Mortgage broking articles & tips

RBA Rates Decision – June 2011

The RBA held off increasing the cash rate / interest rates once again this month, as it digests the March Quarter GDP data.  The numbers for the quarter weren’t good, driven by the natural disaster events in Queensland.  These events caused significant disruption to the mining industry, due to major infrastructure damage from these events. T...

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$13,000 saving on loan set up costs!

At Empower Wealth we believe that making sure you have the right finance structure is paramount to the success you will achieve in your wealth building journey. In this newsletter I would like to share a story of how we were able to save a client $13,000 in loan set up costs, by ensuring that they had their loans structured in a way that was cost e...

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RBA Rates Decision – May 2011

The RBA has left the official cash rate on hold again in May, making it 6 months since the last cash rate movement.  Minutes from the previous RBA board meeting certainly indicated that the board position was that rates remained adequate for the near term, as subdued consumer spending and the impacts of major disasters still filter through the eco...

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Exit Fee Passed as Legislation

The legislation to ban Exit Fees has been passed into law on 23rd March, by the Federal Government. These new laws will see Exit Fees, including Deferred Establishment Fees banned from 1 July.  The new regulations are: Regulation 79A The new Regulation 79A provides that a credit fee or charge is prohibited if:  it is provided for in a credit...

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RBA Rates Decision – April 2011

For the x month in a row the cash rate has remained on hold as the RBA looks for further indications that the economy is continuing to grow following the recent major flood and cyclone disasters that hit our shores earlier this year. If the economy rebounds quickly and the insurance works provide inflationary pressures on materials and labour, p...

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RBA Rates Decision – March 2011

The cash rate remained on hold again this month as the RBA awaits more critical data on the performance of the economy before looking to adjust the cash rate. Most economists expect further rate rises in 2011, with many tipping an increase in the cash rate of around 0.5% over the course of the year. Events in the Middle East region could play a ...

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It’s Mortgage ‘Sale Season’

Over the last month, we are seeing signs from the lending sector that they believe their costs of funds are going to improve in the coming years. (Margin = the difference between what costs lenders source money for and what they on-sell it for – i.e. Profit margin) Cheaper costs of funds means one of two things: 1 – Increased mortgage len...

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Higher LVR’s Back in Play = Good News for First Home Buyers

Over the past few weeks we have seen several lenders adjust their Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) to allow for more First Home Buyers and Investors take on higher levels of lending against the security of the property they are purchasing.  There are some lenders who are in the 100% lending space, meaning that the borrower only needs to find approx. 5% t...

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RBA Rates Decision – February 2011

As unanimously tipped by all forecasters and commentators, the RBA chose to leave the official cash rate on hold this month at 4.75%. Although the majority of sentiment is that the cash rate will move higher over the coming year, if our economy and the global economic recovery continue to build momentum. The consensus on the flood in Queensland ...

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RBA Cash Rate & Property Outloook for 2011

For those not in the know, the RBA board does not meet in January, so the first cash rate decision will be at 2.30pm on Tuesday 1st February, 2011. In terms of the cash rate forecasts, there is a real mixed bag out there in terms of predictions of where the cash rate might be between now and the end of 2011. There is very little, if any support ...

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Credit Card & Refinancing Debt

Ok, so the festive season has passed and the credit card and bank statements are starting to hit the inbox or the letter box for us old timers.  A good festive season was had by all on the plastic, but now’s the time to find the cash flow to pay it off to ensure the interest we pay remains the lowest possible. Other than a short term fix of s...

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New Finance Licensing Laws

In an effort to better regulate lending in this country the Federal Government introduced new legislation known as the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Act 2010.  This new legislation is designed to make borrowing money safer for consumers, through the implementation of new safeguards for borrowers.  Prior to this new legislation, ea...

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RBA Rates Decision – December 2010

Given Glenn Stevens’ recent speech last month that he saw no reason for a further rate rise this year, it was no surprise that the cash rate remained on hold, following the RBA board meeting and cash rate announcement today. The economists are mixed in their view of what the future holds regarding rate rises, some are predicting further rate r...

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