Family challenges
IN OUR ASK PAUL segment this month, a couple who are 26 and 27 years of age bemoan the fact they can’t afford a property in a metropolitan area. This wouldn’t have been surprising if, like most individuals their age, they had few savings or had mounting debt. But they were quite good with their money, with $110,000 in joint savings, $20,000 in shares and zero debt. If they think they’ve been priced out of the market, what hope is there for many other would-be homeowners? Such is the paradox of living in Australia today. Despite the pandemic, our economy has so far held up, the jobless rate is lower than was grimly predicted a year ago and, with the federal government’s prudent management of the health crisis, our employment and investing prospects set…