Rear vision

The market for equity release loans (reverse mortgages), which target under-funded retirees, is booming but still unregulated. To help accountants to better advise clients on these products, CPA Australia and SEQUAL (Senior Equity Release Association of Lenders) have jointly issued best practice guidelines. As of June last year, about $1.1 billion in equity release loans had been issued. By 2010, Trowbridge Deloitte expects that figure to reach $12.5 billion.

New York, Monaco, Wollongong

The new $49 million Sea Cliff Bridge north of Wollongong (pictured below) is set to become a global icon. It features in Shell's new global television ad that shows a series of Ferrari formula one cars racing through exotic locations: Rio, New York, Hong Kong, Monaco, Rome and, yes, our own Illawarra. The car in the Australian footage is privately owned and was enthusiastically driven by its owner. The commercial will be shown in Australia later this year.

Self-destruct

With identity theft on the increase, security experts are warning us not to throw out any personal information, especially bank statements. These should be destroyed and, now that the backyard bonfire is rarely an option, document shredding is a boom industry. Unwanted CDs and computer discs should also be destroyed. For those who don't have access to a shredder there are now mobile munchers that come to your home. Look in the Yellow Pages under business records destruction.

Mobile Museum

It's happened at last. Spotted in an op shop: a vintage Motorola mobile phone, circa 1990, displayed in a cabinet reserved for "antique and collectable" items. Yours for $25.