Laine Gordon

Is fixing your home loan your best bet?

Lenders have started competing aggressively in the fixed home loan market by dropping rates, and it seems to be working.

How crime can impact your car insurance bill

Drivers in the Australian Capital Territory are likely to be making fewer car insurance claims with the number of vehicle thefts reported last financial year down 37 percent on the previous year, according to police figures.

What are brokerage fees and why to compare them?

Stockbrokers don't work for free…which is why every time you make a trade via a broker, such as buying or selling stock in a company that's listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), you will pay a fee to the stockbroker. These are commonly known as brokerage fees, and they turn out to be one of the most important factors determining whether you make or lose money on your share trading portfolios.

Saving for a home easier now than five years ago

Average Australians face a better prospect of saving for a first home now compared to five years ago and especially two years ago, new research has shown.

Are you ready for mortgage season?

It's only one week until spring and that means neighbourhoods across the country will be dotted with 'open house' signs every weekend. Thanks to steady house prices nationwide, it's a buyer's market.

50,000 reasons to elope

While many of us have spent the past few years in angst about economic conditions, others are forking out nearly $50,000 to get married. That's the average cost of a wedding, according to research from Bride To Be magazine.

Common money mistakes and how to avoid them

When it comes to managing money most of us will admit to making the odd mistake now and again, but make too many and you could soon be out of pocket. Here, we highlight some common money mistakes made by Australians and teach you how to avoid them in the future.

Slash your mortgage by $32,000

Want to reduce the amount of interest you pay on your home loan? It can be as simple as linking your everyday banking with your mortgage using an offset feature.

First home buyers hung out to dry?

Despite some growth in the past few months, there were around 60,000 fewer first home buyers to enter the market in the 12 months to May 2011 than last year, says RateCity.

Chop $77,000 off your mortgage

Cropping almost five years, and about $77,000, off your home loan may be as simple as increasing your repayment frequency from once per month to fortnightly. But the amount you save will depend entirely on your lender and their method of calculating interest.