Today’s question comes straight from our community and I’ll be discussing what to expect when calling the bank to ask for a better rate on your home loan! “Hi Tash, I have a question about how best to negotiate your mortgage. I am also pregnant so refinancing isn’t possible, but negotiating sounds hard and I don’t know what they’ll ask … Read More
Are you guilty of these budgeting mistakes?
Budgeting is one of those deceptively simple things to do. If I asked you whether you know how to budget, chances are you would say yes! After all, the math of it is pretty simple – spend less than you earn. And yet, research shows that 85% of people who have a budget, don’t stick to it. Which begs the … Read More
Six steps to overcoming self-doubt
There is no doubt that as women, we are particularly prone to second guessing ourselves, especially when it comes to money. In fact, research by the Association of Financial Advisers recently found that even women with high levels of financial knowledge, ranked themselves on par with men of low levels of financial knowledge. It is something I see on a … Read More
5 things to look for in a home loan
The biggest question most people have when it comes to home loans is – What exactly is the best loan? While brokers specialise in helping you find the right loan, it has become difficult to know who to trust, with some groups recently accusing mortgage brokers of not delivering “the best loans” to their customers. So let’s take a look … Read More
Is your job costing you money?
Do you find yourself earning a good wage but still struggling to get ahead? If so, it is time to consider whether your job is getting in your way. This may sound counter-intuitive, given that most people assume that the more money we make, the more we can afford to save and the more wealth we can accumulate. However, quite … Read More
The secret to maximising your tax return
As an accountant I am a strong advocate of planning your tax return at the start of the financial year, rather than a last minute dash in the last week of June. Doing so means that you can be a lot more strategic with how you use your money – for example it is a false economy to spend money … Read More
The (surprisingly simple) way I saved $18,000
As a finance expert I am often writing about the costs of the lazy tax and the savings we stand to make by shopping around. Despite this, I too am guilty of the occasional slip up and still remain surprised as to how much we stand to save by making a few phone calls, and checking whether we are still … Read More
Turning over a new leaf? Don’t skip this important step.
It is the start of a new financial year, and the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf with your money or inject some fresh momentum into your new year’s goals. But let me ask you this: when was the last time you paused for a moment to picture precisely what it is that you are working so hard … Read More
Don’t forget to do this before 1 July!
If you’re anything like most people, chances are that any letters or statements from your super fund immediately go either in the bin or in a non-urgent pile of mail to be dealt with at a later time. However, hidden in among those letters rests something very important, that has the potential to significantly affect your income in the future. … Read More
6 simple ways to boost your super while on maternity leave
When it comes to couples deciding who should stay at home to look after the kids, it is not uncommon for women to be the ones to take an extended career break, especially when you consider the cost of childcare. A 2018 KPMG report titled The cost of coming back: Achieving a better deal for working mothers, found that for … Read More