Who's paying the big rates on savings accounts?

When it comes to savings accounts, Australians are spoilt for choice. There’s a smorgasbord of banks, credit unions and building societies to choose from, casting your net wide can boost the returns on your savings.

Mortgage competition warms up in time for a merry Christmas

Be sure to shop around for home loans with lower fees and better features as the economy warms up in time for Christmas and lenders become eager to compete for market share. RateCity CEO Damian Smith says packaged deals are where you are likely to find the most competitive home loan offers in the months ahead

Save $50,000 on your home loan, Here's how!

Interest rate rises hit home for people with variable rate mortgages, despite being cheaper than most fixed rate loans. When looking at home loans it is easy to be drawn in by promises of low interest rates without considering all the conditions of the loan.

Mortgage talk made easy

Buying a new home is a trying time and the jargon bandied about by mortgage brokers, banks and real estate agents can add to the confusion. Whether you’re buying your first home or trading up or down, the process of finding the right home loan for your needs can be long and laborious.

To buy or not to buy, Clearance rates skyrocket

Is now the time to ride the property market clearance wave or wait till the tide turns? A sales splurge has swept the Australian mortgage market, with hundreds of properties clearing out every week.

Are coastal homes an affordable dream?

A fall in coastal property prices over the past year has created more opportunities for people thinking of a sea change. As people scrambled to snap up houses in metropolitan areas, competition on the coast has waned, but property research from RP Data suggests the tide will soon turn.

Watch your credit habits, Tougher lending on the way

New credit and privacy laws could make it harder and more expensive to get a home loan so get your credit habits in order now. A new national scheme for regulating credit is to be phased in between now and July 2011.

What is the real cost of buying a property?

What exactly do you have to pay for when purchasing a home? Number one fee to hit your back pocket of course is stamp duty, followed by more upfront fees.

Home alone: Can single income buyers afford a home?

Many young professionals on a single income have been pondering their chances of survival in the home buying game. But how affordable is it to step into the property market right now?

Why Gen Y is broke: $2.6B lent to friends

Generation Y is struggling to manage their finances, with the vast majority resorting to borrowing and lending informally between friends and peers, a St George Bank survey has found. Just what will it take for Gen Y to learn the savings lesson?