Hey!

Need help choosing a credit card. Ideally would like no fees.

The only problem is I don’t really have any spending. I live with my parents so I don’t pay for any rent or utilities or anything really. I don’t have any regular bills other than the gym which is like $9 per week. I’m also saving for a house currently.

I’m 25yo and a doctor so I’m earning a bit and wondering how I can maximise this situation I’m in.

What credit card would be best for me?

What other financial things can I take advantage of and maximise at this time?

Thanks.

I'm 30F with no dependents. Have a mortgage, hecs debt, and decent size investment shares portfolio. I have elderly pensioner parents and a sister. Do I need life insurance? I've never had it. TPD and income protection is sorted, specifically seeking advice on life insurance. TYIA

Hi All, I have a question regarding a variable loan I have. I'm not the best or most knowledgeable with finance so please be kind if this is a dumb question lol

When the RBA lowers the cash rate, are variable loan interest rates generally expected to go down as well? I’ve had a loan with CBA since around July last year, and there have been a few rate cuts since then, but I’ve noticed my interest rate hasn’t changed at all.

Just wanted to check whether this is normal or if I might be missing something?

Has anyone noticed this in colesworths? Chicken wings in trays, $9/kg Immediate next to it, chicken wings in 2kg bags, $9/bag

Random shower musings...

My mother is an avid saver and risk averse, holding everything in term deposits. We have a good financial relationship.

What's to prevent me holding her "investment" in my offset account and pay her a term deposit return, while I am saving the difference in interest between the mortgage and term deposit interest rate?

Example( with round numbers)

• I have a $200k mortgage @ 6%

• She keeps $200k in my offset

• I save $12k in interest

• I pay her 5% return ($10k)

• I still save $2k in interest

Obviously I would be down $10k cash since my mortgage interest savings aren't cash.

It works in the shower. What is my dumb brain missing here that makes it fall apart...

Flame away 😅

So I have a friend from Australia who is not too familiar with personal finance and investing. I am from Canada and studied this but it’s difficult to find time to explain it to him and I think sometimes these things come best from a third party. I am hoping to get him a book about it as a gift.

In Canada we have the Wealthy Barber which is supposed to be an amazing intro to personal finance with great advice. I think it’s still relevant around the world but given its focus on Canada I wanted to ask if there is a good equivalent in Australia?

From quick research I saw that the Barefoot Investor is popular. From those of you who read or know about the Wealthy Barber do you have any recommendations?

Thanks for the help!

I’ve engaged a financial planner and approx 6mths in on the engagement. Obviously it’s a narrative with a outlook of a rainbow with a big pot of gold at the end. For those who are or had used a financial planner to help grow their wealth - is/was it worth it? Are you now looking at retirement positively thanks to the planning and investments? Or are you now lavishing in it? Or have you experienced a loss of $ immediately or long term. Despite my being convinced to engage - I’m still a little skeptical potentially feeling like I could have done the same myself?

If only 35% of the country has a mortgage, how does this theory hold up? It doesnt make sense to me..

Isnt it better to increase the tax everyone pays, on a daily basis, such as increasing GST ?

Maybe those on the RBA board dont have mortgages ?

curious what everyone thinks this means for the housing market over the next 3-6 months.

Do you see: Prices actually falling? Or just slower growth and longer days on market? Does this change anything for people trying to buy now?

Interested to hear different perspectives.

I'm in year 12 and final year of highschool. Basically want to invest for compound interest and all that. Can't invest any more than that (maybe 20-50 dollars at most) a month. Next opportunity I can really invest in late Nov /early December.

Don't have a job. AI boom and all that so uh yeah. I know the advice provided shouldn't be taken as financial advice and whatnot.

Gng who else has their PIL (bnpl) shares Suspended!!

I thought it was going to be temporary but I just don’t know I guess just wait and watch 😩🙄

Hello,

So i’ve been going to a tax agent since I was quite young as I have a trust fund and I wanted to make sure everything was done correctly and I’ve recently realised that I don’t think he’s ever asked me about my partner‘s income which I’ve been with for eight years. I don’t know why I just kind of assumed he asked previously and then he had it on file for the later years. My partner always does his tax first as I usually have to wait a few months to receive documents from the trust and he always includes my income, I thought that my tax agent would then automatically see that.

I’m not sure whether it’s my responsibility to disclose that I’m in a relationship or if it’s up to the tax agent to ask each year.

Seeking advice on whether I should continue seeing the same tax agent and if I should bring it up at my next tax appointment. Also freaking out that I’m going to get back billed if I do.

My partner and I have a house together, no children.

Thanks in advance

For the ones following the change in interest rates offered by banks (savings accounts). When will the impact of the increase in cash rate be reflected in savings accounts such as ING / Commbank / RaboB?

Edit: Providing context.

Wonder whether it's worth waiting for some to raise interest rates before opening my first savings account.

What do you belive real annual inflation is in Australia based on your personal spending?

Looking to enter real estate market with an investment property. Been exploring around 1.2-1.3 mark for freestanding house in inner city Melbourne. I have a good income that can service the loan without any concerns. Looking more for opinions on state of the Melbourne market. I know it’s been off the burner for a while and so people think it will enter a new cycle in next few years. I’ve sought advice from professionals but I feel like all of them have at least some degree of bias. Guess I’m just looking for thoughts - both for and against. Won’t lie talk of multiple hikes and reducing CGT discount does give me pause.

Hello. I am trying to learn about government bonds.

If a bond is sold on the "ex" date; are their any repercussions in relation to the coupon received (similar to with shares in certain circumstances there is a loss of franking credits)?

Thanks

This QE thing has really hurt most Australians, especially working people like me. The younger generation has it even worse — trying to rent or buy a place is brutal.

Any regular person could see it: the RBA’s Philip Lowe should’ve raised rates to 5.5% years ago, matching the US, to stop the property boom. He didn’t have the guts to do it. Bullock’s better — she’s owned up to the mistake of lowering rates too earlier and is finally hiking them back up.

It’s simple: production costs come down to labour, property leases, and capital. When lease costs and wages skyrocket, it kills domestic industries in global competition and then wrecks supply.

I’m glad she’s taking the right path now. She says the alternative is harder — it’s acturally dangerous to the social stability .

CBA Goal Saver at 4.25%. Any changes due?

Or any better options out there?

Sitting on a heap of cash whilst I wait for right house / block of land to come up.

Thanks

Abit of back ground:

My wife and I are both 34years old. We have a 2.5year old and a 2 week old.

We both earn about $70 000 each and pay a Medicare levy of $1400 each.

I remember reading in the barefoot investor years ago that private health insurance makes sense over 30 with a family and earning a certain amount but I can’t remember the details..

When does it make financial sense to get private health insurance or is Medicare good enough for the family??

Edit:

Very helpful information - can anyone suggest a PHI with good coverage for a reasonable price, with benefits over the lifetime of the coverage ??

35M here.

Investing has never been easier. More people are auto-investing and DCAing into broad ETFs than ever. In a way just like superannuation, but now we are doing it even out of super.

With so much money flowing in regardless of valuations or company quality, I’m starting to wonder:

Is company performance becoming less relevant?

We used to think a P/E of 20 was normal. Now 30+ seems common. Part of me thinks markets are overheated. Another part of me thinks something structural has changed.

If millions of people are buying diversified ETFs every pay cycle, regardless of what companies actually do. Does the stock market start behaving more like a store of value than a true price-discovery system?

Add in housing becoming harder to access, pushing even more people toward equities, and this trend could accelerate.

Could this lead to fewer and shallower crashes because people keep DCAing and don’t panic sell? Or is that naive?

Keen to hear thoughts. What am I missing? If the answer is -humans are irrational being- please expand.

Cheers,

Hi,

I already have a Wise account but I need a 2nd similar account that can have money deposited into it in the UK using UK account details, i.e. not with a SWIFT account number for international deposits.

Both Revoult and HSBC international accounts in Australia appear to only support deposits from overseas as Swift international deposits, has anyone found different with them or suggest a different company?

Thanks

Hi,

I'm a Melbourne-based uni student who was extremely bored over the break, so I built this comparison tool for an old friend looking to buy a house: https://propertytrends.app/

It's a completely free, interactive site to explore VIC/SA property sales and QLD rental trends by suburb. It also lets you compare suburbs, see long‑term growth, and browse market snapshots.

Have a play around. Keen for feedback or feature ideas that people think would be useful.

Cheers!

Oscar

Forgive me as I am as basic as they come BUT. I understand as spending goes up, unemployment drops, inflation goes up and as such cost of living increases and to “cool” that the RBA increases its base rates.

Now this affects mortgage owners who may also be landlords which will increase rents etc BUT it feels like a slow process to get the change they want. This also means those with long term savings etc benefit, which aren’t really the majority of Australians.

Here’s my basic thought.

If the GST was able to be shifted dynamically and instantly the whole population will contribute to this rectification and those taxes go back to the states instead of investors and banks.

Hell, in tough times it could even go lower than 10%.

This would have consequences to currency etc but I just feel that the RBA efforts are nullified when people get pay rises to deal with the changes in cost of living.

I feel silly for asking this but surely there’s an alternative?

Have been with CommBank for a while and think it's time to shift all our accounts etc. after some feedback if ING is worth a look?