Why this could be the time to invest in solar

The cost of living is high and rising, with energy bills playing a significant role. With this in mind, could the potential financial benefits of a solar power system be worth the installation costs?  

Investing in serviced apartments

Buying an investment property can let you benefit from both rental yields and capital growth, though there’s always a risk that there could be periods where your property fails to attract tenants. Investing in serviced apartments could potentially help to offset this risk, as someone else will be managing the tenants for you, though there are other complications to consider.

Will you get superannuation contributions on workers compensation payments?

Under the superannuation guarantee (SG), employers must make superannuation contributions of a percentage of most employees’ ordinary time earnings (OTE). But will you still receive these super contributions if you’re receiving worker’s compensation payments? The answer may vary based on a wide range of factors.

Which banks have hiked term deposit and savings account rates in November 2022?

Good news for savers - some of the biggest banks and providers in Australia have hiked rates on their deposit accounts. This may allow Australian savers to benefit from interest rates of 4 per cent or even more on their savings account or term deposit, and grow their wealth more quickly. 

Who is still offering low-rate home loans after the November 2022 rate hike?

The latest hike to the national cash rate from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may continue to squeeze homeowners with higher interest repayments and restrict first home buyers by shrinking maximum borrowing amounts. Despite these rising rates, some mortgage lenders still have relatively low interest rates available for selected borrowers.

Some of the best home loans in November 2022

The November 2022 meeting of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Board saw the national cash rate increase by 25 basis points, bringing it to 2.85% - the highest level since April 2013. And with inflation now expected to peak at 8 per cent by the end of 2022, the RBA has indicated that more rate hikes are coming. 

What is a specialist lender?

Specialist lenders, also known as non-conforming lenders, are lenders that offer mortgages to ‘non-vanilla’ borrowers who struggle to get finance at mainstream banks. This may include borrowers who are self-employed, in casual employment or new to Australia, as well as borrowers with bad credit.

Some of the best home loans for investors and refinancers in October 2022

Australia’s Big Four banks quickly announced that they would be passing on the October 2022 cash rate hike set by the RBA on to their customers. With more of these rises coming into effect and affecting Australian household budgets, investors and refinancers may want to look beyond interest rates and also consider other features and benefits when comparing home loans.

80% of Australian property markets in decline – what does this mean for your mortgage?

Property values across the nation are falling, with a new report showing that almost 80% of Australia’s house and unit markets are now in decline. Combined with the cost of living and rising interest rates, how could these falling values affect your mortgage?

What is a drawdown?

Transferring money from a lending institution to a borrower is also known as “drawing down”. In a typical home loan, the funds are drawn down all at once to buy the property. In a construction loan, the money is drawn down in several stages to pay the builders as they progress through each phase of the project. In a line of credit loan, you can draw down money, up to a limit, based on your loan’s available equity.