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The end of financial year (EOFY) is nigh. This time of year makes many of us quake in fear. Paperwork. Receipts. Tax. But what if EOFY could be an annual highlight? Just as New Year is a cause for celebration and renewal, EOFY can be a chance for you to get the most out of […]
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There’s condensation on the window. The grass is crispy with frost. Winter is setting in. For beach-loving Aussies, staying warm through the cooler months is a top priority. Are you looking for efficient ways to heat your home during winter? Since heating and cooling your house consumes 40 per cent of your home’s energy, it […]
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The Grattan Institute report, released earlier in March, found that Australian house prices have more than doubled in the last 20 years. The rise has been particularly sharp in the last six years, with house prices increasing 50 per cent in Melbourne and around 70 per cent in Sydney since 2012. So, what caused this […]
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How do the words ‘financial planning’ make you feel? What about ‘mortgage’? Or ‘superannuation’? Believe it or not, a staggering 52 per cent of Australian women find dealing with finances stressful, and around 2 per cent of women have no savings for retirement. Australian women face unique financial challenges. By retirement, women have less superannuation […]
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High energy prices are often in the news, which is no surprise given Australians pay the highest energy prices in the world. That, combined with increased energy consumption, means a bulk of your household expenses go towards energy bills. Much of the cost of energy is to do with maintenance of network connections, like poles […]
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It is the Aussie dream to own your own home. But in the last 15 years, housing affordability has made it tricky for some. The average cost of owning a property is now 7.2 per cent of the average income. Fifteen years ago, it was only 4.2 per cent. While incomes have also increased in […]
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Things are changing in the banking world thanks to advances in technology, the need for increased security and demand for customer convenience. Last year, the big banks removed ATM fees. The Reserve Bank, the ACCC and the Banking Royal Commission are also keeping an eye on bank fees, rates, and healthy competition between banks and […]
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Welcome to 2018! Another year has whizzed by. Did you invest wisely last year? Were you making progress financially? If not, here are a few tips to help make 2018 count. The first step is to get your finances in order, if they aren’t already. Make sure you have a budget that keeps track of […]
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On average, Australians plan to spend $955 over the holiday season. Most use savings for Christmas presents, but 46 per cent use a credit card, and another 4 per cent take out a loan. The average credit card debt after Christmas is $1,666. Most people will pay off their credit card debt within six months, […]
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Christmas is a time to be merry. But for many, it’s a time to stress out. There are presents to buy, holidays to pay for, dinners and drinks out and sometimes, work without pay. But Christmas doesn’t have to mean we stop saving for a first home deposit, or become bogged down by mortgage repayments. Using […]
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Nick Tinning and fiancée Naomi Parkes thought securing a loan to build their house would be relatively...
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Borrowing money can get awfully complicated and that’s where having the right mortgage broker made all the difference for...
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Kimberley and her partner Todd were looking at buying a home together. They had each contacted their respective banks but were...
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