News

On 23 July, the Labor government introduced legislation aimed at enacting its election promise to reduce student debt by 20%. The Bill proposes to: provide a one-off 20% reduction to Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debts and certain other student loans that are incurred on or before 1 June 2025; increase the minimum repayment threshold from...

Your home can be much more than a roof over your head. It’s also an investment that may build personal wealth and serve as a form of disciplined saving. And a new analysis by Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) shows our homes can also play an unexpected role, such as helping our kids enjoy a decent education....

There’s a lot to love about buying a brand new home, and sales of recently constructed homes have increased 19% over the last quarter. We look at the pros and cons of buying a new home – and the financial incentives available to new home buyers. Fresh paint, spotless floor coverings and shiny new appliances....

Growing a 20% deposit isn’t just challenging. It can be a (very) long slog. Fortunately, 50,000 new places in the popular 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme just opened up on July 1. Here’s how to secure your spot. Struggling to reach that seemingly mythical 20% milestone? You’re not alone. Property exchange platform PEXA says it...

If you haven’t checked your borrowing power recently, it might be worth another look. A lot has happened in 2025, and your borrowing capacity could be higher than you realise. It’s been a busy year on the money front. Tax cuts, a couple of rate cuts, and reductions in HECS debts have all potentially been...

Home owners hoping for rate relief in July may be disappointed, but it’s still possible to score a rate cut of your own by refinancing. Despite this, plenty of borrowers are sticking to an old loan – and it could be costing them. When it comes to rate cuts, nothing is certain until the Reserve...

Finding the property that’s right for you and your budget is an exciting milestone! But what happens next? We explain how to make an offer and seal the deal. Most of us buy a home only a handful of times in our lifetime. So it’s not surprising that plenty of buyers – from first-timers to...

Here’s some warming news for winter – first home buyers are making a welcome return to the property market. Several factors suggest the stars may have aligned to make now a good time to take that first step on the property ladder. Growing numbers of first home buyers are entering the housing market, with NAB reporting lending...

Property values nationally have passed a major milestone with the average home price pushing through the $1 million mark for the first time ever. Have you been putting off buying? If so, here’s how to get the ball rolling. Despite a cost-of-living crunch and several years of high interest rates, the Australian property market continues...

With winter temps falling, chances are your power bills will rise. This helps explain why buyers are willing to pay 14% extra for energy-efficient homes on average. Here’s how to give your place a ‘green premium’. There’s a lot to love about winter. Cosy nights in, warming mugs of hot chocolate, and maybe a trip...