Money
Borrowing
Big variance in banks' granting assistance to struggling customers
Struggling customers can have almost twice the chance of having their plea for assistance granted, depending on the bank.
- by John Collett
Latest
Opinion
Interest rates
More upbeat RBA suggests rates will rise, but there's no hurry
Despite there being plenty of economic gloom, the Reserve Bank has recently been getting more upbeat about the future.
- by Clancy Yeates
First person
Money & relationships
My parents are helping me pay my mortgage
Thanks to her parents, Rakhee pays about $15 a month interest on her mortgage.
- by Rakhee Ghelani
Opinion
Household debt
The pressure of living under the weight of debt
Our household debt-to-income ratio has hit nearly 200 per cent, a rate that ranks among the highest in the world.
- by Georgina Dent
Car finance
Better deals on car loans through dealerships now law
New laws start on Thursday that will help better protect consumers who sign up to car loans through dealerships.
- by John Collett
Home loans
First-home buyers bank on a boost to their credit score
Comprehensive credit reporting is finally under way with the big banks starting to share their customers’ data with credit agencies, so good behaviour now counts towards credit scores.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Home loans
The banks are writing fewer loans. Is it a full-blown credit crunch?
The banks' clampdown in lending looks more like common sense than a looming economic threat.
- by Clancy Yeates
Retirement living
Rapid rise in retirees with mortgage debt
More Australians are going into retirement with mortgage debt, leaving them with less to pay for living expenses and exposed to increases in interest rates.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Property market
Are you better off selling your home and going back to renting?
Selling your home is an emotional decision but sometimes it's financially prudent.
- by Tammy Barton
Analysis
Credit cards
Why so many of us choose the wrong credit card
Almost two out of three Australian cardholders receive no "net monetary benefit" from having a credit card, new research shows.
- by Clancy Yeates
Opinion
Property market
The housing dip should belong to the young
Scared of a property slump? Forget that, this is the time to get in the pool.
- by Melissa Browne