With all the focus on the headline CPI each quarter, it’s easy to forget that it’s made up of a ‘basket’ of good and services. This helpful infographic plots out the different data series from the ABS over the last 20 years. Source: www.livewiremarkets.com Disclaimer WARNING: General advice only. Clients are advised to discuss, with their financial advisor, the appropriateness of each recommendation, together with the general and specific risks of investing having regard to personal financial needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

  How healthy is your home loan? Do you know if your loan: Has an unreasonably high interest rate? Has you paying high fees? Offers you the features you need? Are you happy with the service from your lender? Have your financial circumstances changed? Things can change and your home loan may not be as suitable as it once was. A home loan health check may be what you need to reveal if you’re paying too much. Experts recommend getting your loan checked at least once a year, or if your circumstances change. It can be done in person or […]

[fusion_text]   No doubt about it, looking for a property is an exciting time. Deciding on the location, size, number of rooms and local amenities can however, see house hunters get carried away. If you delay sorting out your finance beforehand, it can weaken your negotiating position on both the property and your loan. It’s important to check off the essentials first. It may seem boring in comparison to perusing sales listings, but gaining pre-approval will give you confidence with how much you can borrow. Firstly, you need to determine if you’re eligible to borrow money and your ability to […]

So you’ve submitted your home loan application and wondering when it will be approved. All loans are different and so are the banks, so we can’t always guarantee what the turnaround time will be. That being said, there are ways to ensure your application is processed quickly and efficiently. Same-day loan approvals are possible but very rare. These generally only occur when the client’s lending position is straight forward and there is no valuation required. Skipping the valuation queue can save a lot of time. In some instances it may be worth having a valuation completed prior to your application […]

Most of you should have now heard about the new reforms to superannuation. Maybe we should be looking at our superannuation funds in further detail and take a closer look at our own financial health…. According to the changes individuals will soon be paying 15% tax on any earnings above $100,000 for a fund balance of $2.0million or more. Over 20 years ago superannuation was implemented as an inflation control device and then in the 90’s it became compulsory.  This created control to take the retirement burden away from the government and onto individuals. So, my question to you is, […]

It’s too early to make the call about just how long the recent pick-up in housing prices will last, and whether it will gather pace. The current upswing is weaker than past cycles and is being weighed down by a general reluctance among first home buyers to enter the market and a desire by existing home owners to make hay from lower interest rates by paying down their mortgages rather than trading up into shiny new abodes. There have been suggestions big income earners may have been influenced to re-enter the property market in the wake of muted changes to […]

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