It’s often said that Australians are more likely to divorce their spouse than switch banks. But with plenty of competition in the home loan sector, refinancing can be a good move. There are a number of reasons why you might want to refinance: you can consolidate debt from high-interest credit cards into a home loan with a lower rate of interest; you can release cash from your home loan equity for other major purchases; or you might want to simply save on your repayments by moving to a loan with a lower interest rate. What’s my rate? If you aren’t 100% sure exactly much you’re paying, how can you find a better deal? Luckily, finding out your interest rate can be as simple as logging on to you
It’s easy to get carried away with the fun part of buying a property – looking at houses – but delaying the less compelling task of arranging finance will weaken your negotiating position on both the property and the loan. Looking for a property to purchase is an exciting time. Choices regarding location, size, number of rooms and local amenities often see house hunters carried away in a deluge of daydreams and anticipation. But, before you get carried away, it’s important to check off the essentials first. Although organising your finances may seem drab in comparison to perusing sales listings, gaining pre-approval with a lender will give you confidence about how much you can afford to borr
We may be Australia’s third largest city but by many measures, we are a young capital whose evolution into a modern, vibrant centre has only been a few decades in the making. One of the great advantages of this slower growth path is that, unlike Sydney, we have an abundance of options when it comes to real estate. There are huge tracts of developable land within a short commute of the CBD. These areas are ripe for major, multi-stage community development. In addition, we have natural features that can fire the imagination of designers and home owners alike - hills with views and a winding river with frontage, not to mention enviable coast lines, clean air and a reasonably uneventful rush
At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 per cent. The global economic expansion is continuing. A number of advanced economies are growing at an above-trend rate and unemployment rates are low. Growth in China has slowed a little, with the authorities easing policy while continuing to pay close attention to the risks in the financial sector. Globally, inflation remains low, although it has increased in some economies and further increases are expected given the tight labour markets. One uncertainty regarding the global outlook stems from the direction of international trade policy in the United States. Financial conditions remain expansionary, although
