Financial Insights & Updates

The Reserve Bank has the cash rate in a holding pattern, and several of the big banks have scaled back their predictions of another cash rate cut in 2025. Here’s what it could mean for your home loan. It looks like the rate cut party may have come to an [...]

The popular Home Guarantee Scheme that lets first home buyers get into the market with just a 5% deposit has been expanded sooner than expected. But an unexpected twist means first home buyers may want to bring forward their buying plans. The Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) allows first home buyers to buy [...]

Three rate cuts since February have spurred home owners to take a closer look at their home loan. Turns out plenty have found a loan better suited to their needs elsewhere, with 100,000 home loans refinanced in the past quarter. It’s not every day we do a double-take looking at [...]

Buying a first home isn’t always easy, and first-timers sometimes miss out on a place they’ve set their heart on. But more than one-in-ten first-time buyers have missed out simply because they didn’t have home loan pre-approval. Buying a first home can be an emotional roller coaster. It’s not unusual [...]

Location, location, location. Or should we say: education, education, education. New research shows homes in the catchment areas of sought-after public schools can command six-figure price premiums. Here’s why. Your home can be much more than a roof over your head. It’s also an investment that may build personal wealth [...]

There’s a lot to love about buying a brand new home, and sales of recently constructed homes have increased 19% over the last quarter. We look at the pros and cons of buying a new home – and the financial incentives available to new home buyers. Fresh paint, spotless floor [...]

If you haven’t checked your borrowing power recently, it might be worth another look. A lot has happened in 2025, and your borrowing capacity could be higher than you realise. It’s been a busy year on the money front. Tax cuts, a couple of rate cuts, and reductions in HECS [...]

Home owners hoping for rate relief in July may be disappointed, but it’s still possible to score a rate cut of your own by refinancing. Despite this, plenty of borrowers are sticking to an old loan – and it could be costing them. When it comes to rate cuts, nothing [...]

Growing a 20% deposit isn’t just challenging. It can be a (very) long slog. Fortunately, 50,000 new places in the popular 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme just opened up on July 1. Here’s how to secure your spot. Struggling to reach that seemingly mythical 20% milestone? You’re not alone. Property [...]

Finding the property that’s right for you and your budget is an exciting milestone! But what happens next? We explain how to make an offer and seal the deal. Most of us buy a home only a handful of times in our lifetime. So it’s not surprising that plenty of [...]

Australian borrowers have received another reprieve with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) today cutting the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%. How much could this decrease your monthly mortgage repayments? This is the second cash rate cut in 2025, as the RBA attempts to ease cost-of-living pressures [...]

The votes have been cast and it’s clear Labor will hold the reins of federal government for another 3-year term. We look at what this may mean for first home buyers and current home owners. As the election dust settles, it’s time to get back to business as usual. But [...]