Should I fix my rate?
A number of banks have begun to discount their fixed rate home loans. First NAB, then Westpac lowered their rates recently and each of the banks currently has at least one fixed loan offering that is cheaper than their variable rate mortgages. Paying even a small amount less each month will be tempting for […]
Double a rate cut with a refinance
Australians have become more engaged with their home loan deals over the last couple of years. They’ve had to, because the RBA has engaged in the steepest cash rate hiking cycle on record. Borrowers have watched as the official rate went from a historically low 0.1% to where it sits now at 4.35%. Over […]
When financing focus first on the end goal
A lot of people want to get into investing because they think “I should probably accumulate some wealth”. But apart from a loose idea that property performs well as an asset class, they really aren’t sure what they’re trying to achieve. You wouldn’t leave the house in the morning without first knowing where you […]
Cashback offers return for refinancers
When competition between banks was rife post-Covid, many were offering cashback loan deals for those who refinanced. Put simply, banks would ‘gift’ you between $2000 and $4000 if you switched from another bank and borrowed with them instead. But the deals dried up and were mostly gone from the market by the beginning of […]
Importance of loan approval times
Picture this, you’ve found the perfect property to invest or live in, it’s well within your budget, you have your finance pre-approved, so you go ahead and make an offer. The vendors accept and you are over the moon. You pay your initial contract deposit and then it’s a matter of waiting the 6 […]
Five ways to save on mortgage repayments
It feels like a lifetime. A mortgage, that is. And that’s what ‘mortgage’ actually means in latin… a ‘death pledge’. Basically either the debt, or you, dies first. To think that you’re stuck paying interest to a bank for 25 or 30 years…it’s depressing. More if you need to refinance to renovate or deal […]
A guide to SMSF lending
Aussies are more engaged with their superannuation than ever before and we have good reason to be. Big events like the GFC saw fortunes wiped from our retirement savings; while periods of low-interest rates and several property booms in different markets over the past decade showed that we may need to do more than […]
Homeownership vs renting
Times have been tough for tenants in recent times as vacancy rates have tightened to record lows and asking rents have risen by double-digit percentages for consecutive years. But homeowners still paying off their mortgages have had their challenges. The RBA cash rate has risen from 0.1% to 4.35% and banks have hiked interest […]
Should I refinance in 2024?
Australians refinanced at record levels in 2023, which was understandable. There’s nothing like being slugged with hundreds or even thousands of dollars extra a month in interest repayments for getting you engaged with your finances. Many borrowers had been lulled into a state of complacency because, until early 2022, it had been more than […]
Reasons to consider using your SMSF to invest in property
Major economic events like the GFC and the Covid pandemic taught us that things outside our control could severely affect our future wealth. It showed there are no guarantees when it comes to trusting your hard-earned money to a fund manager you have never met. These events played a part in a sharp uptick […]
