NEWS & VIEWS

Over half of buy now pay later customers struggle to pay living expenses

It’s a timely reminder to be careful with your finances as we enter the silly season, with a new report revealing that 61% of financial counsellor respondents saw most or all their clients using BNPL platforms struggle to meet living expenses.

Home loan cashback deals for December 2021

The days of the rock bottom interest rate may be coming to an end, so what can homeowners do to ensure their home loan stays competitive? It may be worth considering a cashback offer.

New study shows responsible super funds financially outperforming peers

Australian super funds that demonstrate leading practice responsible investment are taking a bigger share of the market and achieving stronger performance, according to a new study.

Investors continue their comeback, as owner-occupiers retreat

The value of new home lending has fallen for the third consecutive month, according to today’s ABS lending indicator data.

NAB lifts fixed rates: last big four rate under 2% now gone

Australia’s third largest bank, NAB, has today hiked fixed rates for the third time in just over five weeks – closing the door on the last big four rate under 2 per cent.

Westpac and subsidiaries cut credit card rates in time for Christmas

Good news for credit card customers with Westpac and its subsidiaries, St. George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA, reducing their credit card purchase rates by between 0.25% and 0.50%.

Young Australians sidestepping everyday expenses for big-ticket purchases

Have you ever put off paying for something you need until later so you can afford something more fun that you want today? New research indicates that you may be in good company, with nearly nine in ten young Australians ‘sidestepping’ everyday lifestyle costs to help save for expensive one-off purchases.

CBA hikes fixed rates 3 times in 6 weeks

CBA increased its owner-occupier fixed rates by up to 0.30 per cent, while investor fixed rates rose by up to 0.60 per cent.

Black Friday warning: don’t send your budget into a black hole

Shoppers planning to spend big in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are being warned to write out lists and set spending limits to avoid getting into trouble.

Westpac shuts the door on rates under 2%

Westpac has today discontinued its introductory variable rate of 1.99 per cent. The bank now has no rates under 2 per cent.

Spend wisely to avoid debt in the Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales

The upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are set to attract a high number of Aussie shoppers looking to snap up a bargain for Christmastime. But buyer beware: it’s still easier than ever to accumulate debt through your credit card if you’re not careful.

Some of the best home loans for investors in November 2021

It’s not yet completely clear what Australian property investors can expect over the next few years. While some analysts are forecasting another year of rising house prices before a fall in 2023, there are still a lot of unknown factors to consider that could affect how things shake out.

80% of credit card users with debt don’t know their interest rate

With the silly season now upon us, shoppers using credit cards are being warned to be careful not to get stung with big interest bills.