Mark Bristow

86 400 one step closer to home loans

Next time you visit a mortgage broker, if you see a home loan from a string of numbers instead of a bank, you’re not seeing things – you may have just encountered 86 400, a neo-bank aiming to disrupt the mortgage market.

How much will Australia’s most popular utes set you back?

It’s official – from tradies to adventure travellers, Aussies love their utes. With the nation’s three top-selling cars all being light commercial vehicles, how much will a car loan for one of these utes cost you?

Rental prices up, but where are Australia’s cheapest rents?

Are we looking at a cashless future?

When was the last time you paid for something with a fat wad of notes or a handful of shrapnel? Even if you wanted to, you may not have had the option – according to the Commonwealth Bank, the number of Aussies making cash payments is shrinking, while the number of businesses going completely cashless is growing.

Apple announces its own credit card

Many of us have credit cards from banks or credit unions. Some of us have credit cards from big supermarkets, department stores or airlines. And now Apple has announced that it is launching its own branded credit card, backed up by Goldman Sachs and Mastercard.

Fixed mortgage rates cut

Borrowers looking to lock in their home loan interest rate may have more potential mortgage options to choose from, with Bankwest and Northern Inland Credit Union cutting fixed rates on selected home loans.

Properties more likely to sell high than low across Australia

NAB and other banks cut mortgage rates

National Australia Bank (NAB) last week cut variable mortgage interest rates on selected loans for new owner occupiers making principal and interest repayments. Other banks that also shifted their rates last week included AMP, Teachers Mutual Bank and Adelaide Bank.

Mobile banking use up, and we’re mostly satisfied

In the wake of the Royal Commission, it can be hard to imagine that we’re satisfied with our banks, and yet in at least one area, it’s mostly smiles.

Do Australians prefer banks to brokers?

With sweeping changes to mortgage broker remuneration on the table in the wake of the recent banking royal commission, new figures indicate that Australian mortgage holders may be more satisfied with their experience when applying for a mortgage directly through a bank branch.