LowerBills Personal Finance Blog

In the section below you can read articles on Australian personal finance - from tips on how to choose the best credit cards, home loan comparison advice to personal loan and bank account tips; plus the latest Australian personal finance news that affects you.

 

Read up on the subjects that interest you and why not leave a comment below the post and let us know your thoughts.....

Credit Card Cash Advances Start To Retreat

Cash advances - does it make sense to wait on that purchase?

There are positive signs that Australians are starting to use their credit cards more conservatively and are beginning to tackle their debt problems.

In February 2012, the number of credit card cash advances hit their lowest level since 1996 – below 2 million – and this is continuing a trend that has been established in recent years for people to cut down on this type of credit.

This comes on the back of Reserve bank of Australia figures that the average credit card balance last year grew by its lowest rate since records began in 1995. Continue reading

A Credit Card Debt Breakdown For The Average Australian

Is your credit card debt under control?

How much do you think the average Australian owes in credit card debt and how much do their annual interest payments amount to?

The latest figures, according to ASIC, suggest that the total Australian credit card debt, as at April 11th 2012, is around $37 billion; that equates to around $4,860 per card holder.

Recently that figure has been decreasing very slowly but generally it increases; a tighter economy and a less certain global outlook seems to be making Australians think twice about spending on their credit cards.

Interest payments

These figures above mean that the average Australian is paying over $800 per year in interest charges, assuming an average interest rate of around 15%-20%. Continue reading

Secondary Credit Cards – Good Idea?

Secondary Credit Cards

Secondary credit cards – not for everyone

Secondary credit cards can be a great way for family members to have access to credit through one account, but unless they are used responsibly and monitored they can be more trouble than they’re worth.

Here we take a look at the main pros and cons to help you decide whether secondary cards will be a help or hindrance to your personal finances.

Do You NEED a Secondary Credit Card?

Many credit card offers advertise that you can get up to “9 secondary cards for free” or other such offers that may look great – but do you really need the extra cards?

This depends on your personal situation, as always.

For a married couple who share bank accounts and check statements every month then it can be a great idea to have two cards linked to one account. If the credit card in question is suitably low interest and low annual fee, it saves on having to administer two accounts and one repayment can be scheduled every month to cover balances.

Continue reading

The 10 Biggest Credit Card Mistakes In Australia

Avoid these 10 credit card mistakes

You only have to look at how many Australian credit card holders still struggle with rising balances to see that there are still some pretty big mistakes being made out there.

You can start to get control of your debt by taking some simple steps and avoiding doing any of the following:

Not Comparing Credit Cards before Signing Up

It’s amazing how many people opt for the “easy” choice from their existing bank rather than shopping around and comparing cards for the best rates, fees and features that suit their own lifestyle. All the resources are available online nowadays to make informed decisions.

Continue reading

Credit Card Fraud Hits The Headlines Again

Credit Card Fraud Hits The Headlines Again

Another Visa credit card fraud story made headlines across the world recently, again pointing the finger at the safety of the global credit card system.

The Global Payments Breach

Cybercriminals hacked into Global Payments, which is a third-party processor of transactions for both Visa and Mastercard; they stole 1.5 million credit card numbers, making it one of the largest incidences of financial fraud in recent years.

It is not yet known what methods were used, but early reports suggested a link to street gangs and parking garages in New York. They also said that enough data was stolen to enable counterfeiting of cards.

Continue reading

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