With rates having risen when most people expected cuts, the fixed-vs-variable question is back on everyone's desk. Here's how to actually think it through, rather than just guessing which way the RBA ...
A composite scenario illustrating why a great credit score and loan approval are two separate tests — and how genuine household spending, not credit history, is what actually decides serviceability....
The RBA's next decision lands September 28-29. Here's the actual mechanics of how a cash rate move turns into a different number on your repayment schedule — and why the gap between "the RBA moved" an...
There's no rule that says you should refinance after any set number of years. Here's the simple break-even calculation that actually tells you if switching is worth it....
A composite scenario illustrating how three small, fixable issues can quietly tank a loan application — and how they typically get resolved....
A composite scenario illustrating why a self-employed borrower's real income and their bank's assessed income can be two very different numbers....
A composite scenario illustrating why waiting to avoid LMI can sometimes cost far more than the insurance itself, once real property growth is factored in....
A composite scenario illustrating how an old, undocumented renovation can quietly stall a refinance years later....
A composite scenario illustrating how everyday credit applications, even harmless-seeming ones, can quietly affect the interest rate a lender offers....
Searches for "mortgage stress" just hit record highs. Here's a plain-English breakdown of the finance terms people are Googling most right now — no jargon explaining jargon....