Finance Lab

The silver lining of a cooling property market for home owners

Finance Lab — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:46:00 +0000

While rising prices were the talk of the town not so long ago, the tide has started to turn, with property values beginning to soften – but it’s not all bad news for home owners. While we’re far from a market collapse, it’s only natural for home owners to be concerned that their valuable asset …

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What’s a competitive rate right now? Nearly 50 lenders offer variable rates below 6%

Finance Lab — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:30:54 +0000

Great news! Homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief, with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) keeping the cash rate on hold in August. But just because the cash rate is sitting tight, doesn’t mean you have to.

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Was your offset account flagged in the ASIC investigation?

Finance Lab — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:46:33 +0000

So it turns out some mortgage offset accounts haven’t been working as intended, according to a recent investigation. Here’s how to check if your home loan offset account has actually been helping you save. Offset accounts are popular among Australian borrowers, with more than one-in-two (55%) home loans now having an offset. If that sounds like you, …

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How to avoid this common home buyer trap

Finance Lab — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:56:29 +0000

Waiting for home prices to ‘bottom out’ before buying may seem like a smart strategy but it could work against you. Here are the risks of holding out and hoping for lower prices. It’s no secret that some of the heat is coming out of the property market. Home buyers are now under less pressure to …

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Great news for buyers: property listings spike, FOMO dials down

Finance Lab — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:33:53 +0000

Things are looking up for homebuyers. New listings are on the rise, and that can mean more choice and less FOMO pressure for buyers. Here’s how the shift in today’s market could benefit your homebuying plans. It wasn’t so long ago that FOMO (‘fear of missing out’) was a driving force in Australia’s housing market. …

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Lenders cut rates as competition heats up

Finance Lab — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:40:09 +0000

The Reserve Bank may have kept rates on hold in June, but a growing number of lenders have cut their home loan interest rates. This could be your sign to review your current loan. Here’s news that should be music to the ears of Australian home owners. Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) keeping …

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Bank of Mum and Dad: why a written agreement can make sense

Finance Lab — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:13:13 +0000

With more first home buyers relying on family support to get into the market, we explain why it may be beneficial to put the details in writing if Mum and Dad offer a financial helping hand. Higher home prices are seeing more first homebuyers turn to family members for help buying a place of their own. That …

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New financial year, new reasons to review your home loan

Finance Lab — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:27:21 +0000

As the calendar flips over to July, now’s a good time to give your home loan a once-over. We look at five strategies that could help you save on interest and pay off your mortgage sooner. With three rate hikes already this year, and a big variation in rates between lenders, it’s worth checking you’re not paying too …

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How the property market is shaping up in your area post budget night

Finance Lab — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:28:55 +0000

It’s just over a month since the Federal Government unveiled its tax reforms on budget night. Here’s how property values are responding across the major cities. The proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax came as a big shock for property investors around the country – both current and prospective. Despite the understandable …

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Record smashed: over 80% of buyers turn to a broker for help

Finance Lab — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 01:03:22 +0000

The mortgage broking industry has notched up an exciting record with the news that brokers now account for 81% of Australia’s residential lending market. Here’s why. For some time now, mortgage brokers have been tantalisingly close to clearing the 80% market share benchmark, and we’ve finally smashed our own previous record. We’re thrilled to announce …

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