What is an offset account? A home loan is a major financial commitment. This is why it’s a good idea to use products that will help you manage this commitment. Put simply, an offset account is a savings account that ‘offsets’ your loan balance and can help you pay it down quicker. Here's an example: Sarah and Tom have a $400,000 Home Sweet Home l...

How much can I borrow? Can I afford my dream property on my own? This easy guide shows you how to use our borrowing power calculator to work out what amount you can afford to borrow based on your income and expenses. To get started, open our borrowing power calculator page in a new tab. Let’s start filling out the boxes. Your net income is how mu...

Should I refinance my home? If you’ve been paying off your home loan for a few years now, it may be a good time to re-evaluate your home loan and ask yourself “should I refinance my home?" First let’s look at what refinancing is, and the pros and cons. Refinancing – what is it? Refinancing is moving your home loan to a new product with a more co...

An exciting journey  If you’re a first time home buyer, buying a home is likely to be the biggest single purchase you’ve ever made. It’s a big deal and can be stressful and overwhelming. Knowing what’s involved in the process, will make you feel confident as you move through the motions from inspecting properties to signing a contract and receivin...

Your complete guide to buying a home The property market and housing affordability is tricky to navigate for first home buyers or any home buyer no matter how many times you’ve done it. Keep reading for helpful tips that will make buying a home a smooth and easy process. The home buying process It all starts with savings your very first step is ...

Over 50 & Buying Your First Home For many people, buying a home is a major financial commitment. Have you considered buying a house later in life?Are you looking for a way to get out of renting? Are you trying to get into the market before interest rates increase? Whatever your reason, a mortgage could give you the stability you are looking fo...

Tips for preparing for a change in interest rates Why do interest rates change? To understand why interest rates change, we'll first talk about the cash rate. The cash rate is a rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) representing the interest that banks and lenders have to pay on the money that they borrow. This rate will rise to try and...

Fixed vs Variable: Pros and cons of fixing your interest rate Are you in the market for a loan but aren’t sure whether to take out a fixed of variable rate? Choosing between fixed and variable interest rates can be complex, especially for first-time borrowers. This blog aims to simplify this decision-making process by providing in-depth insights ...

Saving to buy a house? You’ll have more options with a larger house deposit Your house deposit is just one of the costs you need to consider when saving money for a house. Other costs include stamp duty, legal fees, removalist plus money for furnishings and the list goes on. Let’s take a look at how you can save for that dream home faster. Work o...