Bankers are urging Australian treasurer Wayne Swan to offer new tax break incentives to hardworking Aussie savers.
Read more...People who rely on state benefits in order to buy glasses could be forced to dip into their savings accounts to get their new frames, after the government announced funding cuts.
Read more...Aussies may be forced to take money from their savings accounts in order to cover the rising cost of insurance premiums.
Read more...People living in Queensland continue to take drastic measures to protect their bank accounts, as new figures showed that many residents are unable to cover the costs for necessary medication.
Read more...A growing number of working mothers are employing nannies to look after their children, but the high cost of childcare could be putting many households under increasing pressure.
Director of Babysitters and More Kate Christie said that nannies were no longer just the domain of the well-off, the Herald Sun reports.
Due to the high demand, many mums cannot get their kids into a creche and so must fork out for a professional childminder. Websites that specialise in childcare have reported massive demand for their services, resulting in the average hourly rate growing sharply, which may force more people to dip into their savings accounts.
"Some mums just can't get their children into a creche, and there's a sense of desperation," Ms Christie was reported as saying.
A recent survey conducted by ING Direct indicated that parents in New South Wales may be better placed to pay for childcare, as people in the state are most optimistic about their finances in 2012.
More Aussies are being forced to dip into their savings accounts in order to pay for repairs when household products fail on them, it has been claimed.
Read more...Aussies' savings accounts appear to be at their healthiest in New South Wales (NSW), a new study by ING Direct has found.
Read more...Three-quarters of Australians are confident about their financial situation in 2012, new figures have suggested.
Read more...Aussie motorists who have been blighted by high fuel prices in the past few weeks have been handed a reprieve, as an economist stated that rates at the pump will fall again.
Commsec's Savanth Sebastian highlighted figures released by the Australian Institute of Petroleum that showed the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol grew to 144c last week – a rise of 0.6c.
Many drivers may have had little choice but to dip into their savings accounts in order to cover the excessive amounts being charged by filling stations.
However, Mr Sebastian allayed fears that prices could spiral even further out of control.
"Given that fuel prices peaked last Friday (January 20th), it is likely that pump prices will continue to fall over the coming week," he remarked.
Earlier this month, Commsec's chief economist Craig James told the Herald Sun that petrol prices could have risen to 160c per litre by the end of January, but this has not yet happened.
Now could be the best time for Aussies to boost their savings accounts by asking their boss for a pay rise, it has been claimed.
Read more...Energy customers have reacted angrily after it was revealed that power companies in Victoria have been given the go-ahead to raise prices yet again.
With the average bill soaring by $300 over the past two years, many people in the state have already been forced to dip into their savings accounts in order to cover their costs, the Herald Sun reports.
The area's five main suppliers – Jemena, CitiPower, Powercor, United Energy and SP AusNet – had argued that a decision to grant them permission to charge an extra $7.4 billion was insufficient and regulators have now enabled them to increase this figure by $300 million over a three-year period.
Consumer groups are also concerned that plans to rollout smart meters across Australia could hit people in the pocket too.
Energy expert at the Consumer Action Law Centre Janine Rayner told the news provider that laws need to be changed to prevent the heavyweight companies from exploiting customers.
Earlier this month, the same news provider reported how Jemena and United Energy were cleared to hike their bills by a total of $130 million between 2013 and 2015.
Although Australia has remained relatively strong since the last severe economic downturn, the World Bank has warned that the next major dip would "spare no-one".
Speaking to the Herald Sun, global macroeconomics manager at the World Bank Andrew Burns said that the entire world could be thrown into a recession that is worse than the one in 2008.
With this in mind, many Aussies may fear for their job security and would be wise to boost their savings accounts as much as they feasibly can in 2012.
This is especially the case when considering that the latest report on unemployment conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that job opportunities declined in December 2011.
"The world has entered a very difficult phase characterised by significant downside risks and fragility," Mr Burns was quoted as saying.
Despite this, Commsec chief economist Craig James suggested that the World Bank's outlook was perhaps too gloomy, as the Australian economy has made a relatively positive start to 2012.
Scientists believe that people who exercise on a regular basis are likely to have more money in their savings accounts than those who are couch potatoes.
Read more...More people in South Australia may need to raid their savings accounts in the near future, as utility bills in the area are expected to rise by 16 per cent compared to last year.
A study conducted by the Advertiser has suggested that Aussies living in this part of the country will have to find an additional $466 to pay for essential services.
Overall, the average household in the region will be paying around $3,231 a year.
SA Water customers have been warned that their bills will increase by around $72 this year, while gas supplier Envestra has announced that tariffs are likely to rise by $42.
This is worrying news for hard-up people in the area and leaders at the South Australian Council of Social Service have indicated the hikes will hit the poorest members of society hardest.
"The impacts are profound, particularly for people with the lowest incomes in South Australia," commented executive director at the organisation Ross Womersley.
According to reports in the Herald Sun, some homeowners in Victoria are expected to see their collective power bills increase by $130 million between 2013 and 2015.
A growing number of Generation-Y members will look to open savings accounts in 2012, according to a new study.
Read more...A father and son have both seen their savings accounts given a substantial boost, after the pair each won more than $195,000 on the lottery.
Read more...Everyone Credit Union (ECU) has urged people to consider switching their bank accounts following the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to slash interest rates by 25 basis points.
Read more...Families in parts of Victoria may be forced to raid their savings accounts in order to cover increasing energy bills, after power supplier Origin announced some sizeable price hikes.
Read more...A growing number of Aussies admit their savings accounts are not looking too clever at the moment, but this does not stop them from splashing out on non-essential items.
Read more...Australians who work in the mining sector could see their savings accounts starting to look healthier thanks to the current industry boom.
Read more...Australia appears to have the best retirement system in the world, as figures have shown that savings accounts and pension holders in the country are the most content.
Read more...Low-income families in Australia may be dipping into their savings accounts in an attempt to keep up with their energy bills.
Read more...Forward-thinking Australians should open a savings account straight after Christmas to give them the whole year to put cash aside for the next year, an expert has stated.
Read more...Aussies have been urged to consider drafting a budget to ensure they have control of their spending over the Christmas period.
Read more...Aussies hoping to one day get a home loan with a view to eventually owning a property have been advised to consider opening a high interest savings account.
Read more...Aussies that have put funds away in high interest savings accounts appear to be more inclined to use this money to purchase goods over the Christmas period rather than spend using credit cards, new figures suggest.
Read more...Aussies may want to consider opening a savings account in light of new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicating that while wealthy people in the country are getting richer, those on lower incomes are getting poorer.
Read more...In recent months, banks have reduced the interest rates on savings accounts as the outlook for lending remains slow.
Read more...A trend that has started to emerge is that older Australians are using the funds in their savings accounts to financially support their children.
Read more...Aussies considering going online to compare bank accounts may be tempted by a National Australia Bank (NAB) product, as the financial institution has revealed that it is upgrading its mobile apps.
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