News Archive for January 2016

The World Health Organisation has called an emergency meeting to address the dangerous Zika Virus that spread to 23 countries via infected mosquitoes.

Last year we saw many home loan lenders increase interest rates for investor borrowers - including the four major banks CommBank, Westpac, ANZ and NAB and a range of other lenders like St.George, UBank and Bankwest - to meet requirements by APRA of a maximum investor portfolio growth of 10% per annum.

If you are an occasional or regular bushwalker, the theme of your next holiday is likely to have an outdoor adventure theme, according to Roy Morgan Research. A recent survey from the research group found that most bushwalkers prefer to holiday in the wilderness more than anything else.

Research conducted by ME bank has shown that more and more young Australians are faced with a choice between tying the knot and buying a home - and that the latter is coming out on top.

Convenience comes at a steep cost with Aussie parents paying hugely marked-up prices for pre-packed lunchbox snacks, Mozo’s recent research has shown.

The Commonwealth Bank has claimed the title of the most sustainable company in Australia, and the world’s most sustainable bank at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.

A tourism forum is urging Australians to take advantage of Australia Day falling on a Tuesday and take the Monday off to travel.

In a landmark achievement for renewable energy, AGL Energy Limited and solar developer First Solar have successfully completed Australia’s largest solar plants in Nyngan and Broken Hill.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about one of this year’s most touted new films, Adam Mckay’s The Big Short. A tragi-comedy about the 2007 global financial crisis, the film takes a look at what went wrong and how a lucky few saw it coming and profited hugely from it.

Many Aussie students use the Government's Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) to pay for their studies, and now there are calls for super to be used to pay off the debt, ABC reported.

Customers with Masters gift cards won’t face the same fate as Dick Smith’s, after Woolworths announced today they will honour those left with vouchers from the fallen chain.

More than half of all Aussies think that the land down under will be the first to embrace digital-only payments and go cashless, recent research commissioned by MasterCard has shown.

According to expert investment dealer TD Securities inflation rose by 0.2% last month, resulting in the inflation gauge growing by an ideal 2% in the 12 months to December.

Property experts in Canberra have predicted that the 2016 market will be a strong one, with both buyer interest and demand for rentals steadily increasing, WAtoday.com.au reported.

In the aftermath of Dick Smith’s fallen electronics empire, Roy Morgan’s data has shown online shopping and a failure to compete is to blame.

Suncorp Bank has discounted interest rates on its Home Package Plus products by up to 1.55%, as it moves toward a competitive new range of offers for Aussie homeowners, The Advisor reported.

With the ever-increasing costs associated with weddings, it’s no wonder that more and more Australian couples are turning to wedding insurance to protect their special day. But what exactly is wedding insurance and what does it cover? In this guide Graeme Dean, Co-Founder of Dream Wedding Insurance runs through everything you need to know about financially covering your Big Day:

As predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology, large areas of Australia have seen severe spikes in temperatures and extreme heatwave conditions this week.

As doubts mount over the state of the Chinese economy, the Aussie sharemarket is also in for a tough time, plunging to a 2.5 year low with more than $100 billion in losses for the year, smh.com.au reported.

Did you whip out your credit card one too many times over the silly season and are now dreading your upcoming statement?

Airly is set to become Australia’s first members-only airline and aims to save Aussie flyers both time and money, providing unlimited travel around the country, news.com.au reported.

A new CSIRO study has found Australian retirees are modestly spending well into old age and leaving behind a nest egg for others to enjoy instead.

Does your New Year’s resolution include some variant of ‘stop spending money on…’ or ‘start saving for…’? If so, you’re not alone.

Even though a new breed of electricity retailers are heating up the competition in the Australian energy market, NSW electricity customers are not taking advantage of the competitive deals available to them, according to the New South Wales Energy and Water Ombudsman, Janine Young.

As border security in northern Europe tightens against a flow of migrants and asylum seekers, DFAT has urged Aussie travellers to carry their passports with them.

In last year’s record breaking new car market, Toyota came out on top as Australia’s favourite brand, accounting for 17.8% of all sales.

Longtime Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith Electronics went into voluntary administration with “considerable regret” yesterday, but it’s the customers with gift cards in their wallets who are left scratching their heads. In the latest blow to consumers, all Dick Smith gift cards have been rendered useless.

Australian households with government accredited GreenPower energy plans are being urged to review their power plans, as news that higher prices on renewable energy have come into effect from 1st January 2016.

According to the CoreLogic RP Data Home Value Index, the Sydney housing market has seen a 1.2% drop in average home values during the month of December.

A research trio from Monash University in Victoria has urged Australians to include home insurance in their bush fire recovery plan after finding many residents in bushfire prone areas with little or no cover.