Money
Borrowing
Mortgage repayment 'holidays' an expensive proposition
Those thinking of taking advantage of their lenders' offer of a six-month deferral on mortgage repayments need to consider the long-term implications
- by John Collett
Latest
Opinion
Coronavirus pandemic
Ominous signs the property market is running out of steam - and fast
Halfway through March the growth in property prices took a worrying turn.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Analysis
Interest rates
Fixed-rate mortgages back in vogue as RBA goes 'unconventional'
Fixed rates are set to play a bigger role in the mortgage market as we enter the world of ultra-low rates - but they come with their own risks.
- by Clancy Yeates
Home loans
Banks go back to basics with added emphasis on compassion
Mortgage payment 'holidays' and the waving of fees and charges have become commonplace as major financial institutions become more sensitive to the needs of their customers.
- by Nina Hendy and Stephen Miles
Home loans
Saving your home: How to ask for a mortgage payment pause
Banks and other financial institutions are required to offer hardship provisions to ease the burden of loan repayments if customers find themselves in financial difficulty. Don't wait to call them if you look like getting out of your depth
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Mortgage brokers
'Best-interest duty' turns up heat on mortgage brokers
Brokers should be required to provide reasons for their recommendations in writing, say consumer groups
- by John Collett
Opinion
First-home buyers
The great Australian betrayal (we used to call it the dream)
Decades of systematic policy failure have left too many Australians with no hope of owning their own home.
- by Jessica Irvine
Editorial
Editorial
There's no easy solution to our love affair with debt
We can't rely on the Reserve Bank to stop a dangerous build-up in debt and home prices. Other policymakers must come to the party.
- The Herald's View