Mark Bristow

First home buyers moving to Perth

Where are Australia’s first home buyers? Perth, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, which saw increased sales for lower-priced properties over the March 2018 quarter.

Australian borrowing slows

Australians are making fewer new borrowing commitments, and are more likely to borrow to buy a home or to spend on a credit card, according to the latest lending finance figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

House building approvals continue to rise

Dwelling approvals around Australia rose in March 2018, with private sector house approvals at their highest level in 15 years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

More mums working and studying to stay out of financial stress

This Mother’s Day, there are 114,800 mums who work, study and care for their children under the age of 15 at the same time, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The number of Australian mums in paid employment is reportedly on the rise, making a big difference to the likelihood of their households ending up in financial stress.

Consumer Data Right to help Aussies switch and save

Switching banks, phone plans or energy companies may become much simpler and easier in the future, with the help of a new federal government Open Banking initiative that gives consumers the right to access to their banking data.

Budget to provide Aussie pensioners with reverse mortgages

Elderly Australians were arguably among the “winners” of the 2018 Federal Budget, with the updated Pension Loans Scheme letting retirees take out a government-issued reverse mortgage on their property and enjoy improved access to retirement income.

Australians swing towards phone and mobile banking

Popping down the street for a chat with your local banker or even to use the ATM appears to be falling out of favour, with Australians increasingly turning to mobile and phone banking to manage their personal finances.

Australians feeling confident ahead of federal budget

Many Australians appear have a good feeling about the upcoming federal budget, with higher consumer confidence and lower inflation expectations being recorded by Roy Morgan.

Average credit card interest rates continue falling

The trend towards low-rate credit cards has made an impact on the Australian marketplace, with the average credit card interest rate on RateCity falling to a new low in April 2018.

Average home loan rates and fees fall in April

Australia’s home loan marketplace may be becoming slightly more affordable, with average mortgage interest rates and fees falling across RateCity over the month of April.