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Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Listings to pick up soon

While you were kicking your feet up over the festive season, did you flick open your phone and scroll through real estate listings in your dream location? If so, you might’ve noticed there were fewer properties listed for sale than usual. Here’s why. If you couldn’t find exactly what you were looking for, don’t stress - it’s actually much harder to find ‘the one’ at this time of year. That’s because property listings traditionally drop in December, with 2020 no…...
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What are Australia’s most popular vehicles? The 2020 results are in

Long gone are the days of Holden vs Ford. These days it’s all about the SUV vs the great Australian ute. So which vehicle type topped the list in 2020? Let’s wind back the clock a bit. It’s the year 2000: we’ve dodged Y2K (phew!), you can still photograph your kids sitting next to the pilot, and you’re either a fan of Peter Brock (Holden) or Dick Johnson (Ford) - never both. Back then the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon…...
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New year, new you: 3 quick and easy finance resolutions

Whenever we think of New Year’s resolutions, the first thing that comes to mind is a health kick. But here are three (easy) New Year’s resolutions that’ll help improve your financial wellbeing in 2021. Below we’ll run you through three straightforward, and most importantly, achievable New Year’s resolutions to set yourself this year (and not a diet or boot camp in sight!). 1. Get a home loan health check Quick question (no judgement): do you know the interest rate on…...
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Happy New Year! Here’s to a prosperous 2021!

Well, that was a year for the history books. Time to start looking forward, we reckon! And the good news is 2021 offers plenty of promise. So what’s your New Year’s resolution? While we saw the national housing market dip throughout the middle of 2020, it's already started to recover, and many experts predict it'll rebound even stronger in 2021 as the COVID-19 vaccination is rolled out across the country. With that optimistic outlook in mind, now’s a great time…...
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Season’s Greetings! Bring on 2021!

To all our wonderful clients: this has been a year like no other, so we can only hope that you’re treated to a relaxing time with family and friends this festive season. We want to say a huge thank you for your support over these past twelve months. It’s fair to say it’s been an incredibly challenging year for households and businesses alike. That said, it’s been an absolute pleasure and an honour working with you towards your lifestyle and…...
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Warning to SMEs: payment times have completely blown out

Small businesses are receiving payments from clients a month late on average - that’s 18 days longer than last year. Make sure your business's cash flow isn’t adversely impacted this holiday season. The blow-out in payment times is having a “devastating impact” on small businesses across the country, warns the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO). In October, small businesses were paid 31 days late on average, compared to 13 days late in October 2019, reveals CreditorWatch data…...
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Love thy neighbour: how to protect your home these summer holidays

How comfortable do you feel leaving your home unattended when you go on holidays? Turns out that those who know their neighbours best have more peace of mind. Remember The Wet Bandits from Home Alone? It was their modus operandi to case out families going on holidays before robbing their homes over Christmas. When you consider that insurer QBE sees up to 15% more theft claims over the summer holiday period than any other time of year, it was a…...
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Be careful of loading up on ‘buy now, pay later’ purchases this Xmas

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but it’s important not to get carried away when using ‘buy now, pay later’ providers to fund that festive spirit. That’s because one-in-five users struggle to make their repayments, new research has found. “Christmas is a time for giving” - it’s a line that’s been drummed into us since we popped our first piece of chocolate out of an advent calendar. But it’s important not to go overboard and spend more than you can…...
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How well do you know your finance jargon? Take our quiz!

The finance industry has a bunch of acronyms and abbreviations that can make the home buying process a little confusing. But they’re not as difficult to understand as you might think. Take our short quiz to see how many you can answer! Below we’ve listed eight commonly used acronyms and abbreviations in the mortgage and finance industry. So grab a pen and some paper and test out that noggin of yours! Quiz time We’ll give you one point for each…...
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Freedom to move: stamp duty reforms gain momentum

Stamp duty: two of the most dreaded words in the world of property and finance. Fortunately, NSW and Victoria have unveiled some big changes to the inefficient tax this week, and there’s hope it’ll inspire other states to review their own stamp duty arrangements. If you’re unfamiliar with stamp duty, it’s basically a state/territory government tax you pay on certain transactions, such as a car or piece of real estate. How much it costs depends on what state you’re buying…...
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