News Archive for September 2022

This year’s spring selling season seems to have wilted. Despite CoreLogic reporting plenty of new listings hitting the market over September, successful sales and prices lagged behind averages. Properties sat on sale for longer (33 days) while vendor discounts fell to a nationwide median of -4%.

As the cost of living causes significant financial stress, default rates are increasing on lines of credit – that means personal loans, credit cards, and home loans, amongst other forms of finance.

For the third year in a row, Virgin Money has been crowned a winner in the Mozo Experts Choice Awards for their home insurance offerings.

Data stolen in the recent Optus hack includes sensitive information of former Optus customers as far back as 2017.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic has officially been released worldwide.

New findings by Paypal have found that Aussies of all ages are embracing online shopping. According to Paypal, 97% of Aussies between 18-75 now shop online, making an average of a whopping 3 purchases per week!

Driver’s licence numbers are among the most sensitive identity documents that have been leaked in the recent Optus data breach, but affected Australians will be happy to hear they might be able to get new ones at no cost.

On 22 September 2022, Optus announced the personal data of up to 9.8 million Australian customers has been breached in a cyber attack. Since then, national banks have been on high-alert monitoring accounts for suspicious or fraudulent activity, and we've had another massive data breach with Medibank, where a reported 5.1 million customers had their details exposed.

Horror movie fanatics – gather around. Are you a lover of all things blood, guts and ghouls? (Make-believe, of course!). Then have we got the thing for you… Shudder.

Australian unit values have held strong throughout the year but may be finally giving in to the market conditions that have caused house prices to tumble in recent months, according to CoreLogic.

Whether you’re looking to travel overseas, invest in foreign stocks or buy a house overseas, it’s important to track how well the Australian dollar is doing.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Aussies over 50 are planning their next holiday, but the latest Travel Trends Report, commissioned by Australian Seniors, shines a light on the emerging concerns our ‘golden oldies’ have.

At the end of September, Optus announced it’d been the victim of a ‘sophisticated’ cyber-attack targeting customer data as far back as 2017. Here’s what you need to know about the data breach and how to protect your information.

This week will see the end of the federal government’s temporary fuel excise reduction on 28 September, 2022. Projections see fuel prices rising up to 25.3c per litre, which will see a 60L tank of petrol increase by roughly $15.18.

Saving doesn’t have to be complicated. If you save a little bit each paycheck, you could have as much as $10,000 in a savings account in five years' time.

Budget Direct has been named Value Insurance Provider of the Year in 2022, marking four consecutive years of taking out the top prize in the Mozo Experts Choice Awards^ for consumer insurance.

With the footy finals upon us, questions of team moves, wet weather and last minute tickets abound.

With the September school holidays coming up, you might be wondering what you’re going to do with the kids for two weeks. It can also be expensive!

While the impact of rising interest rates on existing borrowers is well publicised, those purchasing a home will also be forced to make adjustments, namely settling for a smaller loan.

It’s hard to stand out when it comes to Buy Now, Pay Later products, but NAB’s new offering has an interesting strategy: no late fees?

With four months of 0.50% hikes behind us, many home loan borrowers dread another hefty rise in October. Previously, the Big Banks predicted a more temperate path for interest rates over summer of 0.25% apiece, but new forecasts suggest the heat is on.

UBank has long been a favourite for cost-conscious Aussie borrowers looking to save on their home loans. Its stellar range of low-cost loans are even more attractive with their generous limited time cashback offer.

The nation’s borrowers are feeling the pinch as the Reserve Bank’s war against inflation translates to higher home loan rates. But just how high are rates — and your mortgage repayments — expected to go?

With not long before Halloween, it’s time to think about your ghoulish get-up. If you’re still in need of a costume, we’re here to help!

With pandemic-driven supply chain issues and the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine, the price of petrol skyrocketed alarmingly fast in 2021. Fuel saw a CPI hike of 11% in March 2022 alone - the highest rate increase since the 1990 Gulf War.

Travellers could find themselves paying double if they don’t shop around before buying a travel insurance policy, recent Mozo data analysis shows.

A good travel insurance policy can transform your holiday. For instance, will this medical disaster be a funny story, or an unfunny bill? Transformation!

RBA boss Philip Lowe has said the central bank will plough forward with its interest rate hikes until inflation is brought within an acceptable range, but the scale of increases will likely taper down in the months ahead.

Being equipped with a fully functioning wallet in your phone is a lifesaver in the fast-pace of modern society, but new research confirms that the ease of digital payments could actually be doing significant damage to your spending habits.

Westpac Bank has new budgeting and spend-tracking tools in its app, which are designed to meet the needs of its customers struggling with rising living costs.

After the last Reserve Bank cash hike, ING has announced that its Savings Maximiser rate will be a whopping 3.60% p.a. making it one of the highest savings accounts in Mozo’s database.

New data from the Frollo money management app finds that Aussie households are spending more on groceries in 2022.

With Christmas only three months away, Australia Post chief executive officer, Paul Graham warns that the Aussie shoppers should start their preparation for the silly season now.

Japan’s border is opening back up to foreign tourists. But it won’t be as simple as travelling to Japan was in pre-pandemic times.

For several years, borrowers enjoyed enjoyed historically low mortgage rates. But a series of steep interest rate increases by the Reserve Bank of Australia beginning last year now has us looking at a much different picture.

In response to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to lift the cash rate by 50 basis points this month, several lenders including ING and Bendigo Bank have announced plans to increase their variable home loan rates.

Recent figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show new car purchases at the highest levels for August since 2017.

Between ticket prices and border closures, it’s been a hot minute since many of us have flown overseas. Maybe those packing skills have gotten rusty, or maybe you’re just not sure what the rules are in a post-pandemic world – but that’s okay!

Buying a house is a dream for lots of Australians, but the path to ownership may seem almost impossible for many.

A new survey from homeloans.com.au has found that 1 in 5 mortgage holders are looking to change their loans for better deals to combat rising interest rates.

Apple’s latest instalments in the iPhone range – the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus – were announced in the wee hours of 8 September 2022 via a sleek video presentation in classic Apple fashion.

The federal government has introduced new legislation aimed at helping pensioners downsize their homes, which it hopes will make more housing supply available for young families.

Whether in 2024 you’re planning a resort holiday in Fiji, voyaging on a cruise, or hopping on a plane to Europe, it’s important to consider packing travel insurance.

Disney+’s September promotion has started and will continue until 20 September. Find out all about the subscription deals and new content that will be hitting the streaming platform.

As we head into the back end of the year, debt can start to feel like a heavy burden. With personal loans on the rise, growing numbers of Australians owe money.

The Reserve Bank’s 0.50% increase to the official cash rate this week has typically been met with a range of headlines and reactions.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has been lifting interest rates at a rapid pace this year. But a lag between each rate hike and when variable rate customers see their repayments go up means the full impact hasn’t been felt yet by borrowers.

At Mozo, we’re keen to help you through the unfamiliar parts of finance. If you’re new to the world of car loans, there’s a lot about the process of getting one that can be confusing - and we want to demystify that process.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s mission to quell inflation continues this month with another 50 basis point increase to the cash rate, the fourth month in a row the Board has delivered a hike of that size.

Last Updated: 3:217 pm 12 September

The rising cost of living is getting hard to ignore, with everything from groceries to petrol hitting our hip pockets harder. Sure skipping your morning caffeine hit or cancelling your gym membership could help you spend less, but cutting out the things you love shouldn’t be your first point of call.

New data from Experian reveals that Aussie credit scores have remained stable over the past two years, in spite of many challenges.

What used to be a shock now comes as routine. After three massive 0.50% rate hikes in a row, property prices have plummeted and home loan holders are feeling the squeeze.

2022 hit us Aussies hard. With the worst of COVID-19 behind us (we hope), devastating flooding and the cost of living on the rise, it’s fair to say we’ve been through a lot this past year. But with the price of everything going up, one thing we can’t sacrifice are groceries, and boy have they spiked in price!So just how does one spend less money on groceries? Well, there’s no sure-fire way to bring down the cost of groceries, but there are several tactics you can use to reduce what you pay at the checkout when shopping for the food and staples your family needs.If you’re looking for a way to make your money go further and find the cheapest groceries around, then check out our 10 tips for spending less at the supermarket.

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming – and my seasonal allergies are here to tell me that spring has officially sprung!

New analysis from Mozo has found that the cost of insuring a dog is directly related to specific factors such as the ancestry of the dog's breed.

Rising interest rates continue to deal a blow to the Australian property market, with prices across the country falling 1.6 per cent over August, the largest monthly decline in almost 40 years.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) increased the official cash rate again and economists predict that we’ll continue to see more hikes until early 2023.

Consumer confidence is a term that's thrown around a lot these days, but what is it supposed to mean?