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Senior changes will to leave fortune to pets instead of family

An elderly woman in China has decided to leave her $A4.3 million fortune to her pets instead of her three children, after she claims they never visited or took care of her when she was sick. The Shanghai woman, known by her last name Liu, drafted the will a few years ago according to the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3248592/elderly-china-woman-leaves-us28-million-assets-beloved-pets-instead-children-who-never-visited-even" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Morning Post</a>. However, as her three children rarely contacted her, and left her on her own while she was sick, Liu decided her cats and dogs were more deserving of her multi-million dollar fortune, and changed her will. Chen Kai, an official from the China’s Will Registration Centre headquarters, told her that leaving her entire inheritance to animals is illegal in China, but there is a way for her to ensure her pets get taken care of. “Liu’s current will is one way, and we would have advised her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the vet clinic to ensure the pets are properly cared for,” he told the South China Morning Post. Another official added that Liu could always change her mind, if her children changed their attitude. “We told Auntie Liu that if her children change their attitude towards her, she could always alter her will again,” the official said. Image: Getty

Family & Pets

"Beyond excited": Graham Norton announces Aussie TV show

Graham Norton, the beloved Irish television presenter and talk show host, is set to bring a wave of nostalgia to Australian screens with the revival of the iconic game show, Wheel of Fortune. While Norton is best known for his charismatic chat show, he's expanding his horizons and diving into the world of game shows, and fans are in for a treat. In a recent announcement from Channel 10, it was revealed that Norton would be the new face of Wheel of Fortune Australia, making its return in a primetime slot as part of the network's 2024 schedule. For those unfamiliar with the game, Wheel of Fortune is centred around a colossal carnival wheel. Contestants spin the wheel in hopes of landing on a lucky segment, which could lead to a life-changing cash prize. The show is a perfect blend of skill, luck and, of course, plenty of surprises. Interestingly, the revival of Wheel of Fortune also coincides with the news that Norton will be hosting a UK reboot of the same show, while Ryan Seacrest takes on hosting duties in the United States. In a statement, Norton expressed his excitement, saying, "I’m beyond excited to be bringing such an iconic American show to Australia with Network 10. "Hosting game shows is brilliant fun, and even more so when you have a giant wheel to spin! This show has it all, mixing skill, luck, and lots of surprises, and I hope the Australian audience loves it." This is not the first time that Wheel of Fortune has graced Australian screens. The game show was last seen in 2008 when it aired on Channel 7 under the name Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Tim Campbell. Sadly, the show met an untimely demise, being cancelled after just a month due to poor ratings. The decision to bring it back, albeit in a different form, indicates the enduring popularity and appeal of this classic game show. One noteworthy change in this revival is the location. Unlike its previous iteration, the new Wheel of Fortune Australia will not be filmed down under. Instead, it will be produced in the United Kingdom, with the charismatic Norton taking the helm and a variety of Aussie expats appearing on the show. But that's not the only exciting game show news for Australian viewers. Channel 10 also announced that the beloved Australian host, Grant Denyer, will be bringing back the iconic Deal or No Deal. The show, which had a global following and was beloved in 325 countries, will make a comeback in 2024, airing at 6pm on weekdays. Denyer expressed his excitement about the return of the show, saying, "In this time of the high cost of living, I can't wait to be a hyperactive 'human ATM,' handing out big cash and sending Australians off into the sunset with their pockets bulging and their lives changed. It's a magical feeling and a real privilege. I'm so damn excited." Additionally, the popular wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin is set to host I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Julia Morris (who has <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/julia-morris-promises-a-little-less-shameless-flirting-with-new-co-host" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised to behave herself</a>) for the show's 10th season, taking over from former host Dr Chris Brown. And for fans of cooking shows, there's a reboot of Ready Steady Cook primed for Friday nights, featuring former The Living Room star and chef Miguel Maestre as the show's host. With these exciting announcements, Australian television is set to have a fantastic lineup of game shows and entertainment in the coming year. Whether it's spinning the iconic wheel or choosing between those elusive briefcases, the fun and thrill of these game shows are set to captivate viewers once again. Image: BBC One

Fleetwood Mac legend’s eye-watering fortune revealed

Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie left behind a $135 million fortune, probate documents revealed. The singer and keyboardist <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/there-are-no-words-fleetwood-mac-star-dies-aged-79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away aged 79</a> in November last year following a short illness. McVie, who was living in London at the time, had suffered a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/fleetwood-mac-star-s-cause-of-death-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stroke and had cancer</a>. A year before her death, she secured a massive deal and sold the rights to her entire back catalogue of 115 songs. McVie played in several bands before joining Fleetwood Mac in 1970, just two years after she married the band’s bassist John McVie. She left the band in 1998 and returned to tour in 2014. Following her death, her former bandmates Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks said: “She was truly one of a kind, special and talented beyond measure. “She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. “We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. “She will be so very missed.” In February this year, Fleetwood admitted that the band was most likely “done” for good following McVie’s death. "I think right now, I truly think the line in the sand has been drawn with the loss of Chris," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I'd say we're done, but then we've all said that before. It's sort of unthinkable right now." Image: Instagram

Money & Banking

Melissa Caddick's luxury items auctioned off for a small fortune

Luxurious jewellery dripping with diamonds, prized art and designer handbags all once owned by Melissa Caddick have recently been sold for a fraction of what Caddick was believed to have swindled. The items were sold off piece by piece and the proceeds have been used to repay some of the $23 million that Caddick was accused of stealing from investors in an elaborate Ponzi scheme before her disappearance in November 2020. The final hammer fell on the catalogue of "luxury goods", according "strong interest" from the public driving the total amount raised to $860,000 over three auctions. "The sale of these items represents completion of significant personal assets of the Receivership and our aim was to get this completed before the end of 2022," Principal at Jones Partners, Bruce Gleeson, said. "In particular, the overall prices achieved for the designer clothing and luxury goods and jewellery reflect the strong interest in the various items, specifically the Canturi jewellery collection." From the Canturi collection, Caddick's famous black sapphire and diamond "Stella" necklace with matching earrings, originally valued by auctioneers between $80,000 and $120,000, sold for $130,000. Images: Jones Partners

Money & Banking

What will be your legacy?

Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but how you’ll be remembered, and who you’ll be remembered by will be determined by the legacy you’ll leave. If you want your life to count then why leave it to chance when your legacy can be planned and purposeful, and in doing so, establish a firm foundation which generations can build upon? The mistakes of generations-past will be repeated by generations-future up until someone has the vision and determination to derive a different outcome. If not you, then who? A legacy framework Let’s play a game: what’s a word – just one word – you’d like others to use that encapsulates how you’d like to be remembered after you’re gone? For instance, assuming your name was Bobby, imagine a friend at your funeral saying “You know, I always found Bobby to be so…” It might be loving, or honest, or faithful, or sincere or any number of things. Now ask yourself this: "Is how I’m living congruent with how I want to be remembered?" If it is, great. If it isn’t, will you change while you still have time? If you’re interested in being organised and purposeful in leaving a legacy, consider this: your legacy is the summary of your deeds, which is the summary of your actions, which is the summary of your intentions. If you want to leave a bigger legacy then start by being purposeful with your intentions, impactful with your actions, and altruistic with your deeds. Largesse Your largesse is the way and extent to which you distribute money or gifts upon others. Largesse may be, but doesn’t necessarily have to be, financial. To be significant, largesse must be predominantly selfless. Any contribution to humanity that results in a gift qualifies, which is why the largesse of the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa remain significant. Perhaps the ripples of the contribution you leave won’t be as large or as wide as those of Mother Teresa, but that doesn’t make your effort any less important or less worthy. Many small things done well are usually far better than a few great things done poorly. But remember, a selfless act can’t be called so if there are selfish ambitions behind it. Selfish largesse is rarely remembered beyond one generation or is remembered for the wrong reasons like the legacy of any historical tyrant you care to mention whose selfishness caused the death of countless innocent lives. Remembering Nobel Alfred Nobel was a controversial figure for much of this life, and while his inventions improved the industrialised world, he was not universally loved. His work improving military explosives resulted in him being accused of high treason. Upon his death, Nobel bequeathed 94 per cent of his estate be converted into a fund and invested in safe securities, with the income earned from those investments to be ‘distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind’. Why did Nobel perform such a generous act? No-one knows for sure but one possibility is that a French journalist, upon mistakenly reporting his death, eulogised Nobel as a ‘merchant of death’. Reportedly appalled, Nobel shifted his focus to philanthropy and used his fortune to create a legacy to further, not frustrate, humanity. Today, Nobel is revered for his substantial and ongoing contribution to the promotion of peace—a legacy of significance funded by his significant wealth. Do-Doing-Done How do you leave a legacy? First you’ll need to cast a vision for how you want to be remembered. Thereafter every thought and every action in every hour of every day is an opportunity to make a legacy deposit by acting congruently, or legacy withdrawal by acting incongruently, with your vision. The bigger your legacy balance, the more impactful your legacy will be. The trick is to remain persistently consistent with cycling through your intentions (what you want to do), your actions (what you’re doing), and your accomplishments (what you’ve done). Doing so will build momentum and scale. My old high school motto was Spectumer Agendo. It is Latin and means ‘By their deeds they shall be known.’ What are your deeds, and how will you be known? If you want your life to count, do more things that count! Don’t be consumed with petty people or petty matters. Remained focussed on the things you can control. Greek Proverb Here’s a Greek proverb that caught my attention recently: wise men plant trees under whose shade others will sit. This is a beautiful phrase that captures the notion of sowing a blessing today for others tomorrow; a lovely way to capture the concept of legacy. I might have taken the proverb a little too literally because etched on my heart is a vision to return the 600 hectares of land I purchased back in 2018 into a permanent multi-species native forest. If you don’t have your own legacy project on the go and rehabilitating environments, restoring damaged ecosystems or renewing habitat for wildlife is something you care about, you’re welcome to join with me, my family and others as we change the world one tree at a time. Find out more at www.TreeChange.com Will your legacy be a burden or a blessing? It’s not too late to decide, or change if you aren’t happy with the current situation. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers or online at www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Mind

Why you should beware spending rewards and BNPL programs

Malware is software designed to disrupt and destroy, and there are plenty of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ financial programs doing just that to people’s financial futures. Some that come to mind are programs (yes, they’re called ‘programs’) that make it easier to spend and / or reward and incentivise spending, and harder to make good financial decisions. When you get tricked into spending, or spending more than you otherwise would, you transfer your wealth to someone else. The more wealth you consume, the less you have for later on. Let’s consider two marketing malware culprits to avoid wherever possible. Rewards Programs Beware programs that trick you into thinking that spending is good. Consider Flybuys for example. It is a rewards program where you generally receive one Flybuys point for every dollar spend. Therefore, to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points, you need to spend $1 000 000. What if I told you that the cash value of one Flybuys point is 0.5 cents? That would mean to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points you’d have to spend $1 000 000, yet that $1 000 000 is really only ‘worth’ $5000. They’ve actually created a system where you think you’re being rewarded on a one-for-one basis (i.e. one dollar spent equals one point) when really you’re being rewarded at the rate of half of one cent for every dollar spent. Additionally, when it comes time to redeem your points, the products you can ‘purchase’ are valued at top dollar, rather than at any discounted price you might be able to find if you shopped around. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Back in the day, department stores offered something called lay-by. This was where you could grab a product off the shelf, take it to the store’s lay-by counter and enter an arrangement with them to pay it off over two or three instalments. Once you’d made the final payment, the product was yours to own and take home. Lay-by was a great option for people who couldn’t access or didn’t want to use credit cards. There were no upfront fees associated with lay-by, and there was certainly no interest charged. Lay-by has been reborn and rebadged as BNPL; you pay by instalments, and you can take the product with you immediately. You won’t pay any fees provided you make the required instalments in full and on time. If you don’t, then you’ll be slugged with establishment fees, late fees, account-keeping fees and payment processing fees. The danger is that BNPL is easier to access than traditional debt options such as credit cards because BNPL is not technically credit since providers don’t charge interest. But BNPL is consumer debt with instant gratification, and that makes it credit in my book. Afterpay is one of the biggest BNPL providers on the planet. It advertises that it is a ‘free service’, provided you pay on time. If you don’t, their late fee is $10 per missed payment, plus an additional $7 if the payment is still outstanding after a week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you had bought something that only cost $20 and forgot to make a $5 instalment, then the $10 fee is 200 per cent of the missed payment. Ouch! Don’t forget that the fee is per missed payment. If there were other purchases made, then the fee would compound. Late fees, however small, can quickly cascade into a significant sum of money, potentially many times more than the instalment due or even the price of the item purchased. Plus, there are other consequences of missed payments—black marks on credit records, difficulties borrowing for other debt such as a home loan, and the possibility of additional fees as debts are passed over to debt collectors. BNPL organisations profit from users who fail to meet their repayment obligations, and so part and parcel of running a successful business and growing profits would involve them doing well when their customers do poorly. You can’t expect corporate behemoths to do the right thing by you if it’s the wrong thing by them. The best you can do is gain the skills and awareness you need to know when you’re being played. Marketing malware disrupts your ability to accumulate wealth by tricking you into believing you are getting a better deal than is the case. Ideally, you’d avoid using it at all, but if it’s too late for that, then you need to clean up your code as soon as you can. Being rewarded for spending money you haven’t yet earned is a toxic combination that will poison your efforts to attract and keep a fortune that counts. Make sure you are a good shepherd of your financial flock by being vigilant in keeping an eye out for marketing malware wolves, and not falling for their enticing yet financially disempowering charms. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers. Visit www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

How to make your money count

How you use your money will be how you’re remembered. For some, the amount of money or wealth they accumulate is the score by which their success is measured. More wealth equals more success. Yet shrouds don’t have pockets, and dead is dead. In order to make your money count, it has to be used, not hoarded. Others use their wealth to purchase a more comfortable ride through life. That’s certainly possible, yet materialism is like fame: addictive and at the same time self-deprecating; there will always someone else who is richer than you and has more toys than you. The quest for more is insatiable. Instead of being defined by the wealth you’ve accumulated and have stored, why not be defined by the wealth you’ve accumulated and have deployed? The 3C’s of Significance The secret to making your money count is a process I call ‘the three Cs of significance’: care, cause and context. Identifying a care and resourcing a cause that supports it will add a context to your money that transcends dollars and cents. The 3C’s are a way of adding significance to your wealth and giving meaning to your life. Let’s look at each of the 3Cs. Care Everyone has at least one care etched on their hearts at birth or engraved on their hearts from life experience. If you were to shut out the ‘busy-ness’ of life and listen to the quiet voice of your soul or engage your self-awareness by looking for issues that trigger an above-average or disproportionate emotional response, you’ll likely identify what you care most about. Possibilities include social justice issues, animal welfare, the environment, politics, gender and social equality, faith, health, nutrition, sport … the list is just about endless. Furthermore, there are niches within niches. For instance, animal welfare might be your thing, and within that, you might be particularly concerned with the wellbeing of koalas, and more specifically, orphaned koalas in south-east Queensland. The ‘thing’ you care about may be a burning passion or just a glowing ember. It may also change over time. For the moment, all that’s important is that you identify something you care about. Does something come to mind? If it helps as an illustration, cancer became an unexpected care that was recently etched on my heart. Prior to being diagnosed with skin cancer, I was aware but not particularly concerned about cancer, but that all changed when a spot on my face turned sinister. Now I had something to care about! Cause Once you have a care in mind, the next step is to find a cause – a person, program, charity or organisation that is doing work that relates to the matter(s) you care about, and offer to become a partner in, or sponsor of, that work by making a financial contribution. The secret to knowing the cause is to stop thinking ‘me’ and start thinking ‘we’. Sometimes the things we care about seem too big, complex or challenging to do anything meaningful about. Or we assume our resources are insignificant compared to the scale of the problem. When we are overwhelmed, the temptation is to feel defeated, to conclude ‘why bother’, and use our time and energy to solve survival problems closer to home. Don’t be put off by what you can’t do—be empowered by what you can. It’s very unlikely you’ll be the only person in the world who cares about the issue on your heart, and you may find an already established ‘cause’ you could partner with to be the change you hope to see. If you’re interested, the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre was a ‘cause’ I found that related to my ‘care’. Context The cares you advance based on the causes you support will provide a context for your money that transcends dollars and cents. Your wealth gains meaning based on the means it provides for the causes you care about. Your life will count because your money counts, and the significance you generate will make you feel more significant. But how will you create the context for your dollars? Will you give time or money or both? And how frequently will you give? Time or money? Many people giving small amounts is just as effective as a few people giving large amounts. You can only give from what you have. If you have money, give money. If you have time (including expertise), give time. If you have both, give both. There’s usually a lack of ‘resource-ers’ over ‘resources’; that is, a shortage of people who can pay for the labour and materials needed to resource the care. Frequent or infrequent giving? Experience has taught me that it is better to give less, more often, than more, less often. Most charitable organisations would rather have guaranteed financial supply over several years, than unreliable and infrequent one-off donations. Why? Because with guaranteed funding they can create, administer and execute programs they know they’ll be able to resource and fund through to completion. Here’s a final suggestion: rather than giving from capital, give repeatedly from the recurrent income your invested capital generates. Giving capital is something you do once. Investing the capital and giving the income is something you can do forever. For example, say you had $50000 to donate. One option would be to donate it in one lump sum. Another option is to invest it and donate the annual income. Assuming you achieved an after-tax return of 8 per cent per annum, then after 12.5 years of giving you will have given the same amount (i.e. $50,000), except the second option would allow you to keep giving and supporting causes you care about for years and years to come—a magic pudding that gives and gives and never runs out! Some people like to count their money. Others like to make their money count. How will you be remembered – for the way you counted your money, or the way you made your money count? If you don’t like the answer, be sure to do something about it while you still can. The secret to making your money count is to put it to use by supporting causes that do good work in fields you care about. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers or online at www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Why your iPod could now be worth a fortune

After Apple announced the discontinuation of the iconic iPod, the amount of listings for the popular device has skyrocketed on online marketplaces - and so have the prices themselves. The first iPod Classic was first launched in 2001 with a $399 price tag that shocked fans at the time, and now, the news has brought some prices back up with some caveats. “With iPods discontinued, you might be asking whether it’s time to cash in on some of your old tech,” James Andrews, money.co.uk’s personal finance editor, told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10805019/iPods-selling-THOUSANDS-eBay-Apple-announces-discontinuing-20-years.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>. “The first thing to say is don’t get excited by list prices on eBay. While a few models are selling for thousands, the vast majority are selling for far less. “But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t pick up a reasonable amount. Do a search and check recent sold prices for models like your own to see what you’re likely to get. “In general, the best prices go to iPod Classic models, in great conditions and with all the leads needed included. If you're lucky enough to have an unopened U2 Special Edition iPod from 2004 in the back of a cupboard, it could make you thousands.” If you’re wondering just how much you can get for your devices, here’s a rundown. iPod Classic The original model, which launched in 2001 and went for six generations, could bring you some decent profits - particularly if you have a first generation model. According to the Daily Mail, a first-generation 5GB iPod Classic sold on eBay for $1,599 plus a hefty $114.60 for shipping. iPod Mini The smaller model, which came in a range of bright colours, was also slightly cheaper than its predecessor - but sellers seem to have also made smaller profits so far. Originally retailing at $249, one eBay seller offloaded their second generation device for $324.99, while another sold their first-gen iPod for $290. iPod Shuffle The cutesy model came without a screen and retailed for just $99, and it appears it also hasn’t seen a huge increase in value. In February this year, one first-generation iPod sold for $129.99, while a second-gen device sold for a slightly heftier $199.99 in March. iPod Nano A slim version of the iPod Mini, this version retailed for $149 and came with a big tech development: colour screens. According to recent eBay sales, the iPod Nano has more than doubled in value, with two second-gen iPods selling for over $380 in February. iPod Touch The last ‘new’ line of iPods, the iPod Touch was revolutionary in that it introduced us to touch screens, it could surf the web, and it had heaps of storage for music. Originally selling for just shy of $300 in 2007, the device has earned some online sellers between $3,470 for a sixth-generation device and a whopping $6524 for a fourth-generation version. But, no matter which kind of iPod you have, the amount you’ll get from selling it off will depend on the condition it’s in and whether it has all the cords it first came with. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Princess Diana’s nephew set to inherit fortune

Louis Spencer is set to one day inherit his family’s incredible historic estate. 27-year-old Louis is the youngest son of Charles Spencer, and yet he is still heir to his father’s earldom thanks to England’s primogeniture rules. These archaic set of laws sees that titles are passed down to firstborn sons. His inheritance will include the Althorp estate, where Louis' late aunty Princess Diana lived from the age of seven until her marriage to Prince Charles. It also the place where the royal is buried. Louis' sister Lady Kitty Spencer recently addressed the issue of primogeniture while speaking to Town and Country, calling it a "tricky" topic. "[A]s times are changing, attitudes are as well," she said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841339/daily-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bdf7155d1db74b62bb226ab766f991c9" /> "I'm relaxed about it, because I know that it's all out of everyone's hands. As it stands, it's Louis to inherit, and Louis will do an incredible job." Louis' status as the Spencer heir, along with being the first cousin to Prince William and Prince Harry are both major reasons as to why he's considered one of the world's most eligible royals. In 2019, Tatler magazine included him in a list of unmarried men from royal families that included Denmark's Prince Nikolai, Prince Mateen of Brunei and Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece. Louis, whose title is Viscount Althorp, is the fourth child and only son of Charles Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood. His older sisters are Lady Kitty and twins Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza. While he and his sisters prefer to lead a relatively private life, the family made headlines when they were guests at Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in 2018.

Money & Banking

How to tell if your $5 notes is worth a fortune

A money expert has revealed how to identify if your old $5 notes are worth a small fortune. Commerce teacher Joel Kandiah posted <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thehistoryofmoney/video/6959715389156707586?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6950773562416301570">a video</a> on TikTok showing viewers tips on how to tell if they have one of the rare and highly valuable Australian banknotes. “It needs to have a Stevens/Fraser signature combination,” he said in the clip. “It’s serial number needs to start with ‘BA 15’.” The host of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thehistoryofmoney?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=6959715389156707586">The History of Money</a> channel concluded, “Depending on the condition, it is worth between $100 and $1750!” <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841146/money-tiktok.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0c00800af9bb4c3c906594701b30ec9e" /> Since the video was uploaded to the social media platform, it received more than 17,000 likes in a single day. Other users shared their opinions on the short clip. “You could have told me this before I used it at the canteen,” one commenter wrote. “I have been saving these for years, I have hundreds of them,” another said. According to Kandiah, the note is so valuable because it was the last print run of the old style of banknote before the new version was released. “They printed these to fulfil increased demand in 2015,” he said in the comments. When asked about how to sell the notes, he said eBay or going to see a dealer would be the best options. Surprisingly, Australian paper banknotes can be very valuable. <a href="https://www.therightnote.com.au/product-category/australian-star-notes/decimal-star-notes/">The Right Note</a>, an online banknote and coin specialist site, are selling notes for anywhere from $1500 and $15,000.

Legal

5 everyday items that could be worth a fortune

<h2>Typewriters</h2> Germer says his nephew calls these “antique mechanical keyboards”. He adds that anything with gears, push buttons, and tubes are especially fascinating to the younger generation who have grown up in a wireless world. “Old typewriters need to be in working condition and will sell for $US20 to $US100; fully restored, in the low hundreds,” says Germer. <h2>Auto parts</h2> You might want to check under the tarps or in the back of your garage – there could be some dusty gems. “Hood ornaments, car vases, and hubcaps are the most collected for themselves because of decorative value. Headlamps and other body parts are often repurposed for the industrial design look,” notes Germer. A hood ornament in decent condition, for example, can draw $US20, but if you discover a rare one, it could collect a tidy sum of up to $US2,500. <h2>LEGOs</h2> Maybe not the one you stepped on in the middle of the night, but specific LEGOs are worth their weight in gold. For example, the 2010 mini-figure Jessie from Toy Story 2 in like-new condition is selling for around $US10 on Bricklink.com. A LEGO Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hogwarts Castle Set recently sold for $US450. However, some of the most coveted LEGOs are the missing parts from valued sets – like a window, steering wheel, or rare colour brick – and can bring up to hundreds. <a href="http://www.handyman.net.au/ultimate-lego-tables-youve-got-see">Check out these ultimate LEGO tables you’ve got to see</a>. <h2>Magazines</h2> Magazines, newspapers, programs and the like are in a category called “ephemera,” Jacquie Denny, cofounder of EBTH says. That’s collector lingo for any printed matter that wasn’t made to last. “The value of items in this category is related to rarity, condition, and the number of issues,” notes Denny. Surprisingly enough, they don’t have to be ancient. A special edition Life magazine from 1969 featuring the Woodstock musical festival sold for $US113 on EBTH. <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/tips/how-to-pay-for-your-holiday">Dreaming about your ultimate holiday? Find out how to pay for it with this great advice.</a> <h2>Not-so-old cookbooks</h2> You don’t have to have an out-of-print Julia Child cookbook to earn some extra bread. Betty Crocker cookbooks that were mass-produced and widely used can be worth $US10 to $US500, depending on their condition (ideally, not too many fingerprint stains on the pages). But signed cookbooks by a famous chef can sell like hotcakes. “Cookbooks published by a celebrity chef will generally perform better if signed and sold while their market is current. If they’re sold after the chef has lost popularity, the value will be greatly diminished,” Denny says. Written by Lisa Marie Conklin. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/money/25-things-your-house-right-now-could-be-worth-money">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a>

Retirement Income

Fame and fortune isn't the key to happiness

If you’ve ever dreamt of fame and fortune, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle turning their backs on the royal lifestyle might seem churlish. So too their desire to be “financially independent”. As a senior royal, Harry is at the height of his popularity – a popularity that marrying Markle has only amplified. On top of the millions he has inherited from his mother and great grandmother, he gets millions more annually, both from his cut of the “sovereign grant” paid by the British government and the allowance from his father (from the revenues of Duchy of Cornwall estate). Harry and Meghan aren’t exiting the family firm penniless, but if they stayed they would be looked after in luxury for the rest of their lives. Madness? No. Research suggests Harry and Meghan would be well and truly in their right minds to be sick of royal fame and fortune. Psychologists, economists and philosophers have confirmed three things. First, money can’t buy happiness. Second, we want to feel we have earned our success and popularity. Third, being looked after from the cradle to the grave has its downsides. In short, having everything handed to you on a platter just isn’t satisfying. Money doesn’t buy happiness Even though this statement is arguably a cliché, there is good <a href="https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/05/study-proves-money-cant-buy-happiness">evidence</a> it’s true. While money buys happiness up to a point, the positive effects of money on happiness <a href="https://psychology.unl.edu/can-money-buy-happiness">level off</a> once individuals have obtained enough wealth to live a comfortable life. This relationship has been observed at the country level, with multiple studies showing that, once a nation reaches a certain level of wealth, national happiness does not increase in parallel with extra wealth. This is known as the <a href="https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-easterlin-paradox/">Easterlin paradox</a>. According to economist John Helliwell, a co-editor of the <a href="https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/changing-world-happiness/">World Happiness Report</a>, the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8364900_The_Social_Context_of_Well-Being">social context</a> – marriage and family, ties to friends and neighbours, workplace ties, civic engagement, trustworthiness and trust – is more important than wealth. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JjLh0guxERQ"></iframe></div> One reason given for why wealth doesn’t buy individuals any more happiness after a certain point is that money becomes both a reason and means to distance ourselves from others. To paraphrase Christopher Ryan, author of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Civilized-to-Death/Christopher-Ryan/9781451659108">Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress</a>, what people tend to do with extra money is buy separation, whereas researchers “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-are-rich-people-so-mean/">have concluded again and again</a> that the single most reliable predictor of happiness is feeling embedded in a community”. Extraordinary wealth, then, sets us against what we are programmed to do by evolution: seek out the company of others and band together in a community. Research has repeatedly shown this has a huge mental health cost. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB5IX-np5fE"></iframe></div> Importantly, too, how we earn our money affects how much we enjoy it. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29320930">Research</a> among more than 4,000 millionaires in the US, for example, showed those who were “self-made” were moderately happier than those who inherited their wealth. Taken together, these factors help explain why Harry and Meghan’s wealth might, psychologically speaking, be more curse than blessing. The popularity paradox Most of us, particularly teenagers, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cracking-the-popularity-code/">crave popularity</a>. According to <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/politics/popularity/royalty/all">a YouGov poll</a>, Harry is the second-most-popular member of the British royal family – pipped only by Queen Elizabeth. Some are convinced <a href="https://theconversation.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-why-half-in-half-out-just-isnt-an-option-for-royals-129726">he won’t keep this popularity</a> without his royal status. Why would someone want to give up being liked and loved by stepping out of the limelight? Because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_(psychology)">psychological research</a> shows people feel less pride in their achievements if they attribute it to external reasons. In this case, that would being born as a royal for Harry, and being pretty and marrying into a royal family for Meghan. For their popularity and success to mean something, they would need some “internal attribution” – that it has something to do with their own abilities, effort and skill. In a world that values meritocracy, as Alain de Botton argues, we need to “own our success” — the very thing Harry and Meghan cannot do as royals. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtSE4rglxbY"></iframe></div> Trapped by certainty Most of us aspire to being financially secure for the rest of our lives. Many of us would give a lot to know what lies ahead. But while there is comfort in some sense of security and predictability, knowing exactly what the future holds might be a curse. This is because humans thrive also on feeling a sense of freedom and choice. So just as having no certainty can take its mental toll, so does feeling one’s future is totally predetermined and that you have no real control over the way your life will unfold. Psychologists call the motivation to regain a freedom after it has been lost <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675534/">reactance</a> – and this might be something strong within someone, for example, who has lost freedom due to marrying into a high-profile family. Seizing control Do the reasons above explain why Harry and Meghan have left the royal fold? We can’t say that. Only they know their motivations. But what we do know is that all the research points to fortune, fame and security not necessarily leading to a good, happy life. These things can in fact be burdens, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139156">bringing out</a> our worst, not our best. That happiness comes more from community connection, merit, effort and making our own decisions is good news for the rest of us. Let’s hope it works out for Harry and Meghan too.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130132/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanda-jetten-301309">Jolanda Jetten</a>, Professor, School of Psychology, ARC Laureate Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-backs-harry-and-meghan-turning-in-their-royal-privilege-fame-and-fortune-arent-the-keys-to-happiness-130132">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Big inheritance: Gloria Vanderbilt leaves bulk of her fortune to son Anderson Cooper

Before she passed away last month, Gloria Vanderbilt told her son, journalist Anderson Cooper, that he should not expect any trust fund. “My mom’s made clear to me that there’s no trust fund,” Cooper said in a 2014 interview with Howard Stern. “There’s none of that.” However, the <a rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2019/07/01/gloria-vanderbilt-leaves-almost-everything-to-anderson-cooper/" target="_blank">New York Post</a> reported that the late socialite left Cooper almost all of her estate, which was estimated to be worth US$200 million. Vanderbilt’s will, which was reportedly filed in court on Monday, stated that Vanderbilt’s eldest son Leopold Stokowski will get her Manhattan pad, but “all the rest” of her property is going to the CNN news anchor. Her will did not leave anything to Vanderbilt’s middle son, Chris Stokowski, who has reportedly been estranged for 40 years. Cooper has previously said he does not believe in inheriting money. “I think it’s a curse,” he said. “From the time I was growing up, if I felt that there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know that I would’ve been so motivated.” Vanderbilt – the great-great-great granddaughter of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/a-life-in-pictures-remembering-gloria-vanderbilt" target="_blank">died at the age of 95</a> on June 17 after a long battle with stomach cancer. She made her success as a fashion designer and businesswoman with her own lines of <a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/style/gloria-vanderbilt-built-denim-empire/" target="_blank">denim</a>, apparels, fragrance and household goods.

Legal

Why Anderson Cooper won't get a cent of mum Gloria Vanderbilt's $290 million fortune

Socialite, heiress and fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt passed away this week with an estimated $290 million to her name. However, her surviving three children, which include CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, aren’t expecting to inherit any of the remaining wealth. It’s an arrangement that they’ve all been aware about for years. Cooper revealed to Howard Stern during a radio interview reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/anderson-cooper-wont-inherit-mom-gloria-vanderbilts-fortune-2014-4?r=US&IR=T" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> several years ago that he’s not getting anything from his mother. “My mum’s made clear to me that there’s no trust fund. There’s none of that,” explained Cooper. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BT4tS_4l7UR/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BT4tS_4l7UR/" target="_blank">My mom just joined instagram @gloriavanderbilt. She thinks it is the best thing ever. she has 30k followers and can't believe that many people would want to follow her. Now she emails me several times a day asking for advice about what to post next.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/andersoncooper/" target="_blank"> andersoncooper</a> (@andersoncooper) on May 9, 2017 at 2:06pm PDT </div> </blockquote> However, it’s something that Cooper is OK with. “I don’t believe in inheriting money. I think it’s an initiative sucker. I think it’s a curse.” He justified his point by saying he’s “doing fine on my own”. “Who has inherited a lot of money that has gone on to do things in their own life? From the time I was growing up, if I felt that there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know that I would have been so motivated.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvo7a-BHEkx/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvo7a-BHEkx/" target="_blank">Just came across this photo with @andersoncooper and Carter. It was probably taken around 1979. It seems like yesterday.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/gloriavanderbilt/" target="_blank"> Gloria Vanderbilt</a> (@gloriavanderbilt) on Mar 30, 2019 at 9:40am PDT </div> </blockquote> Ms Vanderbilt also spoke about her difficult relationship with her inheritance, telling <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/style/gloria-vanderbilt-death-dead.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> about her experience. “I’m not knocking inherited money,” she explained. “But the money I’ve made has a reality to me that inherited money doesn’t have. “As the Billie Holiday song goes, ‘Mama may have and Papa may have, but God bless the child that’s got his own’.” At the time of her passing, Ms Vanderbilt had reportedly already spent a great deal of her fortune, as well as donating to charity.

Legal

Prince Harry’s $35 million fortune under threat

It has come to light that Prince Harry’s $35 million trust fund, set up for him by his late mother Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, could be targeted for tax reasons thanks to a US legal loophole. Despite Harry and Meghan marrying in May this year, the new Duchess of Sussex is still technically a US citizen. While it’s believed she has officially applied to become a British citizen, apparently – even though she is a royal now – her application process doesn’t receive any special treatment and could take several years before she is granted UK citizenship. Which means, in the meantime, the former actress is legally required to pay US income tax on any earnings or allowances she receives whilst residing in Britain. But now that she is married to Prince Harry, it could mean his own earnings could be affected too. Royal aides speaking to the Sunday Express in the UK, stated, “We’re looking at a level of financial exposure the royal family has never had to face before.” They added, “It’s the royal household’s worst nightmare … Everything has to be declared.” Along with Meghan’s own $7 million fortune she amassed during her acting career, British media has reported that the US taxman could also have his eye on her designer clothes, jewellery, homes and gifts the new Duchess has received as royal proceeds. The Duke of Sussex lives off his $35 million trust fund inheritance, earning an annual salary of around $525,000 a year. But the US government could potentially count that towards Meghan’s income in the UK too. Do you think Harry and Meghan should have to pay US tax on their royal earnings? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Money & Banking

Aretha Franklin “had no will” despite her $109 million fortune

<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/world-reacts-to-aretha-franklin-s-death">She passed away last week</a> after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 76, but it has been revealed that Aretha Franklin did not leave a will behind. Worth a staggering US$80 million (AU$109 million) at the time of her death, the Queen of Soul died "intestate," which means she had no legally binding will prior to her death on August 16, according to documents obtained by TMZ. "Aretha was ill for several years, but apparently did not see the end coming... or possibly a will was low on the priority list," reported TMZ. Kenneth Silver, from the Hertz Schram law firm in Michigan, told <a href="https://people.com/">People</a> that it's highly likely she left behind a number of assets. "I would expect that she has a house, probably a financial account of some kind – a brokerage account, stocks, bond, cash. She probably has investments of a wide variety, perhaps in real estate ventures, other businesses that she may own or have an interest in." Silver also speculated that Franklin may have copyrights to her songs and that of other artists, as well as a collection of personal property, such as "Grammys, gold records, memorabilia from Motown years and onward." According to Michigan law, where Franklin passed away, a deceased person's estate is to be equally divided among one's children. Franklin has four sons – Clarence, Edward Franklin, 61, Ted White Jr, 54, Kecalf Cunningham, 48. But as history shows us, non-immediate family members and possibly even friends may feel they deserve a share in Franklin’s estate. "My expectation is that as much will be done behind closed doors as possible. It is the objective of the survivors of any deceased, whether it be Aretha Franklin or John Smith, to handle affairs as simply and quickly as you can," Silver said. "If you can avoid court proceedings, you want to avoid court proceedings. Sometimes you just can't do that… "In my experience, the larger the estate, the more public the figure, the greater the likelihood that there is going to be an issue."

Legal

7 ways to revamp your living room without spending a fortune

If your living room feels dull and lifeless it's time for a new look. Using a balanced combination of light, colour and texture, you can transform a tired space into a room you don’t want to leave. And the best part? It doesn't have to cost you a fortune. 1. A floor rug A floor rug can bring visual warmth and ties in the elements of a room creating a succinct space. In open plan areas it can also help ‘zone’ the living room and segregate it from the dining room. Note: Make sure you consider the size of the rug. A rug too big or too small can change the dynamics of a room. You can find a reasonably priced rug discounted through some wholesalers. 2. Couch pillows and a throw Pillows and throws are a great way to revitalise a room. Simply changing the materials and colours of them can transition your room from summer to winter in a matter of minutes. Bold colours, pastels and thin materials can be great for summer, yet thick materials, heavy textures and muted tones are perfect for winter. Note: Mix and match colours of the same season. 3. Framed prints Framed prints can form interest in a room, create a talking point with visitors and set the style of your living room. You can find some fantastic pieces from secondhand stores. Just remember that you want to match the ‘style’ of the room with the print, not necessarily the colours. 4. A vase and flowers It is surprising how flowers can liven up a room. They bring a pop of colour and a sweet scent that cannot be artificially mimicked. Try keeping the vase a neutral colour or using a large recycled jar, and chose flowers that last, such as natives, kale flowers or greenery fillers. 5. A coffee table Consider the shape and size of the coffee table to suit the layout of your sofa’s. You may find you need to compromise on the size of the table to fit the space. Think about the finish of the table. A timber table top may not always look good with timber floors. 6. A lick of paint Paint is an easy way to transform a room and you can do yourself. Try a feature wall to give new backdrop to framed prints or paint the entire room for a complete overhaul. If you are confident with your decorating skills, try your hand at stenciling. Tip: Make sure you use a complementary hue if you are creating a feature wall. 7. A side table It’s a useful piece of furniture to have. You can move it to suit the room layout and it can be used to sit a lamp, an indoor plant or just your cup of coffee! Like the coffee table, you may want to think hard about the shape and size of the table, and try not to match it with the coffee table. Written by <a href="http://www.ellevidovichcopywriter.com.au">Elle Vidovich. </a>

Home & Garden

Why Prince Harry inherited more of the Queen Mother’s $24m fortune than Prince William

When the Queen Mother passed away on March 30 in 2002, aged 101, she left behind an AUD$24 million fortune. Great-grandson Prince Harry inherited a large “bulk” of her inheritance, substantially more than his older brother Prince William, but there’s a good reason why. It turns out the Queen Mother, knowing Prince William was second in line to the throne, wanted to ensure Prince Harry’s financial future was secure. When Prince Charles becomes King, Prince William will in turn takeover the title of Prince of Wales – which means inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall and its private estate. However, Prince Harry – who is currently sixth in line to the throne after Prince William’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – will not receive anything. A BBC report the same year the Queen Mother died stated the “bulk” of her $24 million estate will go to Prince Harry “since William will benefit financially becoming King”. While it is unknown the exact amount the Duke of Sussex inherited, his great-grandmother certainly rewarded the royal in financial terms, to compensate for his line of succession to the throne. The rest of the Queen Mother’s estate (the items in her homes) was left to her eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II. Her youngest daughter Princess Margaret passed away one month earlier on February 9, 2002, aged 71. When Prince William and Prince Harry’s mother Princess Diana passed away in 1997, her sons received an equal split of her fortune.

Money & Banking

Could tap-and-go payments be costing you a fortune?

It’s fast become the main way Aussie are paying for purchases, but the consumer watchdog has issued a warning about the hidden payments associated with tap-and-go. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is reminding consumers that using a debit card at the checkout – whether you tap-and-go or even use a pin – can attract a fee similar to using credit cards. Dr Michael Schaper, deputy chair of ACCC, said businesses are within their rights to charge the underlying fees for using contactless cards but they must not charge higher than the cost of providing the service. "For most businesses there is a fee they're charged through their bank or their card operator," he told the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-26/tap-and-go-fees-on-rise-as-convenience-drives-up-costs/9691550">ABC</a>. "If you do tap and get hit with an extra charge, it is legal." Businesses are already allowed to pass on a 1 to 2 per cent surcharge on credit card transactions, but the fee charged by banks to process debit and eftpos purchases is much lower. "It really does require customers to make sure when they buy something they ask that question," Dr Schaper said. "I think too many of us probably don't because we assume we're not going to be charged for it." The Australian Retailers Association estimates tap and go costs merchants an extra $500 million a year.

Money & Banking

Why Meghan Markle won’t get a cent of Prince Harry’s fortune

We hope Meghan Markle has saved some of her Suits earnings, because if reports are anything to go by, she won’t be able to share in Prince Harry’s fortune any time soon. You see, unless she renounces her American citizenship, Meghan will continue paying tax to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Of course, she intends to become a UK citizen once she weds in May, but she will not become naturalised until after she’s lived there for three years. “Even when married to a member of the British royal family, as long as she remains a US citizen she will have to pay income tax,” royal expert Marlene Koenig told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5266389/surprising-reason-prince-harry-unlikely-to-share-fortune-with-meghan-markle/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. “If she has investments in the United States, say for example a retirement plan that she set up, if that’s making money, she would have to pay up. “This is even on money earned outside the United States. If she receives money from her husband or his family, and that’s considered income, she would have to pay income tax on that.” It could cause some problems for the royal accountants, however, as if Meghan has more than $382,000 worth of assets in any tax year, she must file a Form 8938 document detailing all of them. And given she earnt $63,000 per episode of Suits and has an estimated net worth of $6.3 million, it’s likely she will indeed have to file this document. Harry, on the other hand, received half of Princess Diana’s $36.2 million estate and shares a $6.4 million annual allowance with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. “You can be sure that those at Buckingham Palace and those who run the accounts are looking very carefully at all of this to make sure that the royal family’s money does not get reported to the IRS!” Koenig said.

Money & Banking

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Senior changes will to leave fortune to pets instead of family

"Beyond excited": Graham Norton announces Aussie TV show

Fleetwood Mac legend’s eye-watering fortune revealed