Mark Bristow

Why you should consider your super

When was the last time you thought seriously about your super fund? While our superannuation is often one of the most significant financial assets of our lifetime, many of us barely consider it until we’re thinking seriously about retiring, which is often too late to make significant changes.

How can you get a home loan interest rate of under 2 per cent?

Banks and mortgage lenders have been slashing home loan interest rates to historical lows in recent months, as they compete for business from the nation’s home buyers. But even with home loans out there with an interest rate with a 1 on the front, how can you successfully apply for one?

Australians rethinking their post-pandemic finances

According to a new report, the pandemic has changed the way many of us think about our financial future, with almost half of Australians expecting the next few years to be very difficult. This has led many of us to rethink our financial priorities and focus on saving money for the future, whether to protect against future emergencies or to pursue future opportunities.

How JobTrainer could give you skills to let you buy a home

JobTrainer, coming hot on the heels of JobKeeper, JobSeeker and HomeBuilder, is a government program intended to help new school leavers and those out of work to get the training and qualifications needed to find gainful employment. But could this scheme help you to get the skills needed to boost your income and finally achieve the great Australian dream?

The best home loans for July 2020

It’s a new financial year – a time when many Australians re-assess their personal finances. The ongoing effects of the pandemic on our workplaces and economy has left many of us in a much different position to where we were at this time last year.

St.George offers $1 LMI for first home buyers

What can you buy for one dollar? A fun size chocolate bar? A scratchie? Half a kilo of supermarket-brand flour? Now the almighty dollar will also be able to cover the cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) for first home buyers taking out a home loan from St.George Bank with a 15 per cent deposit.

How much could you pay for extending your mortgage freeze?

Australians experiencing financial hardship may welcome the news that the big banks are offering to extend mortgage holidays. But while this could provide welcome relief in the short term, what could freezing your mortgage for longer end up costing you in the longer term?

Super funds that offer income protection

In a (mostly) post-pandemic, pre-recession world, many Australians are thinking about their financial futures. While you may be looking at setting up an emergency savings account, or checking if your superannuation balance will be enough to cover your retirement, these might not be enough if you were to find yourself unable to work for an extended period due to illness or injury.   

How low could home loan rates go?

With Australia entering its first recession in decades, banks and mortgage lenders are eager to sign up new customers, and are making discounted interest rates available to first home buyers and refinancers. Large and small banks have been slashing both fixed and variable interest rates, and may continue to compete by offering further discounts.  

What is Open Banking and what does it mean to me?

One of the first events of the new financial year is the launch of Open Banking, which promises to make it much easier to compare financial offers and switch banks. But what is Open Banking, and does it live up to the hype?