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? We love a feel-good news story around here. And hearing that so many first home buyers got a leg… Continue reading How 1-in-10 first home buyers cracked the market 4 years sooner

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.