Winners of our renting, home loans and utilities survey competition
Thanks to everyone who completed our renting, home loans and utilities survey competition.
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Credit Simple
What is a mortgage broker?
A mortgage broker is a financial adviser that specialises in home loans. They guide you through the home-buying process by gauging your needs, assessing your financial situation, suggesting the appropriate loan structure and introducing you to multiple lenders that may have what you’re looking for. In essence, they provide expert advice on a highly complicated financial investment. What does a mortgage broker do? Mortgage brokers maintain relationships with a suite of mortgage lenders and are familiar with all of the…
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Don’t let your partner’s debt problems become your problems
Romantic partnerships come in all shapes and sizes, from marriages to de facto relationships to casual relationships and everything in between. No matter what the relationship, it’s possible to end up in the shallow end if your significant other (SO) is drowning in debt or has poor spending habits. Here are some common ways your partner can burden you with their debt and how you might avoid it. 1. You try to take out a joint loan with your partner,…
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What is a personal loan?
A personal loan is a monetary loan you can get from a credit provider such as a bank, credit union or online lender – usually for a specific life purpose like renovating your home, paying for a holiday or consolidating several smaller loans. Lenders approve personal loans by evaluating your creditworthiness. When you enter into a contract for a personal loan, you typically receive money in a lump sum and agree to repay the lender back the money in regular…
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Avoid financial heartache this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day is just around the corner. And you know what that means: candle-light dinners, romantic water-side strolls, mouth-watering chocolates, exquisitely arranged bouquets and… your beloved’s outstanding debt? At first you’ll be enamoured by that special someone’s talents and strengths but there will come a day when you have to face their flaws. And no, we’re not talking about letting one rip in the middle of a Netflix special, because we all do that. What we’re talking about here is…
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Is a secured personal loan right for you?
A secured personal loan is a personal loan in which you offer up an asset as collateral, essentially guaranteeing you’ll pay the loan off. If you don’t pay, the lender can take possession of that asset (in this case, known as the security) and sell it off to recoup their money. The most common type of secured personal loan is a car loan, where the car you’re buying is also the asset that secures the loan. Why take out secured…
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Managing your finances when life throws you a curveball
Occasionally life will throw you a curveball that directly or indirectly impacts your finances: you’re made redundant, your furnace dies or you’re expecting a child and you realise you’ll need to upgrade homes in the not-too-distant future. The last thing you want is to dig yourself into a deeper hole because you weren’t able to manage the financial side of things. Here are some ways to avoid that, so that you can bounce back sooner rather than later. 1. Put…
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How to compare credit cards the right way
Comparing credit cards the right way can be rewarding, because there’s a credit card that can cater to almost every lifestyle and financial need. When you compare, you’ll be looking at everything from interest rates, to reward programs to promotional offers to fees. Compare credit cards by type of card Since you probably already know that closing your accounts too often can hurt your credit score, we hope you’ll keep your card for some time. That’s why it’s important to…
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Debt consolidation loan vs. balance transfer credit card – which one to choose?
When you consolidate your debt, you are essentially taking out one large loan and using that money to pay off two or more smaller debts. The two major ways you can do this is by applying for a balance transfer (BT) credit card or taking out a debt consolidation loan. This guide explores why you’d want to consolidate debt in the first place and then looks at your two options to help you determine which one is right for you.…
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Here’s what a credit report actually looks like
If you’ve ever wondered what your credit report looks like, wonder no more. This guide will give you insight into your credit report, including what information it contains, how to read it, and why it’s so important. There are three main credit reporting bureaus in Australia, and you can access their version of your report in a number of ways, including in a written/physical format or through an online dashboard. Each variation may differ slightly in the way it’s presented,…
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