Laine Gordon

Are you wasting $2,700 on home loan fees?

Interest may be the key expense of a mortgage but it pays to be mindful of ongoing fees that can significantly boost the overall cost of a loan. A review of more than 2,000 Australian home loans by RateCity has revealed that almost a third (29 percent) of loans come with ongoing fees, ranging from $3 per month to a hefty $35 each month.

Future suffering First home owners to battle rising rates

Thousands of first time home buyers have cruised into the housing market this year. However, with interest rates set to rise, many home owners could be heading towards mortgage stress.

Women and mortgages Tackle your home loan fears

If you’re a single woman and the prospect of finding a mortgage leaves you overwhelmed don’t feel alone - most women feel just like you. There are some positive steps you can take to become more confident about choosing a home loan.

Smart ways to beat rate rises and mortgage stress

Falling behind in your repayments or suffering mortgage stress

Rudd's First Home Owners Boost How much is it really saving you?

If you are buying your first home you’re no doubt keen to get the Federal Government’s First Home Owners Grant as well as the First Home Owners Boost. With the cut-off date for the Boost fast approaching (December 31, 2009) you may be stressing about missing out.

Australia's worst savings accounts

How do you know when your savings account is on the nose and what should you do about it? The answers to the following questions will help you to determine whether your existing savings account is worth keeping or sweeping.

Discounted home loan rates are you eligible?

There are several ways to save on your home loan when interest rates are on the rise. Economists are tipping a string of Reserve Bank rate rises in the next year and many lenders are already raising their fixed rates

Interest rate wars How fixing can save you thousands

With the Reserve Bank ready to raise official interest rates any tick of the clock, it’s still possible to find a good fixed rate home loan deal. Unless you have a crystal ball it is difficult to know for certain what will happen to interest rates in one, three or five year’s time.

How to negotiate and knock $30,000 off your home loan

Once you’ve done the hard work of securing your home loan it’s easy to feel as if you’re locked in for the next 25 or 30 years. But with some competitive deals on offer right now it could be worth comparing home loans to see if you would benefit from refinancing.

Out with the old are new home loans ripping us off?

As competition heats up between the banks, new home loan features are sweeping the mortgage market in a bid to attract consumers to fresh, innovative products.