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The article presents tips on signing up for a childcare centre waiting list in Australia which includes asking the centre how many children are already on the waiting list, checking if one is entitled for a refund, and checking the terms and conditions.

The article offers information on the Guaranteed Funeral Insurance product from Holland Insurance.

The article reports on the complaints of consumers about rejected gift cards that New Sousth Wales (NSW) Minister for Fair Trading Matthew Mason-Cox advised consumers to redeem sooner and told traders about options for extending expiry dates only as gestures of goodwill though not obligated by law.

The article focuses on the outcome of a review of the life insurance industry conducted by the Australia Securities and Investments Commission which looked at how life insurance was being sold by Australian Financial Services Licensees from September 2013 to June 2014.

The article offers information on a report by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare as of October 2014 that reveals the stagnation of improvements made in children's dental health between 1997 and 1995 and highlights the gradual increase in decay of children's permanent teeth.

The article suggests the potential detrimental effect of comprehensive credit reporting rules introduced to Australia on consumer's credit rating, according to finance web site Infochoice.

The article reports that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has criticized the government for reducing all Medicare Benefit Schedule rebates by five dollars which will likely affect patients in nursing homes.

The article offers information on the 30,600 dollar fine that is levied against Virgin Money by Australian Securities and Investments Commission for its misleading advertisement to promote a life insurance plan.

The article reports on the decision of the Australian federal government to propose legislative changes that will get rid of significant consumer protections from the Future of Financial Advice legislation, which became effective in July 2013.

The article reports that a compulsory credit reporting privacy code will be effective in March 2014 to allow banks and other lenders in Australia to gather and disclose more information about a consumer to credit reporting agencies.

The article cites an agreement between the hospital group Healthscope and health insurer Bupa in which some hospitals in Australia will forgo payment from its insurer if patients are affected by serious errors known as a "never events," which include medication errors and wrong medical procedures.

The article reports that Tasmania is the fourth Australian state/territory to ban the use of free plastic bags and that the European Union adopted a proposal in November 2013 to require its member states to reduce their use of lightweight plastic bags.

The article asserts that Fido, an interest-free installment plan being promoted by some major retailers in Australia, scores worse than comparable interest-free offers because of the high application fee and fortnightly transaction fee that it charges.

The article focuses on the report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which urges data improvement regarding the treatment of asthma in pregnancy.

Q For an upcoming trip to Europe my local independent travel agent quoted $4291 for Cover-More travel insurance. A CHOICE travel expert Jodi Bird: It's not unusual for insurers to charge different prices for essentially the same product that is sold under different brands. A Health insurance expert Uta Mihm: Unfortunately it isn't possible to get tailored hospital insurance; you'll always be covered for some therapies that you won't need. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a Rice Wartner Actuaries study that highlights the importance of life insurance coverage as enough for the basic needs of most Australians as super funds automatically provide them with the insurance.

The author reflects on his experience with an online subsidiary of a major bank that switched his loan from the subsidiary to the bank and highlights the dilemma that he faced when he had to change transaction account.

The article presents questions and answers related to consumer issues, including whether to be concerned about the ultraviolet (UV) rays from using a UV lamp for manicures or pedicures, how to determine the replacement value of a building for insurance purposes, and the role of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) in processing a client's switching form for debits and credits.

The article focuses on the announcement by payments technology company Visa that it will offer a digital wallet in late 2013, that can be used to store credit and debit card information on the cloud.

The article focuses on the claim by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that the advertising (ad) campaign of Woolworths for their car insurance as of September 2013 was misleading.

The article reports on the Woolworths Everyday Rewards program which allows consumers to swap fuel savings for Qantas Frequent Flyer points.

The article reports on a study by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) which claims that nearly a third of all advice provided to self-managed super fund investors had been poor.

The article reports on the support by financial counselors in Australia of the release of the revised Code of Banking Practice which would provide more relief for borrowers and add more protections that came into effect on March 1, 2013.

The article announces the 5.6 percent average increase in annual health insurance premiums starting on April 1, 2013.

The article reports on the changes to the Privacy Act in December 2012 which allow credit providers to collect information about the repayment history of consumers.

The article reports that the private health insurance (PHI) rebate on hospital and extras cover in Australia will increase on April 1, 2014.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of getting a credit card surcharge after booking a flight from Jetstar without a Jetstar MasterCard.

The article reports on the warning issued by the Energy and Water Ombudsmen in New South Wales and Victoria and the national Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman against consumers, saying that they should not use costly credit repair companies to get their names removed from credit blacklists.

The article reports on the introduction being worked by the federal government of Australia of a mandatory fact sheet to allow consumers to compare lender's mortgage insurance quotes.

The article reports on a review of 20 lenders by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (SIC), which found more potential perpetrators in unfair lender fees after RHG Mortgage Corp., Ltd. was made to refund money to its customers.

The article reveals the higher cost of repairing a small car than its original price that could mean higher insurance premiums compared with cars that cost less to repair, according to research study by NRMA.

The article reveals the lower earnings of big banks on an average home loan over 25 years, according to figures from The Australia Institute (TAI).

The article presents a warning form the New South Wales Fair Trading for consumers to look out for scam artists pretending as government officials.

The article reports that the Australian federal government has decided not to regulate gift cards and encourage instead the industry to develop and promote best practice principles over the next three years and that CHOICE is continuing its investigation into gift card terms and conditions.

The article reports that 20% of Australian mothers of children aged up to 24 months old have suffered depression according to the 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey, noting that baby blues are more common in mothers below 25 years of age, overweight, and smokers, among others.

The article cites a report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which found trend towards inadequate provision of consumer information in the private health insurance sector in Australia.

The article reports that Bank of Melbourne in Victoria has stopped charging fees on its Incentive Saver account for children.

The article reports that the federal government of Australia noted that prostheses with high failure rates will not be covered by private health insurance.

The article presents questions and answers about various topics, including generic medicines, the Lifetime Health Cover penalty and recycling electrical appliances.

The article reports that pensioners in Australia are only allowed to gift up to 10,000 Australian dollars per financial year.

This article focuses on the high cost of obtaining reward points being offered by credit cards, according to the RBA.

This article reports on actions being taken by overseas bodies against metal-on-metal hip implants used in Australia due to health concerns.

The article announces the increase in private health insurance premiums in Australia beginning April 1, 2012.

The article presents the findings of a study on the advantages of taking out life insurance through a super fund, conducted by Rice Warner Actuaries.

The article focuses on the annual scam survey conducted by the Australian Consumer Fraud Task Force and the Australian Institute of Criminology which will begin on March 19, 2012.

The article reports that only 36% of 64 retirement financial plans were ranked poor by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

The article reports that the Australian federal government has taken another step towards ensuring consumers who purchase insurance get equal protection as with other financial products with the release of a draft regulation impact statement addressing a legal technicality.

The article announces that Shonky Award 2008 winner mortgage trust Equititrust, which had its Australian Financial Services Licence suspended, has been shut down by the Supreme Court of Queensland as of February 2012.

The article reports on an audit being conducted by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on promoters and users of early release superannuation schemes, which are suspected to be scams.

The article reports on a review of consumer credit insurance (CCI) conducted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) which revealed CCI flaws including a much higher claim denial compared to other types of insurance.