Be safe rather than sorry
Not everyone will do it, but most people will consider it at some stage in their lives – borrowing to buy their very own home. It can be an exciting
August 14, 2020
Interest Rates
Quarterly Economic Update: April-June 2020
During the last quarter one story has dominated the news – COVID-19. By the end of June at least 10 million people had contracted the disease, and over 500,000 had
July 10, 2020
How to create savings while paying off debt
Over the past 30 years, Australians’ household debt has increased. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, our household debt-to-income ratio has risen from 70 per cent in the early
March 14, 2020
Is paying your mortgage off quicker really the best option?
Not so long ago one of the most effective, low risk wealth creation strategies was to use spare savings to pay down a mortgage, either directly or via the well
January 10, 2020
5 ways to benefit from record low interest rates
Interest rates have never been lower, and it’s possible they might fall even further. This creates opportunities for householders and businesses, so how can you best take advantage of low
November 22, 2019
The link between financial stress and mental health
If you’ve ever laid awake at night thinking about your finances you’ll know: financial stress can be debilitating. What you may not be aware of is the strong link between
August 29, 2019
Does the value of the Aussie dollar affect you?
You might think that only importers and exporters pay attention to the value of the Aussie dollar, but movements in the exchange rate affect us all. After peaking at US$0.81
November 12, 2018
Time to review household debt
Fuelled by rising house prices and low interest rates, the level of personal debt in Australia is relatively high compared to many other countries.i The largest proportion of this debt
September 6, 2018
What is responsible lending and why does it matter?
Whether it’s due to over-enthusiastic lenders or desperate borrowers, failure to adhere to robust lending standards can land some borrowers in serious financial distress. In many cases the difficulties
August 17, 2018
A different way to help the grandkids
Many grandparents want to give their grandchildren a head start in life, and a common way to do so is to help by paying some (or all) of their school
August 2, 2018
What is the Pension Loan Scheme?
Currently 1.8 million Australian homeowners receive some level of age pension, with around 700,000 on a part pension. What many of these part-age pensioners may not know is that, along
July 6, 2018
Buy now; pay later; manage carefully
Before heading off on an overseas holiday, Sam decided to buy an expensive new camera to document his travels. The camera store offered a ‘buy now, pay later’ option, and
June 17, 2018