Compare Car Loans Before You Buy

Buying a car is a two-step process - first you do your research on cars; then you should compare car loan options. Otherwise you might end up with an expensive personal loan.

Personal Loans Miss Out On Rate Cuts

Interest rates on home loans fell by more than four percentage points between August last year and October this year, while the rates for personal loans rose during the same period.

When the going gets tough the banks get greedy

If borrowers fall into arrears on mortgages and personal loans they could be charged $1000 a year in penalty fees.

Lending has increased, but consumers continue to minimize debt

Despite the fact that borrowing rebounded in January consumers still continue to reduce their debt as fears of a recession loom.

According to data released by the Reserve Bank of Australia on Friday, total private sector credit rose 0.6 per cent in January from 0.2 per cent decline in December.

Election Sharemarket

Investors may have a fairly quiet end to the federal election week, with little local economic data scheduled, while equity markets could make a run higher following expectations of a recovery in the US after the Thanksgiving Day Public Holiday.

BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to merge?

The big news for the week was BHP Billiton’s long-awaited takeover offer for rival Rio Tinto. BHP is the largest miner in the world and Rio is the third largest. BHP proposed offering three of its shares for every one Rio share. The Rio board rejected the all-share proposal as too low. Rio shares closed up 15% at $130.90 with BHP closing down at $42.47.

Macquarie Fusion Funds

The Macquarie Fusion Funds are investments that provide you with the opportunity to gain exposure to a broad selection of equity investments, with the ability to borrow 100% of your investment amount and protect 100% of your capital.

Saving with Bankwest

Running your savings and transaction accounts can be a tricky business that can either cost you a small fortune as regular bank fees add up over time, or for the savvy customer, can actually make you money.

Margin lending explained

Is your credit report holding you back?

Many Australians do not know this, but if you have ever applied for credit (and this includes things like mobile phone accounts) you will have a credit report. This credit report is checked every time you apply for credit, and any errors on the report may impact your ability to get loans.