As a report released by Choice has indicated, using a broker to find a home loan may not be all it is cracked up to be.

One of the issues Choice raises in their article is the false perception that brokers can offer the absolute best loan to each client based on the borrower’s individual circumstances.

But the reality is that not all lenders have agreements in place to issue loans through all brokers. Should the best loan for you be offered…

Saving for a deposit for your home loan can be a long and tiring task, and sometimes it seems like you are never going to reach your goal.

But there is a way to reach your target and get into your home sooner than you think, but it does require some sacrifice on your part.

Before we get to those however, you will first want to figure out what you will need to save.

Having a savings goal is paramount to your success.

How to calculate your savings goal

You can arrive at this total by knowing how much you are willing to spend on a home – even if it’s a ballpark figure. Once you…

Christmas is all about family, friends and over-indulging, but this can lead to over-spending.

There are ways to make sure you don’t over-spend however, which are both simple and effective.

Set a (realistic) budget

The first thing you should do is to think about how much you want, or can afford, to spend over the Christmas period. And this should include everything from gifts, to the food you are planning on consuming.

Make a list of everything you need…

Bills are expensive.

And they seem to get worse each month. Personally, they account for about 20% of my total income. That’s one dollar in every five which goes towards a bill. That’s too much!

Your say: What percentage of your income goes on bills? Let us know in the comments below.

So, trying to reduce or eliminate as many bills as possible can be a smart way to lower your costs and have more money for yourself.

The goal then is to look through all your bills and decide which ones you will eliminate or which ones you will lower.

How?

First,…

Owning a car is seen as an Australian dream – a rite of passage that every teenager experiences. But does it need to be that way? Do young people in Australia need to own a car?

There are a lot of reasons some people need to own a car, but for those who are living in the city or nearby, having a car could be an expense they could do without.

Before we look at the advantages of not owning a car, we need to look at how you would get around without one.

How do you get around with a car?

Catch public transport

For your day-to-day…