The motivation for buying and selling a home should always focus on your personal circumstances, rather than try to time the market in the hope it will deliver a better home or cheaper deal. Today’s market illustrates how property moves in more ways than boom and bust cycles. And while volatile mortgage rates may leave…
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With the number of homes for sale across America currently below historical averages, buyers everywhere are figuring out how to win a bidding battle – and I’ve got some great tactics for you. First, let’s take stock of the situation. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), there were 4.3 million homes for sale…
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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced four key areas it would be focussing on for tax returns this year. Target areas include any profit from investments in cryptocurrencies, claims relating to working at home (expected to be a hot area after the pandemic lockdowns), record keeping and expenses against rental properties. ATO Assistant Commissioner…
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Wage growth continues to fail to keep pace with the rate of inflation, according to new figures. The Consumer Price Index rose 5.1% in the year to the March quarter, but wages grew only 2.4%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The disparity between the rates of inflation and wage growth represents a…
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Businesses will need to prepare for increases in contributions to employee superannuation, which will take effect from July 1,the start of the financial year. The super guarantee (SG) rate will move from 10% to 10.5%. Every employee now qualifies for a contribution regardless of how much they earn, following the removal of a $450 per…
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Business owners and flood victims have been warned to be wary of potential scams following separate warnings from Westpac Bank and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Westpac said it was likely there would be fake donation sites for the Lismore flood victims, as well as scammers posing as insurers, business executives and government staff claiming…
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When you work for yourself, you may pay yourself a consistent income, but, more likely, your earnings fluctuate month to month. You may have experience managing your personal cash flow to accommodate this, however lenders tend to look for stability and a track record of making ends meet. So, if you are self-employed and want…
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The skyrocketing price of petrol – despite the federal government giving up 22c a litre in fuel tax to ease our economic pain – has increased the interest in purchasing one of the many electric vehicles (EVs) coming on to the market in Australia. However, despite the gains, sales of EVs still remain low, with…
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Australians have been warned of fast-rising building and renovation costs and urged to re-evaluate their insurance coverage as near double-digit inflation strikes the building industry. Construction costs jumped 9% in the year to March, according to the latest figures from CoreLogic, a leading real estate researcher. This is the steepest jump in building material costs…
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The economy continues to go from strength to strength across every sector monitored by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Business revenue turnover in February increased in all 13 industries studied by the ABS, providing evidence that the economy is returning to pre-COVID levels. The result is promising for economic confidence as Australia also continues…
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