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.....
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The Ins And Outs Of Credit Card Travel Insurance
How does your credit card insurance stack up?
It’s travel season, when many Australians head off on holiday for a well-earned few weeks of R and R. Those of you with gold or platinum credit cards may have free travel insurance included and we take a look here at how these deals stack up.
Often it seems that rewards and perks attached to credit cards aren’t really worth the extra money you pay for the annual fee – and in the case of gold and platinum cards that fee can be quite high – but having heard some good recent reports from friends who have used free travel insurance to good effect, we thought we’d investigate it a little further. Continue Reading…
How To Avoid Online Credit Card Scams In 2012
Don’t be a victim of phishing yourself!
One thing we’ve heard a lot about in 2011 is the rise of credit card fraud. Much of it is due to online scams and, while credit card companies are constantly looking for better ways of tightening security, the scammers always seem to be one step ahead.
Taking responsibility for our own security means following some simple guidelines for shopping online; then maybe we can make sure that 2012 is not a vintage year for the scammers. Below are some suggestions for how to do that.
Protect Your Details
It sounds all too obvious but take basic precautions about protecting your credit card and your details: Continue Reading…
How To Ask Your Way To A Cheaper Home Loan!
Don’t Ask? Don’t get! Didn’t your mother tell you that?
One benefit that a competitive market place brings is the ability to negotiate rates down as a buyer and that may just help Australians with arranging cheaper home loans.
The federal government has made strides this year to make the market more competitive by eliminating exit fees – which made it easier for people to switch home loans and made fixed rate loans more attractive.
The other effect is that you can approach your existing lender more boldly and ask for a better deal because they’ll know that if they don’t give you the deal you’re after, you can look elsewhere.
How Credit Card Minimum Payments May Weigh You Down With Debt
Are you paying only the minimum monthly repayment?
What Are Minimum Payments?
Minimum payments are listed on your monthly statement as the minimum payment you need to make to the credit card company to reduce your balance.
They are usually around 2-5% of the total balance and they don’t reduce your balance very quickly as this blog post from September pointed out. Continue Reading…
How To Choose The Best Low Interest Rate Credit Card
Examine the fine print of any credit card deal
Like with all credit and borrowing decisions, it pays to shop around, check all the details and know exactly what you’re getting before you sign on the dotted line.
Australian household debt averages over $3000 per card, so clearly we are not all making the best decisions when it comes to choosing and comparing credit cards that suit our lifestyles.
- It Starts With You!
