Home Loans

Choosing your mortgage provider can sometimes involve as much research as locating your ideal property. After all, you wouldn’t purchase the first property you saw without looking inside, so why would you treat your mortgage this way?

Alex Ritchie -

05 Mar, 2024 -

6 min read

Home Loans

Many Aussie salespeople earn a commission on the products or services they sell, which is calculated as a percentage of the total value of the sales. Commissions can vary for several reasons, such as changing seasonal demand for products or difficulties hitting sales targets.

Mark Bristow -

18 May, 2023 -

9 min read

Home Loans

Refinancing a home loan typically costs some money in fees and charges from your old and new mortgage lenders. However, there may be ways to reduce or offset these costs, and the potential savings from switching could see you break even sooner than you expect.

Mark Bristow -

24 Aug, 2023 -

5 min read

Personal Loans

It’s no secret that tying the knot can be an expensive proposition, with the W-word often being associated with higher than typical prices for many products and services. While you might be wedded to getting a personal loan to pay for it, it’s important to be aware of the risks involved before saying I Do to a bank or lender.

Mark Bristow -

15 Mar, 2024 -

5 min read

Home Insurance

Many apartments are already covered by strata insurance, so you may not need to apply for a traditional home insurance policy to cover damage to the property. However, strata insurance may not always offer the cover you need. If you’re one of the 10% of Australians who live in apartments, it could be worth comparing contents insurance policies and other options.

Mark Bristow -

26 Apr, 2024 -

4 min read

Home Insurance

Whether you're the owner of a luxury watch or a collection of prized timepieces, you may want the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re covered in the event of loss or damage. Knowing some key facts about watch insurance, and being aware of some important limitations, can help make sure you’re not left high and dry.

Mark Bristow -

20 Feb, 2024 -

3 min read

Home Insurance

Home insurance can be daunting, especially when trying to protect your most valuable asset - your home. Building insurance plays a crucial role in safeguarding homeowners from financial loss due to damage or destruction of their property. Understanding the essentials of building insurance and its costs may help you save some money on your policy.

Mark Bristow -

12 Feb, 2024 -

3 min read

Credit Score

Shoppers find the buy now, pay later services quite attractive but before you jump in, you should know how these services work and if they impact your credit score.

Vidhu Bajaj -

15 Mar, 2024 -

5 min read

Credit Score

Being mindful of your financial habits can make a big difference to how easy or hard it is to keep your credit score at the top end of the band. Here are four of the top ways to maintain or grow a good credit score:

Mark Bristow -

15 Feb, 2024 -

4 min read

Credit Score

Food delivery services can feel like a life saver when the fridge is bare or you’re simply lacking motivation to cook, but can frequent use affect your credit score?

Georgia Brown -

10 Jun, 2023 -

3 min read

Car Loans

If you want to keep your car running smoothly and avoid costly mechanic bills, then choosing the right fuel is important. In Australia, regular unleaded petrol (91), premium unleaded (95 and 98) and E10 are among the most common petrol choices for motorists. If you’ve seen these names on the petrol bowser without fully understanding what they mean, here are the basics to help you make a more informed choice the next time you fill up your car.

Mark Bristow -

20 Feb, 2024 -

5 min read

Car Loans

A salary sacrifice car loan is simply another term for a novated lease, in which you purchase a vehicle using your pre-tax salary. Car salary sacrifice loans are essentially three-way contracts.

Alex Ritchie -

20 Nov, 2023 -

5 min read

Car Loans

If the time has come to upgrade to a new set of wheels, but your savings won’t quite cover the purchase cost, you might be weighing up your financing options.

Alex Ritchie -

06 Nov, 2023 -

5 min read

Savings Accounts

Savings can provide a safety net for individuals and households during periods of financial difficulty or stress. But how much does the average Australian actually have stashed away in their savings account?

Peter Terlato -

15 Nov, 2023 -

3 min read

Savings Accounts

Earning the maximum interest from a savings account may require you to meet certain conditions, such as making regular deposits or minimal withdrawals. If you don’t fulfil these conditions, you may earn less interest on your savings, or even none at all.

Mark Bristow -

22 Jan, 2024 -

4 min read

Savings Accounts

save money, savings, online, savings plan

Car Insurance

While you can buy car insurance the same day you purchase a vehicle, the coverage may not always take effect immediately. It’s important to know whether any waiting periods may apply, so you aren’t unknowingly driving around without an active car insurance policy.

Mark Bristow -

10 Oct, 2023 -

2 min read

Car Insurance

Pay As You Drive insurance works by allowing customers to only pay for the kilometres they drive instead of paying a fixed premium. Pay As You Drive policies aim to provide a more individualised approach to calculating insurance costs. 

Alex Ritchie -

30 Nov, 2023 -

4 min read

Car Insurance

Electric Vehicles (EVs) generally cost more to purchase than their petrol-powered equivalents, and may also often cost more to insure. However, the fuel cost savings may be able to help offset some of these higher expenses.

Mark Bristow -

14 Aug, 2023 -

4 min read

bnpl

Beforepay is an app that allows salaried employees to borrow money and repay it from their next four pay cycles. Some may consider it to be a salary advance but it’s ultimately a loan that you’ll need to repay.

Vidhu Bajaj -

05 Jul, 2023 -

8 min read

bnpl

Deferit is a buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform with a difference. Instead of facilitating retail purchases, it pays your bills on time while allowing you to pay them off in four equal fortnightly instalments without any interest. The service is available for a monthly subscription fee for months when there is an active bill.

Vidhu Bajaj -

03 Jul, 2023 -

6 min read

Energy

Whether you’re trying to be more environmentally conscious, or are sick of paying through the teeth for your utilities, Australian homeowners are increasingly seeking ways to trim down their electricity and gas expenses.  

Alex Ritchie -

17 Nov, 2023 -

4 min read

Energy

Whether your focus is the environment or your budget, you may be thinking of installing solar panels on your roof to generate your own electricity. Household solar can contribute to a better environment by reducing your reliance on fossil fuels, leading to a cleaner grid. It can also help you save money by buying less electricity and selling your excess power back to the grid. 

Mark Bristow -

17 Oct, 2023 -

6 min read

Term Deposits

Each year Australians look for ways to accrue, save and invest their money, with many turning to term deposits for their investments.

Term Deposits

It’s usually possible to withdraw your money from a term deposit early if you need the cash back in your pocket. But doing so may require providing advance notice to the bank, and you may miss out on earning interest on your savings.

Alex Ritchie -

01 Sep, 2023 -

4 min read

Term Deposits

A term deposit falls under the category of a financial asset, specifically a cash and cash equivalent asset. It's a form of investment that you own, and it holds monetary value.

Peter Terlato -

02 Nov, 2023 -

4 min read

Credit Cards

Learn how to make a successful credit card balance transfer to save on interest and streamline debt repayment effectively.

Vidhu Bajaj -

24 Nov, 2023 -

7 min read

Credit Cards

If you’re wondering which of your debts to pay off first, there are two popular schools of thought: pay the debt with the highest interest rate first or pay the smallest debt first.

Alex Ritchie -

08 Aug, 2023 -

4 min read

Credit Cards

Balance transfer credit cards can be an invaluable tool for cardholders hoping to work off their existing card debt. But just how long does it actually take to transfer your existing balance over to your new credit card?

Alex Ritchie -

08 Aug, 2023 -

5 min read

Superannuation

Superannuation can sometimes feel a bit like a simple savings account or term deposit – money goes in, earns interest, and doesn’t come out again until you retire. But did you know that some Australian super funds offer financial education, advice and other services? Not all Australians take advantage of these services, which could make a big difference to your retirement plans.

Mark Bristow -

10 Jul, 2023 -

4 min read

Superannuation

Finding additional ways to increase your super balance could help you live a comfortable post-working life. This is where making salary sacrifices comes into play.

Alex Ritchie -

28 Aug, 2017 -

3 min read

Superannuation

The average Australian needs to grow their superannuation balance to $640,000 for a couple and $545,000 for a single person for a comfortable retirement, according to industry experts - a daunting amount in most people's books.

Bank Accounts

You don’t need a bank account to send or receive money through PayPal. However, you do need a bank account if you want to withdraw money from your PayPal account.

Alex Ritchie -

17 Aug, 2023 -

4 min read

Bank Accounts

If you’ve ever opened more than one bank account in the past, could you have forgotten about some money that you’ve left behind, which is still waiting to be claimed? And if you think you might have, or if you’re not quite sure, how can you go about finding these outstanding accounts and claiming this unclaimed money?

Mark Bristow -

29 Jun, 2023 -

4 min read

Bank Accounts

Not sure what to do with your loose change and spare cash? Most banks will let you deposit change or cash into your bank account by visiting a branch and doing so in person or using a deposit ATM.

Alex Ritchie -

27 Jun, 2023 -

3 min read