News Archive for April 2016

After a slow start to 2016, Roy Morgan Research’s Business Confidence rose again in April by 6.4%, to 123.1 points, an increase of 12.5 points since the beginning of the year.

The ACT government has pushed for an ambitious renewable energy target by committing that Canberra will be completely powered by renewables in 2020, making it the first in the country to use 100% sustainable energy.

Five million ANZ banking customers can start using Apple Pay on compatible devices thanks to a partnership with the tech giant in an Australian first today.

Australians were more compassionate in the year to February and donated 6.4% more to charity than last, NAB has revealed.

Australians who use big four banks to transfer money overseas are being charged hundreds more than online providers offering the same services, research by Mozo has revealed.

Good news for small-time property investors - the Prime Minister and Treasurer recently announced that the tax concessions concerning negative gearing would remain unchanged, reported the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

Earth Day 2016 will be marked by an iconic event as Global leaders from across the world will gather in New York today to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Curious homeowners can check their address on a new hypothetical mapping tool that predicts rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

Challenger bank ING Direct, winner of a coveted Mozo Experts Choice Award in the best value fixed rate home loan category in 2015, has announced that its three-year fixed interest rate for owner occupier Orange Advantage customers has dropped to 3.98% p.a. (comparison rate 4.66%).

Public transport commuters in NSW could soon be ditching their Opal cards in place of debit and credit contactless payment technology, the state government announced this week.

Property investors could be at risk, according to an RBA report, due to a growing supply of apartments combined with a decrease in demand in some areas.

The residents of Alkimos Beach in Western Australia are participating in the landmark residential battery storage trial, which combines community-scale battery energy storage and solar, and could save participants 15 per cent or more on their electricity bills.

If someone asked me, how to describe myself financially I would reply without hesitation “I’m one thrifty penny pincher.” I track my spend on a budget app, put money away each month into a high interest savings account and try to cut back where I can by bringing lunch to work and catching public transport over driving.

US President Barack Obama declared April 12 as National Equal Pay Day in America yesterday to acknowledge the “injustice of wage inequality”.

Sydney is the worst capital city to live in if you want extra cash for things other than the bare essentials, data analysis from Mozo has revealed.

Whether it’s a car repair or unusually high utility bill, we’ve all probably experienced that dreaded moment when an out of the blue expense arises.

While new home loans were at high levels in late 2015, the beginning of this year has seen activity decline, reported the Housing Industry Association.

A chunk of Australians 45 years or older are not comfortable retiring at the average age and plan to work until 70 instead, one government survey has found.

The thirst for adrenaline and adventure is growing in Australian travellers, according to InsureandGo, as more and more tourists use their overseas holiday time to experience sports and activities they wouldn’t have the chance - nor perhaps the inclination - to try at home.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a pessimist who leaves on a holiday thinking I’ll miss my flight, lose my bags or have an accident. I just feel more secure taking out travel insurance so I don’t need to worry about anything while I’m travelling.

Australians are known for having itchy feet and the stronger Aussie dollar at the moment is good reason to hunt around for an international travel deal. To help people find the best travel money cards for overseas travel, Mozo today announced the winners of the Experts Choice Awards for best prepaid travel card, best travel credit card and best travel debit cards in Australia.

The government is holding $1 billion dollars worth of unclaimed funds owned by Australians who have completely forgotten about them.

Experts had been predicting that the cash rate would remain on hold at 2% after the RBA’s April announcement and those predictions have proved true, with the record low rate locked in for the eleventh month in a row.

Aussies are facing rising concerns over the financial futures of their children, research from NAB-owned MLC reveals, with a third of parents worried that their children won’t enjoy the same standard of living as they themselves have.

Instead of celebrating the end of daylight savings with a sleep in this Sunday, our advice to you is to grab your laptop and snuggle in for an hour of deal shopping-in-bed. And we don’t mean browsing the mid-season sales.