In a movement lead by Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, forty of the world’s wealthiest people have just pledged to donate the majority of their fortunes to charity.

”It never made a lot of sense to me why you’d want to change the world for the better and not be around to see it” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, multi-billionaire and recent signatory to the pledge. And the Gates’ and Buffett are hoping to convince others of the merits of doing the same.

In this week’s article of the week, Worldwide News Agent AFP looks at the latest charity movement in billionaire circles.

If you’re interested, take a look at who has (and hasn’t) signed up to the Giving Pledge. Or read more about charitable giving at Australian philosopher Peter Singer’s website The Life You Can Save.

Join this week’s forum: do you believe in donating to charity every year?

Your chances of winning the lottery are pretty slim. To be more precise, they’re about one in eight million (to win Tattslotto), one in 45 million (to win Super7 OzLotto) and one in 54 million (to win Powerball).

For a lucky few, it does happen. But, perhaps surprisingly, there is a difference between being a happy and a not-so-happy lottery winner.

A widely cited 1999 study by the Certified Financial Planning Standards Board in the US estimated that one third of lottery winners go bankrupt. Even more startling, another study reported that up to 70 per cent of people who receive large lump sums of money blow it in a few years.

In this week’s article of the week, Rod Minchin for AAP looks at what happens when lottery winners discover the dream isn’t always what it’s cracked to be.

To see what saving the equivalent of a lottery ticket would be over a long period of time (say $10 a week over 30 years), try plugging some figures into Mozo’s savings calculator.

Join this week’s forum – what would you do with your winnings if you won the lottery?

‘Safe as houses’ is a phrase that’s often thrown around. And a lot of us have come to believe that the housing market is on a perpetual spiral upwards. However if you’re one of the many Australians who’ve recently bought property you might be feeling a bit nervous with the news that house prices have fallen over the last quarter in most Australian cities.

Never fear, like all investments (and relationships) the property market has its ups and downs. We suggest the best way to ensure your love affair ends happily ever after is to throw off the rose-tinted glasses, do your research and go in with your eyes wide open.

In this week’s article of the week, Simon Johanson and Tim Colebatch of theage.com.au report on slipping house prices across Australian capital cities.

If you’re thinking about buying property, visit our property pages to learn more.

Join this week’s forum: is our love affair with property misguided?

We’d be kidding if we told you we thought that tax time is fun. But you have to do it, so you might as well bite the bullet and get it over and done with (think bandaid removal). Especially if you expect to get a tax return…

After deciding whether you’re going to DIY or go the accountant route, it makes good sense to read up on what you can and can’t claim in order to make the most of your return.

In this week’s article of the week, Allison Tait of Ninemsn Money gives you some tips on how to max out your tax return.

In an article on Today Tonight (believe it or not) you’ll also find some interesting information on Australians and their tax return habits –  what the average Australian can expect to get and whether or not they’re likely to save the money.

Join our forum of the week: got any tips of your own for tax time?

According the Greens, the benefits of a four-day work week include improved employee health, better roads and benefits to the environment. But while it might be the average worker’s dream, not everyone is in agreement with opposing parties arguing that it would increase labour shortages and grind the economy to a halt.

Whatever your opinion, it’s a fascinating idea and in this week’s article of the week, James Adonis of theage.com.au tosses up the pros and cons of the four-day work week.

Join this week’s forum: what do you think of the idea of four-day work week?

It’s been a long time coming, however Australia has now fallen into line with every other western country (except for the US) by offering a paid parental scheme. And it’s not just for the mums – dads too will be eligible and leave can be shared between parents.

What are the details? From January 2011, eligible parents will get 18 weeks’ leave, paid at the federal minimum wage of around $570 a week (as usual, conditions apply).

In this week’s article of the week, Patricia Karvelas of The Australian talks about the new scheme.

Join this week’s forum: what do you think of Australia’s new paid parental leave scheme?

When Isla Fisher pranced designer-draped across our screens in Confessions of a Shopoholic last year, shopping addiction was portrayed with the usual frivolous affection.

However, according to the American Psychiatric Association, oniomania now affects one in twenty Americans and can become a serious problem when someone is spending money they don’t have.

While not recognised as a disorder in Australia, shopping addiction is said to sometimes occur when people lose control of an important aspect of their lives – anxiety levels go up and shopping can be seen to provide relief and distraction from their stresses.

In this week’s article of the week Kellie Hush of The Age Online looks at the serious side of compulsive shopping.

Join this week’s forum – have you had any bad spending habits (and how have you overcome them)?

If you’re the proud owner of a new gadget, it pays (quite literally) to try to make sense of your payment plan and how much you’re entitled to download each month.

Consumer groups are warning that people need to be extra vigilant about data usage, especially playing with a new smart phone or iPad away from home, when mobile data transfer becomes particularly expensive.

But buyer beware – it may not be as easy as you might think. In fact, consumer advocate group CHOICE Australia recently attempted to compare mobile phone plans…and gave up. We kid you not.

In this week’s article of the week Richard Webb of theage.com.au warns of the perils of bill shock and how difficult it can be to understand mobile data charges.

Join this week’s forum – have you suffered from bill shock? What advice do you have for others?

Keep in mind, Buffett isn’t your average billionaire. Media-shy and down-to-earth (he still lives in the same house he bought as a young man) he’s pledged to give most of his fortune away to charity upon his death.

In this week’s article of the week the Herald Sun’s Barefoot Investor writes about the latest Berkshire Hathaway general meeting and spills the beans on his interview with the illusive Warren Buffett.

Don’t forget to check out Berkshire Hathaway if you want to hear it all from the horses’s mouth. It’s a daggy looking site but Buffett’s annual letters are a must-read for serious investors.

Join our forum of the week – if you had the chance, what would you ask Warren?

From that extra coffee you buy every afternoon to the regular parking fines, over time these little expenses all take their toll on your bank balance. While driving to work every day might mean that you avoid train cancellations – and sharing your journey with legions of sniffling commuters – it’s generally not great for your hip pocket (not to mention the environment).

Not only do you have to pay for petrol, but the cost of parking your car for the day can be prohibitive – missing out on the early bird rate and paying upward of $50 per weekday to park will cost you in the vicinity of $12,000 over the year. Yikes!

In this week’s article of the week Deborah Gough of theage.com.au looks at the price some people will pay to avoid the train commute (and we ask, is it worth it…?).

Join our forum of the week: do you have any tips for cutting back on daily expenses?