Finance

Many retirees are living the asset-rich and cash-poor contradiction, for example living in a $2 million home in Sydney, while surviving on $400 per week from the Aged Pension. While some people will happily downsize from the family home in order to free up some cash for living expenses, this is not ideal in all cases. There is the cost... Read more

When you have found the right property and need a deposit to secure the purchase, a deposit guarantee may assist buyers whose funds are currently tied up. A deposit guarantee is a substitute for the cash deposit. The deposit guarantee is issued by a guarantor, for a fee based on its value and duration of cover. At the time of... Read more

Now while loan rate are low is a great time to pay off as much as you can on your loan. Skipping coffees and bringing lunch from home may save you hundreds of dollars per year, but getting a better deal on your loan could save you thousands. Give me a call to discuss and I’ll be able to instantly... Read more

There has been much talk in the media lately about fixed rates – particularly the 5 year fixed rate offered by CBA of 4.99%* which many other major banks subsequently matched. In an economy where changes in interest rates can never be reliably predicted, and where the major banks make changes independently of the RBA anyway, it can be tempting... Read more

Thanks to the diversity of our clients, we have the pleasure of arranging equipment finance for all sorts of businesses. From the specialised like a printer’s guillotine, a farmer’s tractor and an arborist’s mulcher to the more common including; passenger cars, light or heavy commercial vehicles, dental, medical or veterinary equipment, construction equipment, plant and machinery, computer technology. Whether you... Read more

At its meeting today the Reserve Bank Board announced interest rates would remain unchanged at the record low level of 2.5%. The last rate cut took place in August 2013. In their statement, the Board said “monetary policy is appropriately configured to foster sustainable growth in demand and inflation outcomes consistent with the target. On present indications, the most prudent... Read more

It is becoming increasingly popular to borrow to invest in real estate through a self-managed super fund. There are many clients for whom this strategy is beneficial, as long  as the financial plan addresses the limitations of this approach. Understand the restrictions: You’ll need to be very well read or well advised to ensure that you follow the strict rules... Read more

Under recent changes to the law, deposits can be deemed unclaimed (dormant accounts) if a transaction has not been made on an account for three years or more, down from seven years previously. Unclaimed funds are paid by banking institutions to ASIC, then the money is transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia Consolidated Revenue Fund. You can reclaim your money from... Read more

A 100% offset account for a home loan enables you to pay off your loan sooner, and still have access to a lump sum of your savings when you need them. An offset account is a regular savings account that has ATM, cheque book and internet access, which is linked to your home loan when the loan is established. The... Read more

At its meeting today the Reserve Bank Board announced interest rates would remain unchanged at 3.0%. The last rate cut took place in December, when a 25 basis points reduction took the cash rate down to the near 50 year low set by the Reserve Bank during the GFC in 2009. Patricia Williams is a credit representative (400458) of BLSSA... Read more