Good news if you tend to make a lot of purchases with large companies by credit card – you should notice that from Thursday you're not being charged such hefty fees for using this payment method. This is a result of legislation passed by the Turnbull government in February which bans large businesses from charging [...]
The amount of bank-bashing that's been going on recently makes you feel almost (but not quite) sorry for our big four. In particular there have been complaints about banks not passing on the full benefits of recent interest rate cuts to customers. How dare they try and make a profit for themselves? The thing is, [...]
You've probably heard that the RBA cut the official interest rate AGAIN, meaning we're now at a new all-time low of 1.5%. The rates affect pretty much everyone, especially when it comes to mortgage repayments, monthly rental and savings, but what does it mean for the wider economy? Treasurer Scott Morrison says the continued cuts [...]
Gaining millionaire status might seem like an impossible dream, but it could be more achievable than you realise if you're willing to make the most of your superannuation fund. There are some new rule changes planned which will add flexibility for some savers but will, at the same time, be limiting to others (you know [...]
Whilst the world’s leading athletes are off to the home of ‘Zumba’ this week to put each other to the test, “team RBA” has come out blazing today with its own ridiculous record reducing our official cash rate by 0.25% to a record low of 1.50%! The Commonwealth Bank was the first to move after the announcement, [...]
It might be tempting to make a bit of extra cash from your car or home, but the tax man is getting wise to these 'sharing' schemes and you could be in for a shock when he catches up with you. The NSW sharing economy is worth $500m alone. This includes big names such as [...]
RBA's decision to cut interest rates to 1.75% earlier this year set a new all-time low for Australia, and this is starting to show through in the mortgage rates that banks are offering. With some three-year fixed rates now 100 basis points (1%) lower than many variable rates on the market, you might be wondering [...]
There's trouble brewing at some of the big banks, and it's all down to accusations over rate fixing. In this instalment of the debacle, we've got a National Australian Bank trader saying that his co-worker – who allegedly rigged the bank bill swap rate - "f--ked up big time". In case you're wondering, the bank [...]
The UK's shock decision to leave the EU has left many questions hanging over not just Europe, but the wider world. What kind of trade agreement will the UK negotiate with the EU? What are the implications for people travelling to the UK? Will the UK ever score a single point again in the Eurovision [...]
If you're in the market for your first home, you'll know how much of a difference an extra $40,000 could make. But we all know money doesn't go on trees, and your boss is unlikely to give you a massive payrise along with a salary advance. Luckily, you don't have to go grovelling to your [...]
Dr. Emmett Brown: You've got to come back with me! Marty McFly: Where? Dr. Emmett Brown: Back to the future! The Reserve Bank of Australia met today and for them it really was a case of back to the future! The week before last we were sure the RBA were thinking all was good [...]
Unless you've been living in a cave with no wi-fi for the last few months, you'll have noticed there's a big political battle going on over housing affordability at the moment. The Labor and Liberal parties are both playing the scare game and attacking each other's policies and claims, with talk of plummeting house prices [...]
Banks keep shifting their lending criteria and it's causing big problems for homebuyers. Some experts want to impose a national star rating system so buyers can stay informed of the banks' risk assessment of each location. There's been a leaked list of “risky postcodes” (scroll down to see the full list), and with Macquarie Bank [...]
Believe it or not, there is a certain number that could land you in big trouble in America if you publish it or write it down. In fact, even having it scrawled on the back of a handful of receipts is considered illegal possession. So what is this number? And why is it so heavily [...]
It may seem like our economy is doing well at the moment with interest rates at a record low, but it could just be like a giant game of Jenga that's being built higher and higher and getting increasingly precarious – an eventual collapse is inevitable. When global banks keep cutting interest rates to pull [...]
