Mark Bristow

Country versus City, dwelling values vary around Australia

While housing affordability in Australia’s capital cities have been in focus over recent months, recent stats from CoreLogic show marked differences in regional dwelling values between the states and territories.

Aged care industry seeks super support

A recent roundtable forum found that Australia’s aged care sector will need more funding to cope with the nation’s ageing population, and may require support from the superannuation industry to meet demand.

Government gives customer-owned banking a regulatory boost

Australia’s banking industry may see more movement away from traditional models, as well as increased levels of competition in the future, thanks to updated regulatory and legislative reforms from the federal government to enhance the presence of credit unions, building societies and other customer-owned banks in the nation’s financial landscape.

5 steps to get out of debt

While a certain level of carefully-managed debt can help us make progress towards our financial goals, it's easy for debts, fees and interest charges to grow larger than we can easily manage. If you're struggling with debt and don't know where to start when it comes to getting your finances back under control, here are five steps you can potentially follow:

Is it better to take out a personal loan or use my credit card?

If you have some large expenses, or are interested in making some major purchases, you may need to consider your credit options to get the finance you need. Two popular options for borrowing money are credit cards and personal loans, but working out which one is the better choice can depend greatly on the nature of your expenses, and how you plan to pay them back.

Westpac cuts credit card rewards, launches new Amex cards

Westpac and American Express have shaken up the way they offer credit card rewards, with the announcement of a new partnership.

Qantas and Uber offering reward points on airport rides

As well as earning Frequent Flyer points on airline flights, Australians can now also earn points on trips to and from the airport, thanks to a new partnership between Qantas and Uber.

Aussies facing super analysis paralysis

Too many super fund choices are leaving Australians confused and unable to make informed decisions around which superannuation options will be right for their finances.

Sliding sales for new homes

A new report from Housing Industry Australia (HIA) has found that sales of new homes around Australia are continuing to decline, continuing a trend that commenced in 2015.

What is LVR?

LVR stands for Loan to Value Ratio, and is a comparison of how much you’re borrowing with your mortgage (the Loan) to how much the property you’re purchasing is worth (the Value).