Home
Home Loans
Articles

Home Loans Articles

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.

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Without a will, what happens to your assets?

Somebody once said that in life only two things are certain: death and taxes. None of us likes to think about getting old or falling ill, but making provision for the worst can save a lot of worry and money for those left behind.

Home Loans

24 Jun, 2012

3 min read

Without a will, what happens to your assets?

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Want a baby? Don't leave it too late

A new report suggests many Australians underestimate when fertility in men and women starts to decline. But if you’re putting off having baby for financial reasons, with a little planning you can prepare to welcome a new member into your family without being confronted with financial stress.

Home Loans

24 Jun, 2012

3 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

The great variable rate roller coaster

There’s been a huge amount of publicity about the carbon tax for example and its effect on electricity prices. In NSW, for example, it’s been announced that electricity prices will rise by nearly 20% - which is a huge jump for most people, and rightly has many people worried. But the actual dollar impact of that increase will likely be around $25-30 per month for most households.

Home Loans

18 Jun, 2012

1 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

How to get the most out of a rate cut

Australians love their footy tipping – but we’ve now reached the point where “Reserve Bank tipping” seems even bigger. The Reserve Bank meets on the first Tuesday of the month, and in the days leading up to it, every economist in Australia seems to be making a prediction about what will happen to rates.

Home Loans

18 Jun, 2012

1 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Five reasons potential borrowers are rejected

The banking sector has loosened the belt on who qualifies for a home loan since the global financial crisis, yet lenders remain cautious of high-risk prospective borrowers.

Home Loans

14 Jun, 2012

4 min read

Five reasons potential borrowers are rejected

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Financial stress leads more of us to cheat

Tough economic conditions are fuelling the rapid growth of "cheating websites", research suggests, as thousands of unhappy spouses say they are unable to afford separation.

Home Loans

07 Jun, 2012

4 min read

Financial stress leads more of us to cheat

Patricia Babalis

The best time to compare home loan interest rates

Following home loan interest rate movements in Australia is a full-time job. For most PAYE taxpayers, whose incomes don't typically fluctuate as wildly as interest rates, huge swings in repayments place great pressure on their ability to not only meet their repayments but other expenses too.

Home Loans

05 Jun, 2012

3 min read

The best time to compare home loan interest rates

RateCity

Home Loans Guide

Whether you're a first home buyer, refinancing your home loan or purchasing an investment property, we understand that at times comparing and understanding home loan information can feel like trying to decipher Morse code.

Home Loans

30 May, 2012

1 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Smokers quit for $100,000 reward

There are smoke-free bars, smoke-free restaurants, and even smoke-free prisons. But a smoke-free country?

Home Loans

28 May, 2012

3 min read

Kate Cowling

Understanding the impact of home loan interest rates

We all understand the importance of finding a lender offering competitive interest rates when entering into a home loan however there are other factors you need to consider including, comparison rates, fees and charges.

Home Loans

08 May, 2012

3 min read

Understanding the impact of home loan interest rates

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

Can renting make you wealthy?

Australia is a nation of home buyers; around 70 percent of households own their own home, the Bureau of Statistics says. But on the road to financial freedom, is the ball-and-chain mortgage really the best strategy or can renting make you rich?

Home Loans

06 May, 2012

3 min read

Laine Gordon

Money Editor

What should you do with the rate cut?

It's the rate relief news many Australians have been waiting for, as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut interest rates by 50 basis points on Tuesday. But it will count for little if the banks fail to pass the cut on, and now millions of Australians are waiting to see what they will do.

Home Loans

01 May, 2012

3 min read