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. Deloitte Access Economics' latest report makes for pretty interesting reading. It turns out the average Australian has a “wide-ranging hesitancy to make any sort of change” when it comes to their mortgages and…

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. ASIC's first review of this evolving market finds that buy now pay later arrangements are having a negative impact on spending habits, especially…

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! Let's be honest, owning a pet goes hand-in-hand with the great Australian dream of property ownership. So…

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. I want to preface this article by saying that there's no wrong or…

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. NSW stamp duty overhaul First, let's start with the good. The NSW Government recently announced it will peg stamp duty to the rate of…

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 a budget blow-out doesn't derail your mortgage repayments over the silly season. The best bit?…

When it comes to paying off your mortgage, 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’. The lure of micro-transactions - purchases that are low in cost and trivial in nature - can be a real obstacle for…

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 (HIA). The RBA on Tuesday again resolved to leave the official cash rate on hold at 1.5%, noting that the current settings…

With housing values falling across half of Australia's capital cities over the past year - and the media well and truly letting us know all about it - it can be all too easy to forget many regions are doing well. Here's where property prices have recently experienced healthy growth. The good news is that…

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. Most of us have watched on as a loved one's memory has faltered and faded.…