Australian workers have watched world share markets ride a hair raising roller coaster of ups and downs for some time now. [Read more...]
About Rolf Schaefer
Rolf is Director of Metropole Finance and has twice been voted Australia's leading finance broker. He shares his wealth of knowledge about how to best use property finance to fund investments.
Visit www.metropolefinance.com.au
Money management 101 – maintain your mortgage repayments
March 15, 2012 By 1 Comment
Many home owners and property investors were delighting in the decision of the Reserve Bank to start lowering interest rates late last year, yet they were reluctant to change the status quo.
Particularly given continuing uncertainty regarding the state of the global economy throughout much of the developed world. [Read more...]
Is it the right time to fix your home loan? (Or how long is a piece of string?)
March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
With the Reserve Bank surprising us by not lowering interest rates recently and the banks confusing us by doing their own thing with rates, borrowers are once again pondering that age-old question about their property investment or home loan– to fix, or not to fix? [Read more...]
Investing in property – a Super idea!
February 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
Australian workers have watched world share markets ride a hair raising roller coaster of ups and downs for some time now.
Thousands lost large chunks of their retirement nest eggs during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and more recently, as the European markets teeter on the brink of uncertainty, many are concerned as to how their savings, shares and super funds will weather this new economic storm. [Read more...]
When it comes to finance, never say never
November 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One of the most disheartening prospects a home buyer faces is rejection. First there’s the possibility that the offer they put in on their dream home or ideal investment might be declined and of course, even more soul destroying, the chance that the banks will leave them high and dry with no money to even make a deal in the first place.
As we witnessed during the 2008 global financial crisis, when the world economy starts to show significant cracks, lenders get nervous. Their lending criteria becomes more stringent and they seem to want every last detail of your life story before even glancing at your home loan application. [Read more...]
How debt can make you money
September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Most people believe that debt is a dirty word. It’s something to be avoided at all costs or, if it’s necessary for some reason such as buying a home, to be paid down as quickly as possible.
But what if having debt meant you actually made more money? What if you could be paid to borrow from the banks? Well you can and I’m going to tell you how it works. [Read more...]
Do fortnightly repayments really make your mortgage shrink?
September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There is no shortage of talk at the moment about interest rates and the need for more Australian home owners to carefully consider their financial strategy when it comes to better managing debt. [Read more...]
11 common property investment finance mistakes to avoid – Part 2
August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In a previous article Rolf Schaefer outlined the first five mistakes to avoid when structuring your finance, whether you’re a home buyer or property investor.
Why? Because the mortgage product you end up with can mean the difference between building a lucrative, wealth generating property portfolio and never progressing beyond the first one or two investments.
Here he walks you through the next six steps you need to get right when organising property investment finance. [Read more...]
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The ANZ asserts its independence. But is it just a marketing ploy?
For the second consecutive year the big four banks, with the exception of ANZ, have come dangerously close to being seen as the Christmas Grinch. Sitting on their hands as the RBA dropped the cash rate by a further 25 basis points at their December meeting, all but the ANZ teetered dangerously on the brink of a swell in negative consumer sentiment.
Suggesting that the rising cost of funding prohibited them from passing on the two central bank rate cuts in full, the Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac tried to dig their heels in, but were forced to reconsider their position when the ANZ set a precedent, painting themselves as the finance sector’s very own St Nick.
Buckling under the pressure of public opinion and political scrutiny, all the banks were forced to follow the ANZ’s lead and come to the party on reducing their variable rates for customers in the lead up to Christmas. [Read more...]