Many small businesses operate from the owner’s home. This could mean the factory is a shed in the backyard and the office a corner of the kitchen or dining room table. For others the business can have a separate section of the home or permanent structure on the property used exclusively by the business. [...]

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The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut interest rates by 50 basis points in an unexpected move that should provide welcome relief to many homeowners. The reduction takes the official cash rate to 3.75 percent. Damian Smith CEO of financial comparison site RateCity called the RBA’s decision "a very big move". "They haven’t moved rates [...]

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The board of the Reserve Bank of Australia has left the official cash rate at 4.25 percent for the second month in a row. The move was widely expected with inflation at the bottom of the RBA’s target band of 2-3 percent and global economic conditions improving. However, the news may not be met with [...]

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  The Board of the Reserve Bank meets tomorrow. In July last year Westpac forecast that the next easing cycle would total 100bps beginning near year’s end. Subsequently, the Board decided to ease the overnight cash rate by 25bps in both November and December. Based on current information, we continue to expect a further 50bps [...]

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Home loans by value fell in October and remained flat over the year, suggesting the housing sector remains stagnant. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said on Monday that total housing finance by value fell 2.5 per cent in October, seasonally adjusted, to $20.458 billion. The ABS data also showed that the value of home [...]

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Economists are divided on whether borrowers will get a second interest rate cut in as many months on Tuesday. Seven of the 14 economists surveyed by AAP say the RBA will cut the cash rate to 4.25 per cent from 4.5 per cent on December 6. On Melbourne Cup day, the Reserve Bank of Australia [...]

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The recent interest rate cuts are now starting to take effect and borrowers are wise to use them to their long term advantage. That’s the view of leading agent Madeleine Hicks of LJ Hooker Everton Park. “Lower interest rates equal lower monthly repayments. Many households will be tempted to use those savings to assist with [...]

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House hunters who are pre-approved plan for a happier New Year Future first homebuyers considering making their property move in the New Year have strong awareness of the importance of seeking loan pre-approval before house hunting, based on insights from national mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice. A Mortgage Choice survey of first homebuyers looking to purchase [...]

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Top tips to saving more this Christmas As households prepare their budgets for festive season shopping splurges, now is an ideal time to unwrap the financial strategies that help borrowers gain greater control over their home loan situation, according to Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice. Company spokesperson Kristy Sheppard said, “Ensure Christmas costs [...]

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With the Reserve Bank serving up a rate cut, it’s a smart move to keep your repayments at the same level. Many lenders don’t automatically reduce your repayments when rates fall. That doesn’t mean, of course, that you’re not getting a cut in interest rates – just that your weekly or fortnightly (or monthly, but [...]

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