When is The Right Time to Refinance? Australian homeowners will be closely watching as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets early May 2024 to decide on monetary policy. Following the RBA’s recent decision to hold the cash rate at 4.35 percent in March, some economists believe no rate change is likely. With homeowners facing the…
Mortgage Interest Rate Rises and Refinancing Tips Aussie homeowners facing yet another cash rate hike in November 2023 are understandably concerned about the impact that rising interest rates will have on their mortgage repayments. Going from a low of 2.85 percent a little more than a year ago to a new high of 4.35 percent,…
Property Valuations: Maximizing Your Property’s Worth Refinancing your mortgage to get a better deal or to use the equity in your property means arranging a valuation of your property to determine its value. Getting a lower-than-expected valuation can affect the interest rate your lender offers and the amount of equity you can tap into. Here’s how…
First Tier Lenders vs. Second Tier Lenders Stricter lending conditions across Australia have led to a rise in the number of borrowers turning to second-tier lenders for finance. Second-tier lenders – who can be smaller banks or non-bank lenders – whilst also tightly regulated, can often have more flexibility in the rates and fees they…
Big Banks, Small Banks, Non-Banks When deciding on a home loan provider, many people choose to approach their own bank in the first instance, believing it makes sense to work with a lender already managing their everyday banking. This is not always the best option however, and it could mean missing out on better deals.…
3 Financial Rules of Thumb Worth Following Personal finance is full of rules of thumb about saving, spending, paying off debt, and budgeting. These well-known financial guidelines help us apply proven methods for saving, investing, buying a home and even planning for retirement. They can be useful shortcuts for making quick calculations and decisions about…
When to Refinance Your Mortgage Refinancing your mortgage could help you secure better interest rates, reduce the term of your loan, and even strengthen your overall financial position. Deciding when to refinance depends on several factors and there are many instances where property owners refinance for reasons other than just the interest rate. Take a…
As house prices across Australia continue to soar, more first home buyers are getting financial support from their parents. So much so that the Bank of Mum and Dad has been named the ninth largest mortgage lender in Australia. And with average financial contributions at just under $90,000, the amounts parents are contributing are not…
3 Tips to Help You Prepare for Tax Time 2021 With financial year end not far off, it’s a good time to start thinking about preparing your tax. There are a few things you can do ahead of June 30 to help you get ready for tax time 2021. Things like organizing your paperwork, prepaying…
Should You Use Your Builder’s Broker? Building a new home is a complex project and there are many decisions to be made before the project even begins. From the style of architecture, to the floor plan and layout; bathroom and kitchen fixtures and fittings; right through to flooring, paint, countertops and cupboard handles. But the…