Laine Gordon

$7000 'tree change' grant

Residents in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong are being offered a one-off $7000 payment to uproot for a tree change as part of the NSW government's Regional Relocation Grant. But an embarrassing loophole means that you may only have to move one suburb away to cash in.

The things you should know about your mortgage

With a ban on excessive early exit mortgage fees now in place, borrowers are being urged to take advantage of switching without penalty to find a better deal on their home loans.

Be wary of cleverly marketed mortgages

Borrowers are being urged to take caution when signing up to some home loan interest rate promotions, following the launch of several deals last month. While the official cash rate remained steady in May and June, five lenders slashed some of their residential mortgage rates by as much as 45 basis points.

Turn around your finances and save

If you rely on someone else to sort out your finances or you've simply lost track of yours then you could be wasting hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year in interest, fees and charges without even knowing it.

To fix or not to fix your home loan rate?

If you're nearing the end of your current mortgage deal or you're looking to buy a new home then planning your finance strategy for the future is no walk in the park, particularly amid rate rise forecasts.

Owning or renting? How each stacks up financially

Do you think owning your own property is financially out of reach? On the contrary, new figures reveal that the monthly cost to rent a house in the nation's capital cities is on par with repaying an average-sized mortgage.

Get a foot in the door to the property market

Property prices may be flat or falling in many areas of the country and borrowers are beginning to return to the market, but life is still tough for those trying to get a foot into the property market for the first time.

Refinancing dos and don'ts

Refinancing dos and donts checklist.

Lenders home in on refinancers

Competition in the mortgage market is heating up and borrowers looking to refinance are set to gain the most as lenders redirect their push away from first-time borrowers.

Changes to First Home Saver Accounts make life easier

Changes to the First Home Saver Accounts (FHSA) Act will make saving for a deposit much easier.