News Archive for January 2023

Despite hiking the cash rate an impressive 3.00% over the course of 2022, the Reserve Bank of Australia has yet to win its war against inflation.

Digital lender Nano will be offloading its home loan books to AMP Bank, following its transition away from lending and towards financial services.

There has been a growing wave of talk about Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulation over the past year.

With property prices falling at a rapid pace, there could be an opportunity for buyers to enter the market – but whether or not Aussies are seizing that opportunity remains to be seen.

It’s not often a major telco provider refreshes its offerings, but this week, Vodafone hit the market with a massive splash. The revamp involves overhauling its most popular SIM-only mobile plans – including cutting out its one truly unlimited data option.

Weel is a platform for managing company spending, complete with virtual corporate cards, budgeting tools, a transaction feed that lets you view spending in real time, and easy integration with the accounting software of your choice. Read on for an overview of its features.

It’s that time of year again, folks. We’re just days away from the biggest Aussie music event of the year… the Triple J hottest 100 countdown!

New data from National Australia Bank reveals the Australian suburbs booming in popularity amongst first-home buyers.

VPNs have become very popular in recent years but you might be wondering why people use them and whether you need one yourself.

How ‘bout a little romance? Give them plane tickets, roses, and an award-winning travel insurance policy for any one of these romantic holiday classics. After all, who doesn’t love a sunset view, ice-cold champagne, and a comfy loveseat?

The 2024 Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards^ have just landed. Out of the 37 insurance companies and 81 international travel insurance policies considered, one was named the best of the best: World2Cover travel insurance.

If there’s one thing that PlayStation knows how to do, it’s a sale. Throughout the course of the year, the PlayStation Store is known to hold several massive events where you can score huge discounts on games, add-ons and other gaming content.

If you were looking to buy a car in 2022, you might have noticed one key trend above everything else: there just weren’t enough cars.

Finding a great value insurance policy with all of the coverage and features you need can be a real headache-inducer, with the result that too many Australians spend too little time researching the best options for car, home, life and pet insurance each year.The barriers to comparing insurance can hit us in the hip-pocket too, with Mozo's research revealing that Aussies could be paying hundreds of dollars extra in premiums each year for like-for-like insurance policies depending on which insurer you choose.That's why every year, the Mozo experts put their 65 years of combined financial experience to use to assess Australia's best insurance policies for the Mozo Experts Choice Insurance Awards.^Over 300 policies spanning car, home, landlord, life and pet insurance were analysed by the Mozo judges to identify the best value and best quality options. Read on for our review of some of the standout winners for you to compare and consider here.

Light up the lanterns - Chinese New Year is here!

It’s not uncommon for superannuation funds to lose money for a year or two. After all, investments don’t guarantee returns, and super funds can be just as vulnerable to economic headwinds as property values and shares.

Despite the rising cost of living and interest rates continuing to climb, new data from leading credit bureau Experian says that Australia’s credit scores actually increased over 2022.

We’re in the middle of summer and it’s the perfect time to be spending more time outdoors with family and friends.

In an economics report released today, Commonwealth Bank announced its forecast for a recession in 2023 as Reserve Bank rate hikes finally catch up with consumer spending.

If you’ve got travel on your mind this year, you might have taken to pricing travel insurance policies and had a nasty shock. Finding a cheap travel insurance policy is more difficult than it once was, with the necessary coverage seriously stacking up.

Despite the Australian affection for travel, it seems that Aussies are a little bit confused when it comes to the ins and outs of the impact of the exchange rate on their lives.

This year’s Mardi Gras is a little bit different, with Sydney scoring the honour of hosting the annual WorldPride festivities for 2023. With people from across the world coming together to celebrate diversity and pride for 17 days from February to March, it’s bound to be a party you won’t want to miss - and American Express is the principal sponsor.

Apple has just announced the release of the new Macbook Pro and Mac Mini.

The Lunar New Year marks the transition of the Chinese zodiac sign from one animal to the next with 2024 seeing in the Year of the Wood Dragon. In Chinese culture, the Dragon is a symbol of natural courage, tenacity, and intelligence, often displaying enthusiasm and confidence.With the significant time of year being celebrated by Chinese and various other Asian countries, the yearly occasion is celebrated with traditional family feasts and festivities over a two week period. Much like the regular New Year, you’ll find resolutions and goals setting common place and a great way to make important changes to your personal and financial life. So if your intentions for the new year have fallen through, here’s your chance to wipe the slate clean for the Chinese New Year and do a “take two” on your intentions.Need a little help making wiser decisions that could help you create healthier financial habits? See our top picks for creating a more prosperous 2024 for you and your wallet.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what you’re going to buy your significant other.

If you’ve made the commitment to focus on your career and save more money in 2023, you might be hoping for a pay rise in the near future. With talk of an upcoming recession and the cost of living hitting eye-watering new heights, it’s easy to feel a little bleak about your career prospects right now. So we asked the big question for you: Is 2023 the year to ask for a raise?

Is your rental home #sadvibes at the moment? Same as your bank balance? No worries – here are some easy and cost-effective ways to give your space the makeover it deserves.

Can’t seem to save money? You’re not alone. Modern life comes with many sneaky little expenses, lots of which have inflated in the last year with the rising cost of living.

“…Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!!!”

Despite economic troubles last year, new data has found that the total retail spend over the 2022 pre-Christmas and Boxing Day periods were higher than the previous year.

Let’s face it: Apple iPhones these days are scarily good. From AI in your camera to lightning-fast 5G, Apple consistently finds ways to make our lives easier, smarter, and way more fun.

We are well and truly into the swing of 2023 and that means the end of the summer holidays is closer for school and university students. It can be a stressful time organising everything ahead for the year, especially if this will be your first time at university.

If you’re one of the millions of mortgage holders who has built up substantial equity in your home,  you may not know it, but there is a battle taking place right now for your home loan. With home loan interest rates steadily increasing some challenger banks and lenders have been tweaking their home loans and are offering borrowers with low loan-to-value ratios (LVRs) lower interest rates, loyalty bonuses and even cashback in a bid to woo them away from the Big 4, where the current average^^ owner-occupier variable home loan rate sits at 7.29%.So, if you’ve been feeling the pinch of higher repayments lately and you’re likely to qualify for refinancing, take a closer look at what these loans have on offer to see how they stack up...

Following a period of record-breaking growth, Australian rental prices finally slowed over the December quarter. But any relief renters feel may be short lived as rock-bottom vacancy rates and high costs of living tilt the playing field against them.

Ready to become a home buyer? The Australian property market is a wonderful but volatile place. Home prices soared 5.5% last year nationwide and are expected to fly higher in 2024, despite high home loan interest rates.

If you’re trying to stay on top of your finances in 2023, you might have been wondering how to get on top of any credit card debt you’ve been carrying. So just how can you use balance transfers to stay debt-free this year - and what are the traps to avoid?

The Reserve Bank’s war on inflation has caused the property market to plummet at the fastest pace on record over the last year, with Australian home values shedding -8.40% since their May 2022 peak.

Believe it or not, the new school year starts in just a matter of weeks.

The back to school season can be a very expensive time. Having to replace outgrown or outworn uniforms and shoes, not to mention new school stationery and textbooks can really add up and cause a hole in your budget.

If you’ve wondered about whether to dive into the world of online share trading in 2023, economists at CommSec are forecasting a 4.7% lift in the Australian share market over the next twelve months.

If you’ve made the commitment to be smarter with money in 2023, you might want to stay savvy with some of the tech tricks to help you get ahead.

Despite the long waiting times, cost of living, and bigger premiums, many of us are still looking for our next car to be electric.

Scratching your head over what to name your new cat or kitten? No worries – here are 100 purrfect cat name ideas to get you inspired!

Australians are in for a hot and dry summer, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, meaning road-trippers might have to take some extra precautions in order to make their journeys memorable for the right reasons.

Getting a dog or a cat can be a life-changing, rewarding – and expensive – experience. From food and toys to vaccinations and pet insurance, there are a lot of associated pet costs to consider. But how much of an investment are our pets?

Is 2023 the year you’ll finally get your finances together? Smash your savings goals two weeks at a time with the bi-weekly savings challenge.