Is a benchmark interest rate the average home loan rate?

A benchmark interest rate is the term given to describe the average interest rate among Australia’s major four banks – ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac. It is also the term commonly used to refer to the minimum interest rate investors will accept when investing in a non-Treasury security.

Scrapping stamp duty may save Australias $57k or get them into a home five years faster

It has been suggested that there may be benefits to scrapping stamp duty. RateCity crunches the number on how much better off Aussie buyers may be if stamp duty were removed.

Home loan cashback deals for March 2022

From cash in hand to waived lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI) and bonus Qantas frequent flyer points, let’s explore the cashback deals on offer for March 2022.

Credit cards with signup points that can take you to LA or London: March 2022

As more and more Australians consider taking to the skies and travelling again, it may be worth exploring how far March’s credit cards with frequent flyer points on sign up could take you.

Consumer organisation requests regulation of buy now, pay later – is it still safe to use these platforms?

More regulations are being urged for buy now, pay later platforms by global consumer organisations due to fears of increased debt, leading many to wonder how customers can use buy now, pay later platforms responsibly.

How much does it cost to paint a house?

Painting a house can cost you anywhere from $2,400 to $35,000. The costing can depend on whether the home is single or double storey and whether you are painting the interior or exterior of the home.

Climate change: it’s not just the planet that’s worse off, we’re financially worse off too

A new court ruling determined that the Federal Environment Minister does not have a “duty of care” to protect children from climate harm. But climate harm actually includes a number of financial impacts that politicians may want to take notice of.

Looking to buy property in the next 12 months? Here’s why it could be much harder

Home buyers looking to buy in the next 12 months may find the amount they can borrow has reduced because of the rising costs of living and predicted cash rate hikes, despite talk of lower property prices.

Back to the office? Most affordable suburbs within 5-10km of CBDs revealed

With COVID-19 regulations coming to a slow stop, would-be buyers may be looking to live and work near the office again. New data from Domain has revealed the most affordable suburbs within 5km – 10km of some of our capital’s CBDs.

How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Australia?

If you’re daydreaming about a kitchen upgrade and hoping to turn this into reality, you may be curious as to how much an Australian kitchen renovation costs.