You know that infuriating habit the big banks have of failing to pass on the RBA’s cash rate cuts in full? Well, it’s finally triggered the federal government to order an inquiry into home loan pricing. The inquiry, which is being conducted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), comes just weeks after the…

The ‘pendulum may have swung a bit too far’ when it comes to the tight lending standards currently imposed on small businesses, says the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Since the RBA cut the official cash rate to a new record low of 0.75% on Tuesday, most of the attention has been on whether the…

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to a new record low of 0.75%. But will the banks pass on the interest rate cut in full to you? RBA Governor Philip Lowe said this third rate cut in five monetary policy meetings was made to support…

Three-in-five prospective first home buyers intend to buy soon with a smaller deposit, rather than wait until they have saved a 20% deposit. So how do they plan on doing so? It usually takes between seven to 14 years for first home buyers to save a 20% first home deposit, according to a new report…

More than one-in-five SMEs are having cash flow problems due to business loans being rejected, according to new research. The report, by market analysis firm East & Partners on behalf of Scottish Pacific, also shows just one in 10 SMEs believe they are on top of their cash flow. One of the main culprits? More…

Imagine buying your first home with only a 5% deposit and not having to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). Well, that dream is one step closer to reality after the government introduced legislation to implement the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme. Currently, people with a deposit of less than 20% usually have to pay LMI.…

Lending to Aussie households spiked 3.9% in July, the strongest growth seen since October 2014, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The bumper month follows a 1.9% rise in June 2019, suggesting the tide has finally started to turn in the lending market. “Whoa. Quite the surge in housing credit in July,” remarked…

Marge, Marge, the rains are ‘ere! Home prices have recorded their first rise since October 2017, with national dwelling values increasing 0.8% over August, according to the latest CoreLogic report. Housing values across capital cities rose by 1%, with Sydney (1.6%), Melbourne (1.4%), Canberra (0.8%), Hobart (0.5%) and Brisbane (0.2%) leading the way. While the…

Ever been tempted to tell the boss you’re leaving to start your own business? You’re not alone. In fact, more than nine million Aussies dream about becoming their own boss. However, the biggest hurdle for 60% of those people (5.4 million) is ‘access to money’, according to research commissioned by the Australian Banking Association (ABA).…

How much do you think the average Aussie spends on gifts each month? $20, $50 or 100? (hint: we’re a generous bunch). Today we’ll look at why it’s important to budget for these expenses correctly, rather than succumbing to ‘buy now, pay later’ services. Did you know Australians spend nearly $20 billion a year on…