Our commentary on issues important to home owners, investors and borrowers
Earlier this year, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) warned that the design and sale of consumer credit insurance (CCI) had “consistently failed consumers”.
It has also commenced enforcement action against several lenders, called for customer remediation, and warned CCI vendors to adhere to new rules or cease selling it altogether.
Read MoreThe next time you engage a conveyancer, it is a good idea to quiz them on their email and internet security protocols. For now this is a point of vulnerability, which if not adequately protected, could you leave you with a serious financial shortfall.
Read MoreThe peak body for Mortgage Brokers, the MFAA has issued a strong defence of the current lending industry structure following bad publicity emanating from the Royal Commission into the banking sector. Whilst nearly all of the bad behaviour exposed by the Commission has fallen directly at the feet of the banks, some of the major banks have tried to use the commission as an opportunity to wrest back control of the lending market.
Read MoreWhile the arrangement of finance is central to the process of mortgage broking it is so much more than filling in forms and choosing the lowest initial interest rate. A good broker helps their client with the overall process of buying a property. They act as advocate, project manager, assist with the assessment of financial risk, and liaise with solicitors, real estate agents and the bank's back office to make settlements happen on time.
Read MoreThe Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has cautioned the public about holiday season scams that have already affected consumers this year.
Read MoreLoanscape is your information resource about lending and property.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q3/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families have started to recover after the sharp decline over the past 2 years. Lower income borrowers continue to be disproportionately impacted by interest rate increases: the family income required to qualify for the average size loan in Australia is 37% higher than 2 years ago.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q2/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families have stabilised after the sharp decline over the past 2 years. Lower income borrowers continue to be disproportionately impacted by interest rate increases: the family income required to qualify for the average size loan in Australia is 35% higher than 2 years ago.
Combined dwelling values have re-accelerated across the nation in February, with all mainland capitals soaring in value. It probably comes as no surprise that Perth claimed the top spot by gaining a whopping 1.8% for the month
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q1/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families continue to decline. The more modest decline in the size of average loans being taken confirms that lower income borrowers are being disproportionately impacted by interest rate hikes: the family income required to qualify for the average loan in Australia is now 32% higher than 18 months ago.
The end of the year is fast approaching, with most capitals experiencing a strong recovery on dwelling values from the downturn that culminated at the start of 2023.
The recovery is mainly due to an influx of immigration and constricted supply, which the Government is trying to remedy with its ambitious goal of building 1.2 million homes by 2029 through HAFF.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q4/2024. It confirms the forecast trend that borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families are recovering from their low levels which coincided with the last of the recent increases to borrowing rates initiated by the Reserve Bank of Australia.