Laine Gordon

First home buyers locked out of city pads

Studios and small one-bedroom apartments close to central business districts are out of reach for many first home buyers, with some property agents pointing the finger at banks.

Investors surge back into the property market

Rising rents and lower interest rates are drawing investors back into the property market, giving Australia's gloomy lending sector some cause for optimism.

Stress-busting superfoods

The overwhelming majority of Australians suffer from stress, with 91 percent reporting some level of stress in their lives, according to a recent Lifeline poll.

Can your postcode stop you from home loan approval?

Where you live could be one of the factors that determine how successful you will be with home loan approval, according to reports of concerns raised by Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten.

Lenders reach new heights to attract home loan customers

Competition for borrowers has moved to new heights, as the slow mortgage market hits lenders hard.

Home loan revival: more borrowers hit the market

Signs of life are returning to the home loan market, with the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), analysed by RateCity, showing the highest number of borrowers taking out a home loan for almost three years.

First home buyer warning: watch your borrowing budgets

First home buyers are being warned to watch their borrowing budgets, following new data showing a rise in property prices last month.

Private health insurance: Lots of changes for 2012

Private health insurance is a heavily regulated industry. On balance, that's a good thing, because issues around health, and in particular health costs, are pretty important. But one of the downsides is that regulations change frequently and health insurance has lots of regulations that affect both the premiums you pay and your tax bill.

Homeowners split on the best mortgage options

The use of fixed rate mortgages has increased five-fold since early 2010, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics' housing finance data.

How to boost your borrowing power

As part of the ongoing fallout from the Global Financial Crisis, the banks, building societies and credit unions have progressively tightened their lending criteria much to the vexation of aspiring homeowners.