Money
Borrowing
Opinion
Home loans
Beware the inflation monster: Time to lock in your mortgage rate?
Financial markets are betting interest rates will rise in one or two years. However, money markets indicate the rate cycle could turn before Christmas.
- by Noel Whittaker
Latest
Opinion
Home loans
The huge mistake most mortgage holders don’t know
Never pay even $1 extra directly into your mortgage. A mortgage offset account provides far greater flexibility and keeps your funds safe.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Property market
Is tapping your super to buy a first home a good idea?
As property prices resume their meteoric rise, many first-time buys are being left behind.
- by Joel Gibson
Home loan cashbacks on the rise, but beware of traps
Those looking to refinance their mortgage and know how to drive a hard bargain on rates and fees could end up ahead on a cashback deal
- by John Collett
Opinion
Home loans
How to get almost $4K for free by simply refinancing your mortgage
Switching to a lower mortgage rate but maintaining the same payments can save you a fortune over the life of the loan.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Suburbs where property prices are lower than a year ago
Property prices are on the rise again but there are still opportunities for first-home buyers in some pockets of Melbourne and Sydney, where apartment prices are lower than a year ago.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Home loans
Five simple steps to get the best deal on your mortgage refinancing
Many people are making common mortgage refinancing mistakes that will cost them in the long run. Here’s how to avoid some of the traps.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Money Makeover
My top five mortgage tips that could help you save thousands
It’s the first week of my 10-week series on identifying your household spending. Knowing where your money goes is key to financial success.
- by Jessica Irvine
Opinion
Home loans
How much money do you need in an offset account to make it pay?
A mortgage with a real offset account often costs extra because of the amount of interest you stand to save by using one. However, there is a break-even point, after which you are well ahead.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Home loans
You may never get a better deal on fixed-rate mortgages
After recent moves in the bond market, some experts believe that locked in interest deals are close to the bottom of their cycle.
- by Clancy Yeates
Opinion
Home loans
The best way to borrow for an investment property
The problem with not paying principal on a mortgage is that you are relying on price growth to build equity in your property. And you do eventually want to pay it off.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon