The average new owner-occupier mortgage in Australia is now $636,597 – a new record high that is set to keep on rising alongside property prices in key states. Over the last 12 months, the national average has risen by $56,357, an increase of $154 a day, despite the fact the cash rate is at its…
The stage is set for the RBA to leave the cash rate on hold next week, despite a rise to Australia’s annual inflation rate from 3.6 per cent to 3.8 per cent. While this is the first rise in annual inflation since December 2022, the result is in line with the RBA’s own forecasts, keeping…
Millions of Australians are hiding money away in bank accounts unknown to their family or partner, according to new research by Finder. The survey of 1,012 respondents revealed more than 1 in 10 (12%) – equivalent to 2.5 million people – currently have, or have had, a secret savings account. The research found 8% –…
Foreign buyers are back in force with activity climbing 27%, according to the latest Foreign Buyer report. The Treasury has just released its latest data, detailing the activity of non-resident property purchasers across Australia for FY2022–23. Foreign buyers spent $4.9 billion on 5,360 properties which is a substantial rise from the previous year. Alongside a…
Can you identify a tax scam? Well, new research reveals that almost a third of Australians fail to spot tax scams. CBA report that when multiple tax phishing scams were tested on Australians over the age of 18, only 69% could successfully identify all of them. Interestingly, nine out of ten believed they were confident…
Australians tucked an additional $6.53 billion away in the bank in May as household deposits continued to hit record highs. The total amount saved in the bank from households is now $1.481 trillion – the 11th consecutive record high, according to the latest APRA monthly banking statistics. This means household deposits have risen by over…
Recently the Australian Taxation Office sent around a bulletin busting 5 common tax myths. Did you believe any of them? Myth 1: Investors can claim travel expenses to visit their residential investment property. Since 1 July 2017, investors can’t claim travel expenses to check on their residential investment property. This includes long and short-term rentals,…
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is putting rental property owners on notice this tax season. ATO Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson has highlighted that many rental property owners are making mistakes on their tax returns, despite 86% using a registered tax agent. One major issue is misunderstanding what expenses can be claimed and when particularly distinguishing…
The Reserve Bank sees no “quick fix” for the housing crisis and warns that an imbalance between Australia’s supply of new housing and growth in the nation’s demand for housing is pushing up rents and construction costs and also has implications for economic activity. In a speech on Housing Market Cycles and Fundamentals, RBA assistant…
Australians are still intending to retire, on average, between their 65th and 66th birthdays, according to the latest data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics said: “While the average age that people intend to retire has risen over time, it hasn’t changed much in the last…
