Registrar SA
Ph (08) 8204 0505

Giving back to the community

When it comes to making a will, many people are now opting to take a more community based approach and endow a long-lasting
financial legacy to their preferred charity, says Mark Robinson.

It’s a very personal gesture and often a very important component of people’s lives, even if they cannot give as much as they would like. Armed with the right information, it is relatively easy to follow this path and make plans to donate a proportion of wealth either during one’s lifetime or after death. In general terms, there are four ways to make a donation. Each option
has taxation and other financial and practical implications and you may require expert assistance to determine the best strategy for your circumstances.

1. Give directly
Historically, the first choice for many people has been to donate directly to an established charitable organisation, either in their lifetime or by making a bequest in their will, but a lack of transparency can be a drawback here. In some instances, the organisation’s use of the funds is apparent. The Cancer Council, for example, has clearly-defined goals and donors can expect their donation will be used to support cancer research or assist cancer sufferers in some way. However, sometimes it is not clear how the donated funds will be used, which can trouble donors. For example, some aid organisations provide assistance across a very broad range of activities and countries. Additionally, administration costs can be unclear and there is rarely an opportunity to see a tangible result from a donation.

2. Establish a Prescribed Private Fund
Prescribed Private Funds (PPFs) are private charitable foundations that provide a way to donate money in perpetuity and can best be described as an ‘agent’ between the donor and existing charitable organisations. Unlike direct giving, a PPF allows the donated capital to be retained inside a charitable trust controlled by an individual or an entire family. The income generated is distributed annually to a range of charitable organisations chosen by the
founding individual and their family. Where trustees of PPFs identify similar interests and goals, they may embark on joint ventures over a nominated period in order to provide funding for a project that would otherwise be too big for any one fund to support on its own. PPFs must distribute income annually to recognised charities and there are clear definitions about the sort of projects that can be funded. If desired, provision can be made for the charity to receive a certain percentage of the capital each year, plus income.

3. Donate to a Foundation offering Donor Advised Sub-Accounts
These are charitable trusts established and administered by a trustee company that allow intending donors to donate to a ‘sub-account’ within the trust. This relieves a donor from the cost and compliance issues involved with having their own foundation. However, like PPFs, donors still retain control over the manner in which their donation is used. For example, if an
individual donates $250,000 to a Donor Advised Sub-Account and nominates that the income go to animal protection charities, the foundation directs the donor’s income to those nominated charities each year. Donations can be made to a Donor Advised Sub-Account throughout a person’s lifetime, or in their will. Patrick Rafter’s Cherish the Children Foundation is a well-known example of a Donor Advised Sub-Account in a foundation operated by a
trustee company.

4. Establish a Testamentary Charitable Trust in a will
Establishing a testamentary charitable trust (TCT) as part of an estate plan is another way of
providing chosen charities with a reliable annual income stream in perpetuity. As is the case with PPFs and Donor Advised Sub-Accounts, the donated capital is invested and the income distributed to objects or purposes detailed in a person’s will. And like PPFs, provision can
be made for a charity to receive a certain percentage of the capital annually, plus income.

Tax implications
As indicated at the start of this article, each of these methods of charitable giving has its own tax implications and you may need the assistance of an expert in tax to work out which is the best for you. For example, donations made via the first three options are tax deductible, which may encourage or enable you to make further donations so your gift can keep growing. In the case of TCTs, however, their growth is limited by their very nature, i.e. they only become effective on the death of the person making the will and any donations made by others to top
them up are not tax-deductible. On the other hand, if the will-maker gifts an asset normally subject to Capital Gains Tax (CGT – like a house) to a TCT in a will, it is usually exempted
from CGT, preserving the full value of the gift.

Choosing trustees
Just as the structure and tax aspects of your charitable giving need careful consideration, so does the choice of trustee to manage any charitable trust in which you choose to become involved. The trustee plays an often time-consuming role in managing the trust. This includes meeting all legal and taxation requirements, ensuring that the funds are invested for the best possible returns and distributing the trust allocation. This can be a major burden for an individual. However, it is all part of the role of a professional trustee, so appointing a trustee
company is a popular answer for many. A trustee company not only provides expertise in investment and knowledge of developments in philanthropy, it also provides continuity in the management of the trust that will usually continue in perpetuity.

Disclaimer: This is intended to provide general information in summary form on the topics discussed and is current at the time of publication. The contents do not constitute legal, tax or financial advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in this article.
Mark Robinson is an estate-planning specialist with national financial services firm Australian Executor Trustees.
Ph (02) 9028 1056
Email

MORE
Further information on charitable giving can be found by contacting:
Australian Executor Trustees Australian Tax Office
Web www.aetlimited.com.au Web www.ato.gov.au
or by phoning your favourite charity direct.

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Maui Lyn

On 12 June, lucky winner Lynn O’Connor and her twin sister, Jennie, collected the keys to a Maui motorhome in Brisbane and hit the road for their month-long nomad adventure. Their blog and images from the journey are be featured now on the BigPond Bigblog site and below, so visit regularly to enjoy your vicarious journey through Australia’s outback.
To find a BIG4 holiday park near you, click here now
And to learn about Maui motorhomes visit the web page here

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Retirement Income Streams

What are retirement income streams?
When we retire we all have a common issue – how are we going to produce an income for the rest of our lives? The main thing we lose in retirement is the ability to earn wages and salaries.
Whether you’ve built up savings from superannuation, investment property, equity in your home, money in the bank, inheritance etc., you will need to turn this capital into an income stream which is convenient, secure and tax effective.
You may also have other objectives in retirement such as gaining the most out of Centrelink and the Age Pension or the Veterans’ Affairs Pension, in addition to estate planning issues.
For an ever-increasing number of people the answer lies in the form of income streams and, in particular, superannuation allocated pensions, term allocated pensions and other complying annuities.

Where do you go to get one?
Most life insurance companies and financial services organisations provide these different types of income stream products. You can approach these organisations directly, at which point they will usually direct you to one of their financial planning groups, or you can seek the advice of an independent financial planner. You should always seek professional advice. It is very dangerous to attempt to set yourself up with an income stream without professional consultation, particularly professional tax advice.

How do you set one up?
1. Decide on your retirement date or year.
2. Ensure you have a clear and defined set of goals and objectives.
(e.g. required income per year, investment objectives, access to capital, Centrelink etc).
3. Do your research! Most providers’ websites have additional information on their income streams.
4. Arrange an interview with a retirement specialist, preferably an independent one.
5. Work together to use your retirement savings to the best effect.
Remember, you do not need to review all possible income stream products in order to choose the one best suited to your circumstances. Pre-qualify your needs by checking the table [here] for those points which do or do not relate to your priorities.
Richard Sheargold

Table supplied by Louise Biti, Asteron.

For more information on Retirement Income from the FACS website,
click here

InvestSMART, a discount broker of allocated pension investments, have provided the following table which shows a number of the top performing funds based on 12 month’s performance.

If you wish to look at any of the funds in the table below you will be taken to InvestSMART’s website where you can research these products more, compare it with other investment options and most importantly request or download a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Top Performing Retirement Funds

Managed Fund data is supplied by Morningstar Research and Standard & Poor’s Information Services and is subject to the following disclaimer.
Managed fund unit prices are indicative only.

Sourcing and comparing fixed term or Life Annuity style products from Life Insurance companies is not available online. Please call InvestSMART on 1300 880 160 for some comparable rates based on your timeframe. There is little doubt that by choosing wisely, a good retirement income stream will contribute to the basis for a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER : This information has been prepared for distribution over the internet and without taking into account the investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any particular person. Neither InvestSMART Financial Services Pty Ltd nor www.aboutseniors.com.au make any recommendations as to the merits of any investment opportunity referred to on www.aboutseniors.com.au or any related websites. All indications of performance returns are historical and can not be relied upon as an indicator for future performance.

© 2007 Morningstar Research Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. To the extent that the above constitutes general advice by Morningstar, this advice has been prepared by Morningstar Research Pty Ltd ABN: 83 062 096 342, AFSL: 243 161 and does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Please refer to Morningstar’s Financial Service Guide (FSG) for more information at www.morningstar.com.au/fsg.asp and consider the product disclosure statement before making a decision to acquire the financial product.

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Great grey nomad resources

For those of you thinking about running away from home, the importance of undertaking thorough research before hitting the road cannot be overstated.

Changing Gears: how to run away from home
Next year thousands of Australians of all ages will, like Toad, seek the open road, travelling for months or even years. If this is your dream but lack of organisation, lack of time to plan, or a fear of the unknown have held you back, Kate Johnston helps you take the leap.

Remember when the Great Australian Dream was the house, the hearth and the Hills Hoist? It’s now replaced by running away from home – for a long time! It’s worth taking the time to address the who, what, when, where and how of packing your life into a motorhome or caravan and taking to the road. We asked the experts for their practical guidelines for hassle-free travels.

So what’s the plan?
Start planning your trip by asking these basic questions:

How are you going to pay for the trip?
When is the best time to go?
Where do you travel?
What do you take, what do you leave behind – for instance, emotional baggage.
Who do you go with?

The time of your life
Is there ever a good time to say goodbye to family, friends, house and hedge? It’s a personal decision, but there’s no denying the influence of the weather in choosing when to go where.
“Travellers usually go north in winter and south in summer,” says Samantha Lazarou from Winnebago Industries. “Check with state or territory tourism bodies for best times of year to travel.”

Perhaps your taste buds will lure you into hitting the gourmet highlights, or your nose for a good story will lead you on a literary trail. ”Many people plan their itinerary around Australia’s huge range of arts and craft festivals and local markets,” says Samantha. Or maybe “all play and no work” makes the cherry-picking season sound like fun? Following the fishing season may incite a feeding frenzy, but you might prefer to feed your soul with some jazz and blues.

It’s a major lifestyle change, so make sure you’ve talked about all the issues with your travelling partner/s. Be honest about your hopes and fears for the trip: how you imagine it will work on a day-to-day basis and what you most want to get out of the experience. It will mean less time debating and more time delighting.

Proper preparation can take a number of months. Think ahead. How long do you really want to be away? Some people mightn’t like the idea of being miles from home on important anniversaries or birthdays, family events, HSC/VCE exams or the due date of a much-anticipated grandchild.

Need to know: Note school holidays – caravan parks charge double.

Do you know where you’re going?
So how do you work out where you want to go? “Make a basic plan but know that this will change,” says Samantha. “It’s inevitable you will meet people whose stories of interesting places, things to do and roads to avoid will affect your plans.”

Sometimes the highway to heaven will get you where you want to go but taking the low road brings surprises. Everyday will feel different, and staying flexible is part of the fun.

Lee Atkinson, author of On the Road, says experience has taught her to opt for depth not breadth. “Once on the road, take your time! Decide to see less and explore regions in detail. Stay longer in one place. With petrol prices so high, it makes more and more sense.”

And when it comes to petrol, think about the timing. “Check the opening hours for petrol stations in remote areas,” says Lee. ”They can still close at 5pm weekdays and 12 noon on the weekends.”

Need to know: For a comprehensive guide to public toilets across the country, go to http://www.toiletmap.gov.au

Need to know: Froggyswebs.com has a fuel watch that tells you the cheapest fuel prices in each state.
I get around – but in what?
Before you even buy a map, you’ll have to navigate your way through the many vehicle options. Whether you choose a motorhome or a caravan, there are a number of ways to make the decision less stressful.

“Consider renting or doing a deal to take a short trip as a trial run. It will give you a feel for the vehicle and can help to iron out the practical issues,” says Samantha.

And let’s face it, just as we tend to take more stuff than we need, we tend to think bigger is better. “Think seriously about how large your rig needs to be,” says Lee. “Remember you have to manoeuvre it around caravan parks, shopping centres and national parks. Many people who utilise caravan parks find they use the indoor shower and bathroom less than they thought they would, and often move to a smaller vehicle for their second trip.”

Of course, the little things do count. A “Claytons” trip will help to simplify packing and preparations for the long stretch. ”You’d be surprised how much it can help to have sorted out such things where it’s best to put cutlery, plates and even shoes,” says Samantha.

Don’t rush the decision – get the vehicle that suits your specific needs, not just the biggest or latest model.

Need to know: travellers with disabilities can find a heap of information at http://www.nican.com.au

Buy now or pay later?
With such a major purchase it always pays to shop around. You’ll be amazed at the difference in deals. Don’t hesitate to ask for flexibility in financial arrangements, as there are a number of ways you can structure the purchase depending on your personal and financial needs.

“Some people sell their homes to buy a motorhome,” says Samantha. “Some pay 50% now, 50% later. There are also deals where you pay 50% now, go travelling, then the dealership will buy the vehicle back from you when you return.”

If you’re buying a motorhome, think of it as an asset like your home. “A motorhome often retains value or even appreciates, if it’s well-maintained,” says Samantha.

Try before you buy
Before you buy a motorhome, you can join the Winnebago RV Club, which gives members the opportunity to try vehicles out, ask informed questions and get the inside story from friendly, more seasoned, travellers. The club also offers discounts on rental vehicles if you want to try one out on a short trip.

Need to know: Watch the height restrictions at bridges. Know the height of your vehicle, and don’t forget to factor in any air-conditioning unit on the roof. Also know the weight of your vehicle – older bridges have weight restrictions.

Home away from home
Your new home will need TLC as it takes you across the continent. Look after it and it will bring you hours of hassle-free pleasure. Both Lee and Samantha agree on the importance of making sure your vehicle is in good working order.

Before you run away
Get your vehicle serviced.
Buy a spare battery for emergencies.
When you’re packing, stow away every single thing. Even one book can be a deadly missile.
After you’ve packed, check the vehicle’s wheel alignment.
Know the gross vehicle mass and post-packing, the combined mass of your vehicle and load. You can weigh it at your state’s Road Traffic Authority (RTA) – a bike or surfboard can make a real difference and the weight does impact on petrol usage.
Samantha recommends joining an Auto Association. “Depending on your level of membership,” she says, ”they can offer the reassurance of evacuation should there be an emergency and you need to fly home quickly.”

Need to know: remember fruit fly restrictions. Freecall 1800 084 881 for a reminder of the borders through which you cannot take fruit.

On the road
Regularly check water and oil levels and tyre pressure.
Watch the battery use – running fridges and other gadgets can drain it, especially if the fridge is an older fridge. Turn off appliances at the power point.
Keep your windscreens clean. The glare at sunrise, sunset or from headlights at night can reduce vision and make driving more tiring. Don’t forget to top up the windscreen-washer bottle.
Check the sealants around windows and hatches, as they can become dry or shrink in extremes of weather.

Take a load off
So what to take and what to leave behind? There are those who wouldn’t dream about running away without their pet. Fido’s food, furnishings and fleas will need to be considered, although these days there are a range of pet-friendly caravan parks and camping grounds.

Need to know: FFI – For Fido’s Information: read Holidaying with Dogs (2005, A “Life, Be In It” Publication) or go to the website www.holidayingwithdogs.com.au

Once you arrive and set up camp, a bike can make getting around simpler and more pleasant. Do you really need that surfboard? Realistically – what is going to lie around unused and taking up precious space? Part of running away is being prepared to shed the security blanket. And like all travelling, you always end up coming back with more, not less.

A basic survival strategy should include a quality tool kit and first aid kit, but equally as important is housecleaning equipment, insect repellent, a camera and a good book – just not a library!

You might be tempted to stock up on food, but unless your intention is to go outback and stay outback, part of the fun of touring is visiting farmers’ markets, trying regional taste treats or preparing seasonally-based meals.

Storage is going to be an issue, so ask yourself, should it be the sleeping bag or linen? And if it’s the latter – how much linen is too much? How often do you want to be washing sheets?

Good maps can make all the difference. Samantha recommends Hema maps, and State Auto Associations offer good maps free to members. You can also utilise the local information centres for free maps of the area.

If you or any of your travelling partners is left-handed, try to anticipate any relevant issues. They may not be able to live without their left-handed vegetable peeler!

Need to know: For true-blue cooking the Aussie way, read Explore Wild Australia With The Bush Tucker Man, Les Hiddins, 2003 Explore Australia Publications $34.95

There’s no place like home
We focus so much on the road ahead, but if you’re leaving a home behind you, there are a few things you won’t want to forget. “Remember to cancel your home deliveries and ask neighbours to collect the mail,” says Lee.” And it might be worth installing a light timer so it looks like someone’s home.” Also, organise for any ongoing bills to be paid by direct debit.

Of course, it’s important to get travel insurance. You may need vehicle as well as personal travel insurance. If you are going to be living in a motorhome as your primary residence, you should check the relevance of your current house and contents policy with your insurance company or broker. Also make sure they are notified that you won’t be in residence or using your house as a residence for an extended period of time. Ask what the insurance ramifications of this are.

Need to know: If you do a first aid course, you often get a discount on a first aid kit.

Lines of Communication
Many people run a business from the road, and they can’t do without mobile phones and email. Or if you feel out of touch without your personal computer and don’t have a laptop, a Blackberry could be your new best friend: it’s a pocket-sized wireless email, SMS, telephone, Internet and Intranet device.
There’s a wide range of Blackberry’s available. See some of them at http://www.phoneshop.com.au.

If running away means isolation but you need to stay available to family, satellite phones can keep you in range. There is a new government subsidy for the purchase of a satellite telephone for those who live or work in remote areas that aren’t serviced by Telstra. For more information on whether you qualify and how to apply, go to http://www.dcita.gov.au/satphone or call 1800 674 058.

Running on empty?
Of course, you can’t ignore the financial realities of taking to the track. It is possible to earn money while on the move.
And with today’s mobile technology, it’s easier to work and play at the same time. “Some people make their motorhome their ‘motoroffice’ and run their business from wherever they are,” says Samantha.

Helena Gibson from Clearview Retirement Solutions says making the decision to purchase a motorhome or caravan could affect your Centrelink benefits, especially if you decide to sell your home and make a motorhome your principal residence.

A motorhome is considered an asset, and depending on its market value, could disadvantage you through the loss of benefits by taking you over the asset threshold, especially if you no longer own a regular home. You could consider downsizing your primary residence, if you need to free up some funds through selling the home.

Contact Centrelink to find out details about the advantages and disadvantages as they pertain to you.

Need to know: A motorhome is considered your principal residence if you are away for more than twelve months, and this distinction could affect your Centrelink benefits. 

Alone again, naturally: no excuse not to go
Travelling solo is common, and good fun! To get you into the swing of things, look into the caravan and motorhome ‘Solo Clubs’. “The Winnebago RV club runs ‘solo safaris’ into more remote areas,” says Samantha. “Participants travel in a convoy and guides are available to help with the organisation of touring into isolated areas. Our club website also has a chat forum for making contact with other solo travellers, picking up tips and asking questions of those who have gone before or are about to go.”

Resources
Books – remember, ordering online can be cheaper. (see review in bookshelf online below)
The Grey Nomad’s Guidebook
Macmillan 2007
RRP $24.95

Explore Australia
Hardie Grant 2005
RRP $69.95

On the Road: 40 Great Driving Holidays in Australia by Lee Atkinson, New
Holland Publishers 2005
RRP $29.95

Holidaying with Dogs, A Life Be In It
Publication 2005
RRP $18.95

Following are some useful websites:
www.winnebago.com.au
www.australiancaravantouring.com.au
www.cmca.net.au
www.exploreoz.com.au
www.australia.com
www.travelingaustralia.com
www.goseeaustralia.com.au
www.motorhominglifestyle.com
www.caravanning-oz.com
www.big4.com.au/public
www.planbooktravel.com
www.nican.com.au – for travellers with disabilities
www.holidayingwithdogs.com.au
This article was first published in Your Life magazine, summer 2005–06, Issue 21.

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Centrelink on the road

If you’re running away from home for a length of time, make sure you understand any implications your trip will have on your pension entitlements. This issue, Centrelink General Manager, Hank Jongen, has outlined the three main areas you need to keep in mind: how selling your home may affect your pension, the upcoming changes to the assets test for pensions and rent assistance.

General information on how selling your home may affect your pension
· A person’s family home is exempt from the assets test for pensions. However, if you sell your home and intend to use the proceeds on a new home, the money is exempt as an asset for 12 months and, from 1 July 2007, possibly up to two years in certain cases. If you put the money in a financial institution or investment, it is still subject to deeming under the income test, even though the asset value is exempt.
· If you purchase a much cheaper house, the remaining money, if banked or invested, would be immediately counted as an asset by Centrelink as well as being subject to deeming.
· If you buy a home on wheels, intending to travel for a while and then buy a new home, any remaining money you intend to later use on a new home would still be exempt as an asset for the original 12 months, and up to two years from 1 July 2007 in certain cases, but the mobile home would usually be treated as an asset. As a non-homeowner, you would have a higher allowable asset level than before, so the inclusion of the home on wheels as an asset may or may not affect you. Depending on your individual circumstances, this may result in a reduction or cancellation of Age Pension. 
· You should discuss these issues with Centrelink before making any final decisions, to make sure that you understand how the rules would work in your case. Call 13 2300 for more information, or visit the website at www.centrelink.gov.au.
Changes to pension assets test
· From 20 September 2007, the social security pension assets test taper will be halved, so that Age Pension and other pensions will only be reduced by $1.50 per fortnight for every $1000 of assets above the allowable asset limits (instead of the previous $3 per fortnight for every $1000 of assets above the assets test free areas).
· The change will mean people currently receiving a part pension under the assets test from Centrelink will get increased payments, while others who were previously unable to get a pension because of their assets may now be entitled to a part pension.
· The new assets test thresholds will be approximately:
Family Situation Full pension/allowance For part pension
Single homeowner Up to $161,500 Less than $520,750
(up from $343,750)

Single non-homeowner Up to $278,500 Less than $641,750
(up from $464,750)

Couple homeowner Up to $229,000 combined Less than $825,500
(up from $531,000)

Couple non-homeowner Up to $346,000 combined Less than $946,500
(up from $652,000)

Rent Assistance
· If someone receiving a pension does decide to travel in their home on wheels after selling their family home, they may be eligible for rent assistance, which helps them cover the cost of rent in the private market. It is also covers caravan site fees or other accommodation that a person occupies as their principal home. The amount of rent assistance they may be entitled to depends on how much rent they pay, as well as their personal circumstances.
· If someone receiving a pension decides to keep the family home, but travel in their home on wheels as well, in most cases they are not entitled to rent assistance if they have plans to return to their principal home within 12 months. If they are still travelling after 12 months, even if it’s still a temporary absence, the value of their home is treated as an asset and they may be eligible to receive rent assistance to cover the cost of alternate accommodation.
· It’s important to remember, however, that the value of the house may have a substantial impact of the rate of payment someone is entitled to.
· If the principal home is rented while someone travels, the rental income is counted as income and may also affect payment rates.
· Those on benefits need to contact Centrelink on 13 2300 if their circumstances change so we can ensure they are receiving the right payment and the right amount.
· You qualify for rent assistance if you:
1. receive a pension
2. receive more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit if you have dependent children
3. receive an allowance or benefit if you don’t have dependent children, and you
a. are over 25
b. are partnered
c. are under 25 (under 21 if you receive Disability Support Pension) and living permanently or indefinitely apart from parents or guardians, or
d. are receiving Youth Allowance at the away from home rate, and
4. meet residence requirements.

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Timeless Stories in 60 seconds

Our generation were often taught in ‘scripture’ at school. If you didn’t get them there, they were part of our folklore anyway: The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son, The Lost Sheep, all attributed to a wandering Jewish carpenter turned teacher/philosopher/messiah.

The Parables are remarkable for their brevity and their deep insight into the human condition. But their teacher – a man called Jesus – often claimed more about them when he said, “The kingdom of God is like…”.
That they - so simple in form - reflect a glimpse of some other reality makes them worth a second look. Consider, for instance, this:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew13)

My daughters are shoppers. And how. GraysOnline, eBay are a more than routine part of their purchasing patterns. What are they buying? Anything that they perceive will make their lives happier, easier, richer. Have they got to the point in their lives of shopping for meaning? Not so sure. But when they do, they will shop! And then, watch out the bishops, new-agers and gurus. They’ll shop hard till they get the answers they want.

The pearl merchant shopped and searched for excellence. He wanted to posses the ultimate prize. He was prepared to dispose of everything else in order to achieve that magic joyous moment of exchange of the less valued for the ultimate prize. Is this what the kingdom of heaven is? The most valued sought after purchase of our existence? The thing in the light of which, everything else fades into insignificance? In our shopping experience, often the ultimate prize seems hidden from us. But once we see it, our focus can go nowhere else. I suspect that this was what Jesus hoped for all of us.

But there may be more. The parables about the Kingdom of Heaven to me often are about this Jewish teacher and how he saw himself. In telling this story was he talking about himself searching out the great and most valued thing to him in the universe? Each person. You. Me. That our value was beyond price? Was he prepared to make whatever spiritual transaction was required, no matter what the cost, to open the Kingdom of Heaven in all its happiness to us who are searching for meaning?

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IN THIS SECTION

Mobilise your team with Telstra Connected Seniors
Senior friendly phone
Lyn and Jennie hit the road
How to blog
Don’t be left behind
Discounts and Rewards
Home Phone Plans
Internet Services
Frequently Asked Questions
More information

Welcome to the About Seniors Education page. Learning is a life long pursuit and the following Adult Educational Organisations are a great place for mature age students to re-start or continue their study. These days, online education offers courses of an equal value to that you would get on campus, so there’s plenty of opportunity for opening your mind and opening your books.

Universities of the Third Age

Universities of the Third Age, or U3As as they are more often called, are voluntary, non-profit organisations which aim to offer older people low-cost educational opportunities that operate in a pleasant, supportive social setting. There are no formal entry requirements, no examinations and no “awards”. U3As are built on the premise that, collectively, older people have the skills & knowledge to provide learning for themselves. Find out more

Basic car maintenance courses

Whether your heading off on a road trip or just trying to keep costs down, a useful skill to have is being able to carry out your own basic car maintenance.

Knowing how to do the basics yourself can not only save you money but also give you an interest and a new skill.  There are many courses throughout Australia, some are even free, that will give you an understanding of what you need to do to keep your car on the road. If nothing else, it will enable you to understand if the work your mechanic claims to be needed on your vehicle is actually necessary.

For details of courses that run in your area, visit courses.com.au

Personal advertisements are just that – a quick and easy way to advertise online to make contact with a like-minded individual for friendship, wining and dining, travel, reunions – or good old-fashioned companionship. You can use the About Seniors personal classifieds space to post your message (100 word limit) – ads will be listed for three months, with most recent up top.

Companies wishing to advertise goods and services with seniors discounts need to click here

For techno types and those who’d like to be more techno-savvy, the About Seniors computer pages is here to assist. On the Basics page there’s an extensive glossary of techno-terminology, plus loads of information on everything from broadband to spyware. On the Q&A page you will find answers to all your techno questions, plus there’s a page listing specific sites for seniors as well as the software downloads and games page.

Why not check out our newest page, Computer How-To’s filled with valuable information teaching you how to master outlook, install interesting programs or even how to do simple things such as copy and paste!

Enjoy stories straight from the imaginations of the AboutSeniors online community. Read their experiences, ideas and histories or find some fun in the writings of Mr Eric Shackle.

Move it or lose it! Here we feature the latest news, information and the hottest links for those seeking an active lifestyle.