Mark Bristow

East coast vs west coast, how the cost of living stacks up

Sydney has topped the charts measuring costs of living in the Oceania region, while Australia's number two spot was taken by Perth.

Bank customers reluctant to consolidate or switch

While Australian bank customers are mostly remaining loyal to Australia’s big banks, they also lack sufficient motivation to consolidate their wealth with one lender or switch to a new lender, according to a new survey.

2017 a record year for car sales

Australia’s sales of new motor vehicles rose at the end of December 2017, wrapping up a strong year for the nation’s automotive market.

End of year uptick in balance transfer cards

The number of credit cards offering 0% balance transfers grew slightly at the end of 2017, offering some relief to Australians with post-holiday debt. However, despite this surge in card numbers, there are still fewer interest-free balance transfer cards available than there were in mid-2017.

Government encourages Australians to switch and save in 2018

With many Australians concerned about the impact that potential fuel and energy price rises could have on their household budgets, the federal government is encouraging Aussies to make use of comparison tools to get more affordable deals.

What are the pros and cons of having multiple credit cards?

Many people love the convenience offered by credit cards. Rather than saving up cash over time to make a purchase, you can use your card to buy right now.

Australia ending 2017 on a consumer confidence high

As the year draws towards a close, and the Christmas period approaches, Australians are feeling confident about the current and future economic conditions.

Why do home loans get rejected?

Having a home loan rejected can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you’ve put a lot of time and effort into your application. While different banks use different criteria to assess home loan applications, there are a few common issues that could see your mortgage application rejected:

Fees fading for international banking

Some of Australia’s major financial institutions are taking steps towards improving their international services for travellers, eliminating or reducing some of the fees that typically apply to overseas transactions, or for sending money overseas.

ACCC recommends new protections for car buyers

After 18 months of research, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its recommendations for future changes and regulations for Australia’s car retailing industry, to help protect Aussie car buyers.