“Tide turning on interest rates”: CBA hikes fixed rates

Australia’s biggest bank has hiked its three-year fixed rate for owner-occupiers in a further sign that “the tide is turning on interest rates”. So if you’ve been thinking about fixing your interest rate, it could be high time to do so.

Want to switch home loans? Here are ASIC’s top tips for refinancing

With interest rates at record low levels, we’ve seen a big increase in homeowners wanting to refinance this year. So this week we’ll look at some of ASIC’s top tips for refinancing, plus some of our own for good measure.

SMEs to get full asset write-off extension and fairer go with ATO

Small businesses in dispute with the ATO over their tax debt will get “a fairer go” under new rules proposed in the federal budget. Meanwhile, one-year extensions have been granted for the full asset write-off and loss carry-back schemes. Let’s break it all down.

Single parents and first home buyers get big budget boost

Single parents saving for a property and first home buyers are the big winners from this year’s federal budget. Today we’ll break down the three schemes that will help them crack the property market sooner.

Is it cheaper to buy or rent your next home? You might be surprised

While it might feel like property prices are skyrocketing out of reach, the majority of Australian homes are actually cheaper to buy than rent over the next decade, according to a new report.

Has the housing market’s latest record-breaking run peaked?

Property prices climbed at a breathtaking pace in early 2021, which has been good news for homeowners and heartbreaking for house hunters. However, there are seven key signs that the pace of capital gains has peaked, says CoreLogic.

Business demand for equipment has hit record numbers

Businesses across the country are purchasing new equipment and vehicles in record numbers, as companies big and small embrace the strongest market conditions seen in years, according to NAB data.

HomeBuilder extension gives applicants extra 12 months to start building

Tens of thousands of HomeBuilder applicants around the nation can breathe a sigh of relief after the federal government extended the construction commencement requirement from six months to 18 months.

How long do you have to snap up a property in the current market?

You open up the real estate app on your phone, scroll through a few listings, and then there it is: the home of your dreams, ‘added 1 hour ago’. So just how long do you typically have to act in this hot market?

COVID-19 repayment amnesty over: how to avoid a bad credit rating

The COVID-19 loan deferral program and credit reporting amnesty is now over, which means banks will report any late repayments on mortgage or small business loans to credit agencies unless you’ve entered into a hardship arrangement.