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Learn more about how to manage your personal finances with RateCity's home loan articles, including how-to-guides on comparing home loan interest rates, fees, features and other benefits.

Patricia Babalis

Create the home loan of your dreams

Almost every aspect of our lives can now be customised to suit our needs. From our smartphones to our cars we are spoilt for choice and rarely have to compromise on anything. So when it comes to our home loan, a commitment we lock ourselves into for up to 30 years, why wouldn’t you be picky?

Home Loans

10 Mar, 2016

2 min read

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

How to take advantage of record low mortgage rates

The RBA’s decision to leave the cash rate on hold at 2 per cent for the 10th month in a row is unsurprising, to say the least, but little comfort for mortgage holders struggling to get ahead on their home loan repayments. One of the best ways to prepare for an increase in rates is to switch to one of the lowest interest rates on the market and put the savings you make towards additional repayments on your loan. Not only will this help pay down your loan faster, it will also reduce the amount of interest you pay your bank over the life of your loan by tens of thousands of dollars.

Home Loans

01 Mar, 2016

3 min read

How to take advantage of record low mortgage rates

Kate Cowling

RBA unlikely to surprise mortgage holders today

The Reserve Bank is expected to keep official rate steady at 2 per cent today, despite indications from the board that the next move will be down.A RateCity.com.au analysis of the key economic indicators shows that an unexpected rise in unemployment and sluggish inflation won’t be enough to spur the Reserve Bank into action this month. Sally Tindall, money editor at RateCity.com.au, said that while these indicators pointed to a rate cut, the RBA board was expected to bank it for another day.

Home Loans

29 Feb, 2016

3 min read

RBA unlikely to surprise mortgage holders today

Kate Cowling

Rates on hold but market still awash with home loan bargains

The RBA has this afternoon announced that rates will remain on hold for the moment but banks are continuing to offer low interest rate deals for ideal borrowers with big deposits.

Home Loans

02 Feb, 2016

3 min read

Rates on hold but market still awash with home loan bargains

RateCity

Domain's Home Price Guide: How much is your property worth?

After launching the Home Price Guide in August, property website Domain.com.au has launched a new feature, Track My Home, which allows property owners to update the details of their property – including recent renovations, extensions and refreshes – to receive a current property value estimate.

Home Loans

13 Jan, 2016

4 min read

Domain's Home Price Guide: How much is your property worth?

Patricia Babalis

Property, super and more: What lies ahead for 2016?

Will house prices rise or fall? Will the government implement changes to the super system? And will customers be able to wear online banking technology?

Home Loans

21 Dec, 2015

8 min read

Property, super and more: What lies ahead for 2016?

Patricia Babalis

What a US Fed rate rise means for Australia

An improving job market in the United States and a strengthening national economy is likely to see the US Federal Reserve (Fed) lift rates for the first time in a decade this week. The Fed itself has been abundantly clear it is keen to begin the “normalisation” of US monetary policy, but mixed US economic data in recent weeks has thrown a question mark into the mix. Dr Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP Capital still believes a rate hike on 16 December is 70 per cent likely.

Home Loans

13 Dec, 2015

4 min read

What a US Fed Rate Rise means for Australia

Kate Cowling

Bank of mum and dad' popular choice for first home buyers

It’s always been a bank you can trust, but just how popular is the bank of mum and dad? New RateCity research shows that half of Gen Y couples now need financial help from their parents to get into the property market. Property prices have sky-rocketed in the last five years, particularly in our capital cities, so it’s no wonder a lot of younger people are struggling to outbid cashed-up investors at the point of sale.

Home Loans

09 Dec, 2015

6 min read

Bank of mum and dad' popular choice for first home buyers

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Borrowers look to fixed rates as cash rate stalls

The cash rate may have stalled but the appetite for fixed home loans has soared, as Australians look to take advantage of historically low rates. RateCity.com.au data shows that the number of people looking for fixed home loans has increased 58 per cent in the last seven weeks, in line with the major banks’ decision to lift variable rates, compared with the seven weeks prior.

Home Loans

01 Dec, 2015

2 min read

Borrowers look to fixed rates as cash rate stalls

Peter Arnold

Is now the time to fix your home loan?

A total of 11 lenders, including several major banks, have dropped their three year fixed rates in the last fortnight to lows of 3.89 per cent. With rates at record lows, is now a good time to fix?

Home Loans

23 Nov, 2015

3 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Australians urged not to be complacent as rates stay on hold

The Reserve Bank may have left rates on hold today but mortgage holders are urged to take matters into their own hands if they are unhappy with their rate.

Home Loans

03 Nov, 2015

2 min read

Australians urged not to be complacent as rates stay on hold

RateCity

Breaking up with your bank, could it have saved you $23K?

The rate hike from the big four banks which takes affect this month, comes at a time when most people are predicting another rate cut. Is this the final straw for complacent borrowers? New research from RateCity shows that if you have been a long time mortgage holder with one of the big banks, you could have saved yourself $1000's, but that it's not too late to switch.

Home Loans

02 Nov, 2015

2 min read