News Australia

We’re on a roll with environmentally-friendly work tips and here are five more great ideas if you have the ear of the boss. 1. Cleaning Products Whether you’re using an independent cleaning person or the building management has staff in place, now is the time to switch cleaning products to greener versions to drastically reduce [...]

Australia’s biggest home lenders cut mortgage rates soon after the central bank reduced the cash rate for the first time since April 2009. Westpac took just 15 minutes to pass on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 0.25 percentage point rate cut in full on Tuesday. It will lower its standard variable home loan rate [...]

Homeowners have been granted a long awaited reprieve, with the Reserve Bank opting to drop interest rates by 25 basis points. The cut continues what is becoming a tradition, with the Reserve Bank changing the cash rate on Melbourne Cup Day for the sixth year in a row. It is also the first time in [...]

Fixed term mortgages hit 3.5 year high in October Basic variable rates were the most popular with new home loan borrowers only 11 months ago, but today they have been far surpassed by ongoing discount rates and fixed rates, according to loan approval data from Mortgage Choice, Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker. At that time, [...]

It can sometimes feel like making earth-friendly choices means spending more money.  Well, the good news is that being green doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little creative thinking, it’s easy to ditch the high prices of trendy eco products and go green at no cost. Here are the first five of our [...]

One in 10 Australian households is in housing stress and at risk of financial hardship and poverty, a new report says. Renters and first home buyers are most under pressure, with 26 per cent of renters and 15 per cent of first home buyers in housing stress, the Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH) said on [...]

The central bank has decided to keep the cash rate unchanged this month and has opened the door for possible future cuts. The decision was expected, with all 15 economists surveyed last week by AAP predicting the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would keep rates on hold at 4.75 per cent on Tuesday. The central [...]

An expert says cybercrime is soaring, it already costs Australians more than burglary and will only increase as more people use smartphones. Marian Merritt, internet safety advocate with computer security company Norton, said a new global study showed 69 per cent of adults around the world experienced cybercrime in their lifetime, much more than previously [...]

The Reserve Bank has decided to keep interest rates on hold, despite fears of the Australian economy struggling outside the mining sector. With instability in the European markets and concerns over a double-dip recession in the US, the RBA decided to keep official interest rates at 4.75 percent. RateCity CEO Damian Smith said the decision [...]

Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 5.1 per cent in July, official figures show. The June figure was an unrevised 4.9 per cent. Total employment was steady at 11.450 million in the month. Full-time employment fell by 22,200 to 8.055 million in July and part-time employment was up 22,100 at 3.395 million. The July participation rate [...]