Going guarantor on your child’s loan is a family minefield for so many reasons. I generally don’t recommend it, but if you have to do it, be cautious. Australian parents are incredibly generous when it comes to supporting their adult children. I agree, we should be supporting them EXCEPT if it puts our finances, our… Read more »
Yes, loan interest rates are going up, but so is interest paid on savings accounts. Granted many banks haven’t lifted savings rates at the same pace as loan rates, but many have. I was stunned by a survey from research group Finder which found more than 1 in 2 Aussies (53 per cent) are still… Read more »
Most superannuation funds lost money in 2022. That’s just not good enough. In my mind superannuation fund returns were frankly terrible in 2022. Every working Australian pays big fees to have their retirement savings compulsorily managed by superannuation funds, which pay big salaries to their chief executives and investment managers for doing the work. These… Read more »
I thought to kick off the year, it would be a good idea to start with a big picture look at the key economic drivers and investment markets. The fight against inflation is the focus of governments and central banks around the world. Over the Christmas break there have been a whole string of indicators… Read more »
Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee recently analysed investments to report on the best performing assets over the last 10 years and Bitcoin came out well in front. Nerida Conisbee is the economist for property group Ray White and I’ve known her for years… I love the way she thinks. So I was interested in… Read more »
Get a jump on the new year and start planning where you are headed financially. If, like many at this time of year, you find yourself with no savings, a credit card debt and no idea where your money is going, then now is a great time to set some new financial goals and start… Read more »
Everyone wants to get the best possible interest rate from their bank. And this is the best home loan bargaining tool you’ll ever get. Okay, listen up if you have a home loan or know someone with a mortgage. I constantly encourage you to negotiate with your financier to get a better deal, to ask… Read more »
Australia’s banks are some of our largest and most profitable listed companies, with the big four on track to rake in billions of profit this year. How do they make such big profits? From you, their customers. By immediately passing on rate rises to home loans but not giving savings accounts the same courtesy. Charging… Read more »
There’s no doubt we all need a pay rise to help us keep up with inflation. But just how much is needed and how can we increase our chances of getting it? CommSec released a fascinating research report which has taken the latest inflation figures and applied them to average weekly earnings. It found the… Read more »
Instead of just accepting the current wave of repayment increases from your bank, it can be really worthwhile to look around for a better deal and refinance. And lots of people are doing just that. A record breaking $18.88 billion of loans were refinanced in August, while $201 billion worth of home loans have switched… Read more »
