Finance News - Page 15

Westpac is the second major bank to start increasing shorter-term fixed rate home loans this year, bringing in hikes of 0.10 percentage points for some homeowners.

Analysts say there are currently some 1.5 million Australian households in mortgage stress, with one expert predicting even a small increase to their monthly repayments could tip them into severe financial pressure and see the emergence of 'mortgage prisoners'.

The Reserve Bank is sticking to its stance that the cash rate will remain on hold until 2024 at the earliest. In the meantime, borrowers should be securing themselves a cheap home loan interest rate and paying off as much as they can, according to this expert.

ING will make a number of changes to its fixed home loan interest rates for new customers tomorrow, but variable and investor loans will remain untouched for now.

Home loan customers of Commonwealth Bank could soon buy and install solar panels or electric vehicle charging stations with a Green Loan, which is available to apply for from today. The bank has also hiked some fixed mortgage interest rates.

The Federal Government's HomeBuilder package offers grants of $15,000 to encourage new builds and renos. Here's how it works and who's eligible.

The 2021-22 Budget introduced some new provisions which the government says should make it easier for people to boost their super funds, whether they are already retired or close to retirement.

The $450 per month threshold for employers to pay workers compulsory superannuation will be canned from July 2022. The potential importance of this change is highlighted by new Canstar research.

NAB is increasing its four- and five-year fixed rates for homeowners from today. Macquarie Bank's longer-term fixed rates are going up too, as part of a broader trend in home loan movements.

UBank is joining the lenders offering a saving on upfront costs, in a move it says could help buyers get on the property ladder seven months earlier. Canstar dives in to see how the offer stacks up for up-and-coming borrowers.

Parents with more than one child in childcare could be set to have out-of-pocket costs slashed in a proposed changes to childcare subsidies. Here's a few ways that saving could help the family household.

Selling houses on Instagram is increasingly common, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of this for Aussies in the property market?

Dating apps are not the only platform where ghosting is rife. But why do we abandon our online shopping carts? Canstar investigates.

The Canstar app is designed to simplify budgeting and help you achieve your money goals. Find out how it could help you save.

ANZ now has the cheapest variable package rates out of the big four banks, after cutting some mortgage rates today. But the majors are still well behind the cheapest offerings available from several smaller lenders on...

Property agents have been caught intentionally underquoting estimated property selling prices to buyers to create more interest and generate competition to drive prices higher. There are a few ways you can protect yourself, experts explain.

Virgin Money launched its new 'digital bank' today, including a transaction account that allows you to earn rewards points and redeem them for cash. There's also a new savings account with a rate that puts it among the top bonus savings rates on Canstar's database.

The two industry super funds in talks to potentially merge, which could see a new super fund created with over $12 billion in funds under management and around 130,000 members.

There may be financial assistance available to people who have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Seroja. Here's where to find help.

The RBA says it still has no intention to raise the cash rate before 2024, but new research suggests many Australians are taking the view that lenders' interest rates will increase much sooner. With that in mind, one expert now could be an ideal time for borrowers to put a dent in their mortgage debt, while interest rates are low.