Interest rates and the cost of living are rising. This has led to a growing number of Australians struggling to manage their finances. The feeling of financial stress is real, but there are steps you can take to keep your head above water. Even in the best of times, managing your finances is hard. Every…
Choosing between a fixed or variable rate home loan is a common dilemma for many borrowers. With interest rates at historical lows you may now be considering fixing in your home loan rate. But this may come with a catch. We look at what they are and outline some of the key advantages and disadvantages of…
Early July data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows the value of new finance commitments for the purchase of dwellings fell by a record 11.6% over May 2020. This is the largest single monthly drop in the 18 year series. But at the same time, more Australians than ever refinanced their home loan…
Comparison rates help us to compare loan products. They are designed to enable us to compare apples with apples, when it comes to the total cost of lending products, but unfortunately they don’t paint the whole picture. What is a Comparison Rate? A comparison rate provides a simplified way to compare the effective cost of…
How to take advantage of lower interest rates to protect yourself in uncertain times On March 19 the Reserve Bank of Australia announced an emergency interest rate cut that reduced the cash rate to an unprecedented 0.25 per cent. Not all lenders have as yet responded to the change, but initial announcements from a few…
Deciding on how to structure your home loan can be tricky.