Clayton D'Cruz Financial Planner

The average government job in Greece pays almost three times the average private sector job. The average state railroad employee earns 65,000 Euros ($80,000). Twenty years ago, the then minister of finance, Stefanos Manos pointed out that it would be cheaper to put all Greece's rail passengers into tax cabs; it's still true today.

The U.S. dollar sank against major currencies on Friday and gold prices jumped to a six-month high as anemic American jobs growth fueled investor bets that the Federal Reserve will launch another round of monetary stimulus for the world's biggest economy, perhaps as soon as next week.

TOKYO - Asian shares hit five-week lows and the euro fell on Wednesday, as investors grew edgy ahead of a pivotal European Central Bank meeting on Thursday and U.S. payroll data on Friday.

HONG Kong stocks have ended 1.23 per cent higher, with investors buoyed by the possibility of new economic stimulus measures in the world's two biggest economies - the United States and China.

Australian Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said the nation’s mining boom has ended as BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) delayed approval of its Olympic Dam expansion.

87% of those who currently use a financial planner as their main source of advice say their adviser made a positive or significantly positive difference to their life.

Filling up a 39-gallon tank of a Chevrolet Suburban in Venezuela costs $3.51. In Norway it's $394.68.

The ASX200 briefly topped 4400 points for the first time since early May on broad gains.

FOR the first time in history the value of Australian banks are now worth more than the Eurozone.

Australian shares have extended gains, led by the big banks after ANZ's third quarter profit got a tumbs up from investors. The market is on track for its fifth straight week of gains.