The day Judith and Greg (not their real names) signed a contract in 1999 to buy their $310,000 Buderim home they thought they had gone completely overboard.  The 4 bedroom home was $40,000 more than they intended to spend on a home and it put their mortgage repayments $280 a month over their desired budget.

Ellen tells a story about how in 1985 she began training as an adviser in the financial services industry with one of Australia's largest financial institutions.  Those days things were very different to the way they are today.

People often ask me what the most important thing about an investment is.  I guess they figure after 25 years of giving financial planning advice I should know.  The fact is that there are a couple of important things to consider, but one that is often overlooked by investors and financial planners alike, is very important.

With climbing house prices and changing interest rates, is the great Australian dream of having a family, owning your home and retiring really achievable?

More importantly, is the part of the dream which involves owning your own home as soon as possible really what we should be aiming for anyway?

'When I think about my New Year's Resolutions', Ellen Schafer says, 'I think about my personal wish list.  The things I want to occur in my life.  Then I decide on the steps I will take towards making them happen in the coming year'.