Polonius in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet said that mixing loans and relations was damaging because “for loan oft loses both itself and friend.”  But how dangerous is it to loan/borrow from friends and family?
Let’s look at some advantages and disadvantages of borrowing from family and friends:
Pros:

Low interest rates, if any
Instant access to money
Banks are tight, only means to obtain funds

Cons:

Relationship is jeopardized if loan is not paid
Financial situation is no longer private
No protection due to not being formal

Financial transactions between people with personal ties tend to …

Australians pride themselves on being friendly and welcoming. That philosophy extends to our health care system as well. A public, government-funded health care system, called Medicare, provides basic care for every citizen.
Medicare typically pays for:

100 % of in-hospital costs at public hospitals
75 – 85% of General Practitioner and specialist services

Additionally, the public system covers:

most immunizations
100% of prescription medicine costs
30 to 40% of the premiums for private health insurance cover

Treatment under the public health care system does not extend to Australian citizens traveling outside the country, so travel insurance is …

Well, you’ve overspent, and now you find yourself dealing with the consequences of the debt you have accrued. But hey, you’ve matured and you’re ready to move on and scale that mountain of debt before you are buried under it – which is a very real possibility, depending on your age.
Since rampant debt and the subsequent repayment can ruin lives, we thought we would take a look at some debt management strategies to help you get a handle on your debt.
Make Minimum Payments
This is the debt management strategy that the …