Want to buy your first home with a deposit of just 5% and pay no lenders’ mortgage insurance? You could be in luck – the federal government will soon reissue up to 4,651 unused Home Guarantee Scheme spots.
Ever thought about taking out a loan for your business but hesitated because you were worried about meeting your repayments? Don’t worry, it’s a common concern. But some promising data has just come out that might help you put those fears aside.
Christmas is fast approaching and there’s a good chance you’ve started turning your attention to gifts for family and friends. But be careful this silly season: more than half of Buy Now Pay Later customers are struggling to pay day-to-day living expenses.
Ever thought about buying a property with a friend or family member? You’re not the only one. The rising cost of property and FOMO has led to more than a quarter of Australians considering buying a property with a ‘non-traditional’ partner.
The summer trading season poses a raft of tricky cashflow and stocking challenges for retailers at the best of times, let alone following a global pandemic slowdown. But if done well it can set your business up nicely for the good times ahead.
You’ve probably noticed that house prices in Australia consistently outstrip growth in wages. But by how much? And what can you do to make sure you’re not forever chasing the great Australian dream?
Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or hold, there’s a good chance you’ve wondered whether the property market will tumble when interest rates rise, right? Today we’ll look at what happened to house prices when interest rates were hiked in the past.
When you pay a supplier or service provider, are you certain you’re paying the right account? You’ve got to be super careful these days, as scammers are compromising inboxes and requesting payments to a new account. Here’s how to protect your business and its customers.
Open banking is here and it’s charging full steam ahead. So just how are lenders and fintechs using your shared data in this brave, new, data-fuelled world? A new report has shed some interesting insights.
Mortgage holders are facing a sooner-than-expected cash rate rise after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) revised its outlook due to the economy bouncing back strongly from the Delta outbreak. So just how soon can we expect a rate rise?
More than half of Australian house hunters spend the same amount of time inspecting a property as they do watching an episode on Netflix, according to new research.
Are the days of ultra-low fixed interest rates over? It’s looking increasingly so, with two major banks increasing their fixed rates this week. So if you’ve been thinking about fixing your mortgage lately, it could be time to consider doing so.
We’ve all been guilty of the odd credit card mix-up from time to time – it happens! But if you’re consistently relying on a personal credit card to pay your business expenses – like 4-in-10 SME owners – then it’s probably time to explore other funding options.
Almost 33,000 Australians bought their first home four years sooner thanks to two federal government schemes that give first home buyers a leg up into the property market. Could you, or someone you know, be eligible?
While many SME owners worry about their access to finance, a surge of new lenders and products is rapidly expanding the options available. And brokers have an important role to play for businesses, says the Productivity Commission.
Some borrowers will soon find it harder to get a mortgage after the banking regulator announced tougher serviceability tests for home loans. So who will they impact most?
The federal treasurer has given the strongest indication yet that a home loan crackdown is coming, stating that “carefully targeted and timely adjustments” may be necessary to avoid troubled waters. So what could a potential lending crackdown look like?
Almost one-in-two SMEs have applied for new funding in the last six months, a new report has found, and of those SMEs only half were successful in obtaining the full amount they were seeking.
With house prices going gangbusters in the first half of 2021, is it still a good time to buy property? The majority of investors think so, according to the latest annual survey. And investors have their sights set on one city in particular.
The average Australian homeowner is paying more than $37,000 in extra interest over the life of their home loan due to the loyalty tax, and it’s got three-quarters of borrowers feeling “ripped off” and “angry”.
With interest rates at record low levels, the number of homeowners refinancing skyrocketed to an all-time high in July. Today we’ll run you through why so many people are refinancing, and why you should consider doing so too.
Do you know how the people in your world are really doing right now? Chances are you know someone who’s doing it tough, but silently pressing on. As always, we’re here to support you, and for R U OK? Day we’re sharing ways you can help others.
Remember that classic TV ad: ‘nine out of 10 dentists recommend using [toothpaste brand]?’ Well, it turns out we’ve earned a similar level of trust when it comes to helping first home buyers sink their teeth into the property market.
More small and medium-sized businesses struggling to stay afloat due to the economic impacts of COVID will have access to cheaper funding after the federal government expanded the eligibility criteria for the SME Recovery Loan Scheme.
With many people around the country doing it tough right now, this week we’ll look at a way you can take some pressure off your monthly finances through debt consolidation.
With the pandemic once again tightening its grip around many parts of Australia, today we’ll run you through hardship and grant options that could be available to you or your business.
What measures do you have in place to help protect your family home or business? If life insurance through your superannuation account is one of them, then it’s a good time to give it a quick review – especially if you work in a high-risk environment.
You’d have to go all the way back to the 2004 Athens Olympics to find a time when house price growth was faster than it has recently been. But latest data suggests the golden run has started to slow down.
Australia is a tale of two economies right now, depending on the state or sector your business is based in. Today we’ll run you through three cash flow tips for your business, whether it’s growing or struggling.
Do you use a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service like Afterpay or Zip? If so, be warned that one leading credit reporting agency has made a big change that means your BNPL data will go onto your credit report.
Drive or walk around your local suburb mid-morning on a Saturday and chances are you’ll pass a few freshly banged up ‘Auction’ signs. But is Saturday actually the best day to auction your home? New data suggests perhaps not.
As if Australian business owners hadn’t faced enough challenges this past year – now the dreaded annual insurance and workers compensation premiums will soon arrive in mailboxes. Here’s how to smooth ‘em all out (and get an early bird discount!).
One of the most exciting things about moving into your own home is doing whatever you want with it, such as growing your own veggie patch. But did you know more than a third of Aussie backyards are contaminated with lead? Here’s how to get your soil tested for free.
After 18 straight RBA cash rate cuts it can be easy to dismiss the notion that interest rates might rise again. But if the cash rate returned to mid-2019 levels, how much extra would an average new mortgage holder expect to pay each month? Let’s take a look.
If you’d like to buy your first home with just a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), then you better act quick, as thousands of first home buyers are expected to rush to apply for the limited spots up for grabs.
Small business owners wanting to buy a vehicle, asset or important piece of equipment and immediately write off the cost only have a few days to act this financial year.
First home buyers can now purchase more expensive properties under the federal government’s hugely popular 5% deposit, no LMI scheme.
An increasing number of Australians are prioritising larger homes and bigger blocks in their house-hunting endeavours since the pandemic began. But where to look? Well, a new search tool helps you calculate which suburbs offer the best bang for your buck.
Australian businesses have shifted things up a gear this year, with new asset finance figures revealing a 187% rise in light commercial vehicle purchases since January.
Most of Australia may be a seller’s market right now, but there are still a few dozen suburbs around the country where there’s more housing stock available than in previous years. Today we’ll check out which 33 suburbs are still offering plenty of options for buyers.
With interest rates at record low levels, we’ve seen a big increase in homeowners wanting to refinance this year. So this week we’ll look at some of ASIC’s top tips for refinancing, plus some of our own for good measure.
Keen to buy a vehicle, asset or another vital piece of equipment for your business and immediately write off the cost? Well, you better get cracking, as we’re officially entering end-of-financial-year territory.
Australia’s biggest bank has hiked its three-year fixed rate for owner-occupiers in a further sign that “the tide is turning on interest rates”. So if you’ve been thinking about fixing your interest rate, it could be high time to do so.
While most Australians dream of owning their own home, the majority of hopeful homeowners admit they don’t fully understand how home loans or mortgage rates work. That’s why we make it our mission to enlighten you during your home buying journey.
Small businesses in dispute with the ATO over their tax debt will get “a fairer go” under new rules proposed in the federal budget. Meanwhile, one-year extensions have been granted for the full asset write-off and loss carry-back schemes. Let’s break it all down.
Single parents saving for a property and first home buyers are the big winners from this year’s federal budget. Today we’ll break down the three schemes that will help them crack the property market sooner.
While it might feel like property prices are skyrocketing out of reach, the majority of Australian homes are actually cheaper to buy than rent over the next decade, according to a new report.
Property prices climbed at a breathtaking pace in early 2021, which has been good news for homeowners and heartbreaking for house hunters. However, there are seven key signs that the pace of capital gains has peaked, says CoreLogic.
Businesses across the country are purchasing new equipment and vehicles in record numbers, as companies big and small embrace the strongest market conditions seen in years, according to NAB data.
Tens of thousands of HomeBuilder applicants around the nation can breathe a sigh of relief after the federal government extended the construction commencement requirement from six months to 18 months.
You open up the real estate app on your phone, scroll through a few listings, and then there it is: the home of your dreams, ‘added 1 hour ago’. So just how long do you typically have to act in this hot market?
The COVID-19 loan deferral program and credit reporting amnesty is now over, which means banks will report any late repayments on mortgage or small business loans to credit agencies unless you’ve entered into a hardship arrangement.
House prices could jump 17% in 2021 and mortgage rates are set to rise much sooner than expected, ANZ Bank has tipped.
The property market is going through a boom phase, which means housing affordability is getting tougher. So how much does the average Australian household need to put towards their monthly home loan repayments in the current market? Let’s take a look.
Floods, fire and pandemic – it’s been an incredibly tough 15 months for many Australian businesses. And with government support about to end, looking after your mental health will be just as important as taking care of your business’s financial health.
Thinking of building, buying a new home or renovating? The HomeBuilder scheme ends on March 31, which means you’ve got less than two weeks to take advantage of the $15,000 grant.
Who would take the reins of your family business if you had to take a step back from it? Turns out just one-in-six businesses have a proper plan in place. But rest assured you can develop your own succession plan fairly painlessly, with the help of a new guide.
Did you know more than a third of Australian homeowners are considering putting their property up for sale so they can take advantage of the current boom in prices? Here’s how to get your property looking spick and span for prospective buyers.
It’s official: Australia’s housing market is in the midst of a broad-based boom, with the national home value surging 2.1% higher in February; the largest month-on-month change since 2003.
Things are starting to look better for small business owners across the country with just 5% of deferred business loans yet to resume repayments. Meanwhile, there are signs that business credit demand is improving, especially when it comes to asset finance.
The first home buyer market had a bumper year in 2020 due to modest declines in property prices, reduced investor activity, and a range of government incentives. But with those advantages tailing off, how will first home buyers compete in 2021?
Australia’s housing market is on the “cusp of a boom”, with house prices set to leap 16% over the next two years, according to the Commonwealth Bank (CBA).
How well placed is your retail business when it comes to its digital transformation? Today we’ll look at some of the ways your competitors might be complementing their bricks and mortar stores with online empires.
Great news just in for first home buyers: the Australian government will reissue 1800 First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) spots from the 2019-20 financial year.
After a bumpy 2020, 2021 is already rewriting the record books. From property prices, to interest rates, to refinancing – no matter which way you look records are being broken. Today we’ll look at why property market sentiment is riding so high.
When coronavirus broke out across Australia, doomsday reports tipped the property market could fall as far as 30% across the country. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Here’s how to find out how your suburb actually fared.
If you’re worried about how to recover from the horror show that was 2020, you’re not alone. Two-thirds of Australian small to medium businesses feel the same way, research shows.
It’s the document that was never meant to see the light of day. But a Freedom of Information request reveals the Reserve Bank of Australia projects a 30% increase in house prices if interest rates remain low for the next few years.
While you were kicking your feet up over the festive season, did you flick open your phone and scroll through real estate listings in your dream location? If so, you might’ve noticed there were fewer properties listed for sale than usual. Here’s why.
Long gone are the days of Holden vs Ford. These days it’s all about the SUV vs the great Australian ute. So which vehicle type topped the list in 2020?
