Laine Gordon

Cost of living on the rise time to fix your mortgage

With the rising cost of power, food, fuel, and an interest rate hike on the horizon, now might be a good time to fix your mortgage.

Mortgage insurance what's the deal?

The most important thing to realise about lender's mortgage insurance (LMI) is that it insures your lender, not you. If you default on the loan repayments and your home is sold for less than your loan amount, the insurance will compensate your home loan organisation.

Perks and pitfalls to watch out for when you're mortgage shopping

It’s not just interest rates that can hurt your bottom dollar. Fees and establishment costs can make a big difference to the amount you pay for your mortgage.

Mortgage comparisons top tips on how to get the best deal

There are countless mortgage comparison facilities available, but what do you really need to know when you’re looking for a home loan? Here are some essential criteria to help you choose the best mortgage.

How do low introductory rate mortgages stack up?

Competition in the banking sector fired up last month when CUA launched a new home loan package with one of the cheapest introductory rates on the market. But how does it compare with top mortgages monitored by RateCity?

Reduce mortgage stress with a few simple steps

If you are a few months behind on your mortgage repayments and facing a default notice, you are not alone. You'll likely find there is often a really easy fix to mortgage stress, such as looking to go interest-free for a while to reduce the repayment or consolidating other loans.

No and low deposit mortgages benefits and drawbacks

While no deposit home loans and low deposit home loans have become harder to come by in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, if you can track one down, it can help you to buy property when you have little or no savings to put towards a home loan deposit.

Mortgage exit fees What do the new rules mean?

As part of the federal government’s overhaul of the banking sector, Treasurer Wayne Swan recently announced a ban on mortgage exit fees as of July 1, 2011.

South Australia top state for car owners

South Australia is arguably Australia's friendliest state for drivers. The Virgin Car Insurance study, which compared the costs of car insurance, petrol, parking and tolls as well as theft, revealed Adelaide as the most driver-friendly city in Australia

Free roadside with Coles Car Insurance what's the catch?

In a bid to reform the car insurance market and lure new customers, supermarket giant Coles has sparked a price war not just on the shelves, and is now offering free roadside assistance to some of its comprehensive car insurance policy holders.