As technology continues to evolve, so too do the challenges of keeping your family budget in check. This week we’re going to look at a couple of technological trends that could put your family budget under some real strain in 2019.

There’s been a lot of noise in the home lending and financial space recently, so there’s every chance you may have missed it, but some lenders are starting to cut rates.

Medicare customers are being urged to update their bank account details to see if they’re entitled to a share of more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates. Here’s how to do so online in a few minutes.

Higher interest rates, increased fees, less flexibility and fewer options. That’s how borrowers will lose out if the banking Royal Commission’s recommendations around how mortgage brokers are paid are implemented. Here’s how you can have your say!

Once again the Big 4 Banks have escaped major punishment and gotten exactly what they wanted: adding a multi-thousand-dollar tax on borrowing that’ll hit consumers and brokers hardest.

Ahh, the NBN. Depending on where you live it’s either lightening fast, or so agonizingly slow that you want to pull your hair out. Well, the good news is you could be entitled to a refund worth hundreds of dollars.

Sharing is caring, right? However, when it comes to the sharing economy, the ATO is feeling neglected and wants its fair share. Here’s what you need to know if you rent out your property on Airbnb.

It’s the end of the road for 900,000 borrowers on interest-only loans, as they’ll be automatically switched to principal and interest loans this year. Now’s the time to check whether or not you should start considering other options.

We’re midway through January and you’ve managed to stay sane. Well, we hope so anyway! Here are seven budget-friendly ideas that’ll help keep the kids off their screens throughout the last two weeks of school holidays.

Each year we make New Year’s resolutions that focus on our health and wellbeing. But how often do we think about improving our finances? Here are five financial New Year’s resolutions that could help you start 2019 with a bang!

Here’s some good news to kick off 2019: APRA is removing its restrictions on interest-only residential mortgage lending from January 1.

Whether you’re celebrating the festive season with family and friends, or getting away somewhere nice and relaxing, we hope you have a wonderful break over the summer holidays!

Borrowers who don’t shop around due to the banks’ unclear pricing tactics are losing out on an average of $850 a year, an ACCC report has found.

Tipsy topples, scooter smashes, sporting sprains and medical mishaps – before you go jet-setting overseas these holidays we’ll explore the most common ways travel insurance policies are voided.

Every Christmas almost half of the Australian population decides to go swimming in credit card debt to get through the festive season. But there’s two big reasons why you shouldn’t do that this year.

A big four bank almost overhauled its broker remuneration model so that the cost of mortgage broking services would be transferred to the customer, the royal commission heard. Here’s how to prevent that from happening.

Seven in 10 Australian mortgage holders have not stress tested their home loan. But don’t stress, it’s much easier to do than you think.

One in six customers who use payment methods such as Afterpay and Zip Pay run into financial strife – and ASIC is putting the ‘buy now, pay later’ industry under the spotlight.

We thought we’d have a little fun this week and look at how much it costs the average Aussie family to own a pet. After all, two in three households have one and very few budget for them!

One of the biggest milestones you’ll encounter on your climb up the property ladder is becoming a landlord. Which means that one big decision you’ll face is whether to hire the services of a managing agent, or take on the responsibility yourself.

Most of us roll our eyes when we start seeing shopping centres spruik Christmas merchandise in November. While it’s important not to get caught up in the festivities too early, now’s actually a great time to start prepping to ensure your budget doesn’t blow out over the silly season.

There’s been a couple of fairly big property-related announcements recently, including a stamp duty overhaul in NSW and NAB increasing interest rates. Let’s break down what they could mean for you.

Property owners and prospective first home buyers are increasingly in need of clear guidance on home lending as the housing markets in Melbourne and Sydney begin to cool, says the Housing Industry Association.

When it comes to money-saving and budgeting, many of us are in the dark as to where we should be making significant savings. A good place to start? Cutting down on ‘micro-transactions’.

With housing values falling across half of Australia’s capital cities over the past year it can be all too easy to forget many regions are doing well. Here’s where property prices have recently experienced healthy growth.

It’s an unfortunate fact of life: as you grow older, your memory is likely to fade. While you’ll probably be forgiven for forgetting the odd anniversary, the stakes are much higher when it comes to keeping track of your finances.

It may seem as though every time you open a newspaper there’s another story about the sky falling in on the property market. But here’s why it’s being labelled the “house price fall we had to have”.

Buying a house by the sea in a little known coastal town is no longer reserved for retirees. New research shows that those flocking to coastal towns are now predominately young families.

Just like a Melbourne Cup winner tearing down the outside, the October 31 tax deadline can quickly rush up on you. As the Australian Tax Office can fine those who fail to get theirs in on time, it might be time to get cracking.

Sticking to a financial plan – such as paying off a mortgage – can be a long journey that’s punctuated by high highs and low lows. Here are some tips to get you through the tougher times.

You’ve probably seen ‘negative gearing’ and ‘capital gains tax’ in the news recently. That’s because they’re set to become hot topics ahead of the next federal election. Today we’ll take a look at both.

We all know that choosing the perfect investment and getting the timing right are both critical. What people often overlook, however, is selecting the right investment ownership model.

A question we often get goes something along the lines of: ‘I make all my repayments on time, and I save $1,000 per month, why is the bank saying I can’t service a loan?’ Here’s how banks conduct loan serviceability.

Information is power. Knowing how much a property is worth can help you secure a great price during negotiations.

Many people only pay their bills on time to avoid being slugged with late fees and a bad credit rating. But a big change this month means that you can now be rewarded for timely repayments.

Whether it’s unrequited love, or an unsuccessful home loan application, getting your heart broken is never easy. Here are five common reasons home loan applications are rejected.

It’s a morbid thought that many of us tend to shy away from, but end-of-life financial planning is a crucial stage in any successful financial management plan.

With some of the major lenders recently lifting interest rates on variable home loans, we’ve had a number of enquiries this week as to whether now is a good time to lock in an interest rate.

When one bank hikes its interest rates, the rest usually follow one after the other like dominos. Here’s how to avoid getting caught up in the chain reaction.

You’ve probably heard of The Barefoot Investor before. Pre-sales for his upcoming book have already surpassed the final instalment of the Harry Potter series. But here’s why you don’t have to tread down the tricky path towards financial independence barefoot and all by yourself.

With a reverse mortgage you can unlock nest egg funds without having to sell your whole nest. Here’s how we can help in the process.

Sydney? Melbourne? Perth? Find out which of Australia’s capital cities have performed best in the property market over the past two decades.

We all experience times in life when we just can’t wait to get our hands on that shiny new item. But as the old saying goes: good things come to those who wait.

Credit card providers love to use all kinds of incentives to get you to put that shiny piece of plastic into your wallet, ripe for usage at your weaker moments. Here’s how to avoid getting snared in credit card debt.

It’s one thing to be ready to pay off a mortgage. It’s entirely another to convince lenders that you’re ready to do so, especially in the current environment of tighter lending standards. Here’s how.

We all know that recycling is great for the environment. But debt recycling? Well, if done right, that could be great for your own little patch of planet earth.

Want to avoid sinking your entire savings balance into your mortgage? An offset account could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Most Australians grow up with the dream of buying and living in their own home. But, given the difficulty of cracking into the market in trendy locations, another option has emerged.

Everyone dreams of investing in a home or business that will fetch them more money than they originally bought it for. Here’s how to roll-up your sleeves and get started.

Keen for a new laptop, car, or even an airport lounge membership? Sick of putting your hand in your pocket for school fees, the rent or your mortgage? All of these things could be paid for through a salary sacrifice arrangement.

Every year thousands of Aussie families flush their hard earned dollars down the gurgler because they put off the simple act of refinancing their mortgage. If you’re overdue, rest assured that it’s much easier than you may think!

Sure, the value of the average Australian home may have fallen for nine consecutive months, but it’s far from doom and gloom. Let’s put it all in a bit of perspective.

There are two kinds of debt in this world: the kind that is tax deductible and the kind that isn’t. Knowing the difference, and planning your purchases accordingly, can significantly improve your cashflow, opportunities and overall financial position.

Significant changes have been made to Australia’s credit reporting rules, with a new Comprehensive Credit Reporting regime (CCR) coming into effect in the new financial year. Which means now is as good a time as ever to perform a credit check.

Sure, the new financial year is never anywhere near as exciting as the New Year itself. But that doesn’t make it a less important date on your calendar.

First home owner grants have been extended for another 12 months, which is good news for those itching to get off the property market sidelines. Here’s a playbook to help you with your house hunting.