The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Statement on Monetary Policy released in February revealed that the household savings ratio was at its highest point in more than 20 years. According to the central bank, Aussies are tucking away 10% of their disposable income – that’s a massive swing from the mid-noughties when we were spending about 2% more than we earned..... Keep Reading »

Did you know that your dodgy next-door neighbours could substantially decrease the value of your property? Bad smells, hasty renovations and noisy neighbours can all serve to lower the value of your home, according to Nicole Marsh, Licensed Buyers Agent from Eureka Property on the Gold Coast, while letting your property fall into a state of disrepair is another quick way to shrink its value..... Keep Reading »

Consumers seem happy to haggle in foreign countries for knick-knacks and knock-offs, but real deals can be found right here on Australian soil. If you’re paying the sticker-price, you’re paying too much. Absolutely everything is up for negotiation – all you have to do is ask..... Keep Reading »

In order to obtain debt relief you need to do two things at the same time. You will have to increase your income and save money at the same time. Now the economy has become such that only frugal living won’t help you save money. In order to manage the living costs, you will also have to improve the sources of your income. In addition to this, you will also have to try and lower your expenditures as much as possible. This too will help you in saving some amount of money. .... Keep Reading »

Since the release of the iPhone, there has been a frenzy of software developers coming up with new applications to make our lives more fun, more productive and more informed. Now with over 200,000 apps already on the market (and growing), there really is an app for everything. But sorting the useful from the useless can be time consuming. Your Investment Property Magazine has done the heavy lifting for you to find the best money apps on the market to help you with all your financial needs:.... Keep Reading »

If you’ve ever been to an open house for rental properties particularly in capital cities, you’ll know that it’s quite normal to see several dozen prospective tenants browsing one property. .... Keep Reading »

Property assessment is not a science beyond the realms of the average investor and while valuers make it their business to know the ins and outs of their markets, a few simple principles can help you ensure that you’re on your way to paying the right price for the right property – right from the get go..... Keep Reading »

Renovating is not for the faint hearted. Things will go ‘wrong’, it will take time and it will be messy. If you don’t like the sound of these things – don’t renovate!.... Keep Reading »

If you are like a lot of investors in Australia, and you have bought a property that is costing you more than you thought, well you’ve got three options; you can either do nothing and watch your money go down the drain, you can sell, or you can increase your cash flow. If you’re pondering between choices two and three, you should seek professional help from a financial advisor. If you want to know some ways you can increase your cash flow, read on:.... Keep Reading »

The settlement process can be daunting for both sellers and buyers. Whether you are buying or selling, it is always good to keep everyone involved informed. Keep written confirmations of any verbal decisions and agreements. If there are any issues regarding the settlement, these will provide assurances..... Keep Reading »

Todays post is a guest submission from Chris Hamilton over at Mortgage Brokers Online..... Keep Reading »

Being the first Tuesday of the month again – don’t they come around quickly! – the Reserve Bank board met again today to decide whether or not to raise the cash rate. Before the meeting, pretty much everybody in financial circles had agreed that there was no chance at all they would raise the rate (and last time everybody said that, they surprised us and did it!). Fortunately today the general punters were right, and the Reserve Bank has decided to allow the cash rate to remain unchanged at 4.75 per cent..... Keep Reading »

It’s been, for good reason, hard to see any news in Australia this past week other than the devastation and tragedy of the Queensland floods. As the clean-up and recovery begins, there are so many far-reaching consequences that it seems to me to be a constant surprise to see the numerous knock on effects these floods will have, not just for Queenslanders but for all Australians and even abroad. .... Keep Reading »

So, how do you plan to make the most of your money in 2011? The Herald Sun ran an interesting article this week about financial resolutions, divided up into some resolutions that each generation might want to make. For me as a generation X-er, they couldn’t have been more right, pinpointing many in my generation as people who’ve recently upgraded from a unit or smaller home to a larger suburban family home – with a matching bigger mortgage. Getting ahead of such a mortgage (or sometimes even just keeping up with it) can be hard when you have young kids and as in my case, only work part-time now. So trying to set some goals on how to get a little ahead with the mortgage is a good suggestion for a 2011 goal..... Keep Reading »

Two main topics hit the New Year mortgage news this week, one of which was downright depressing but fortunately the other gave me a hint of optimism about our home loan. Perhaps I’ll need a New Year’s resolution or two to be able to make the most out of the alternatives to my current mortgage..... Keep Reading »