It came as little surprise the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced the official cash rate would remain unchanged at the record low of 1.5%. The decision (which was widely expected by financial analysts) comes in the wake of turbulent…
As you would have probably heard, APRA, the Australian banking regulator, has given notice to all lenders that they want to rein in the proportion of “risky” interest only loans. On the 31st of March APRA introduced a new cap…
The headline act of the 2017 budget, announced last night, was a new bank levy that aims to raise $6.2 billion over the next 4 years, with many already calling this a coordinated strike against the Big 4 and Macquarie.…
At a very high level, negative gearing for property investment is when your interest and outgoings expense is greater than the rental income earned, resulting in a loss on the property which can be claimed as a tax deduction. i.e.…
Last night, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the second time in three months. A change that was supported by strong employment gains, steady economic growth, and confidence that inflation is rising to be in line with the central bank's…
Over the last 6 months, we have seen the trump effect take hold of the Australian mortgage market. Immediately following the election, the 3-year Bank Bill Swap Rate (BBSW) moved upwards in the area of 0.50%! - (the BBSW contributes…