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Some of Australia’s biggest banks have tightened their mortgage lending criteria, meaning you might not be able to borrow as much from them. How might this affect your next purchase? This week ANZ lowered a key lending cap, indicating it will no longer lend to borrowers with a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio above 7.5 (meaning people …

Banks tighten lending, reducing the maximum you can borrow Read More »

Small businesses around the nation are once again confident about their future and ready to start driving toward their next phase of growth, according to new research. The research, carried out by small business lender Prospa, found that 81% of Aussie SMEs expect their businesses to grow over the next 12 months. This is despite 87% …

Bulk of SMEs preparing for growth over next 12 months: research Read More »

Property investors beware: the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has revealed the four key areas it will be targeting this tax year, and rental property income/deductions and capital gains are high on the hit list. Tax office Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh says this tax season the ATO will be targeting four key problem areas where it commonly sees …

ATO hit list: rental property income and capital gains Read More »

Housing affordability is one of the key battlegrounds ahead of the federal election this Saturday. So what is each of the two major parties proposing to help first home buyers crack the market? Let’s take a look. Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty, we’d like to stress that we’ll be doing our darndest to …

The two major parties’ first home buyer policies explained Read More »

Small business owners wanting to buy a vehicle, asset or important piece of equipment and immediately write off the cost have just over a month to act this financial year. There’s nothing like an impending deadline to get you moving. And with June 30 now just over a month away (didn’t that sneak up on …

EOFY alert! Financial year-end is fast approaching Read More »

Rate rises are a bit like taking off in a plane. Sure, it’s a bit nervy, but so long as you’ve run through your pre-flight check, have a well-serviced aircraft, built-in some contingencies (a buffer!), and have a handy co-pilot (us!), you should reach your destination no worries. As you’re likely aware, earlier this month …

Ready for lift-off: how to prepare a buffer for more rate rises Read More »

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 0.35% amid high inflation concerns and has signalled more cash rate increases will likely follow. This is the first RBA cash rate hike since November 2010, and the first time the cash rate has moved since it was …

RBA increases cash rate to 0.35% amid high inflation concerns Read More »

Australian small businesses are investing in their recovery through a surge in machinery purchases, IT and office technologies, and sustainable business assets, according to Commonwealth Bank (CBA) data. The CBA research shows small business financing for equipment and machinery is up 17% so far this financial year compared to last year. The research also shows 67% of …

SMEs invest in machinery, IT and energy-efficient assets for growth Read More »

The chances of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifting the official cash rate on Tuesday just increased dramatically after figures showed the cost of living jumped 5.1% over the past year – the highest annual increase in more than 20 years. Economists around the country say the unexpectedly high jump in inflation means a …

Brace yourselves: a May rate hike might be coming next week Read More »

First home buyers with a deposit of just 5% will soon have more purchasing power thanks to an increase in property price caps for the highly popular Home Guarantee Scheme. Most capital cities will get a $100,000 boost to their property price cap from July 1, while regional areas around the country will get a …

Attention first home buyers! Price caps increase for 5% deposit scheme Read More »