Buying a car isn’t like buying an item of clothing! You can’t return it if you don’t like it. And unless there’s an actual fault, the seller has no obligation to refund you or to accept any liability if you’ve simply changed your mind. Because the car buying process is fraught with opportunity to make bad decisions and even lose money, it helps to know in advance what pitfalls you may face. Here are 5 mistakes to avoid when buying a car.

Personal finance is full of rules of thumb about saving, spending, paying off debt, and budgeting. These well-known financial guidelines help us apply proven methods for saving, investing, buying a home and even planning for retirement. They can be useful shortcuts for making quick calculations and decisions about finance. In this article, we’ll look at 3 financial rules of thumb that we believe are worth incorporating into personal finance decisions.

Living through a pandemic has changed our view on many things. From wanting a better work life balance and more focus on health, wellness and exercise, to a greater desire to learn more and the need to connect online.

But it also changed how we live, with flexible working arrangements helping turn long-term dreams of escaping to the country into reality. Holiday rental giant, Airbnb, has responded by changing the way it works, while real estate agents across Australia are already reporting significant spikes in demand for properties in rural areas.

Here’s a closer look at how COVID-19 has changed the way we live.

Government-led housing initiatives have been updated in the Federal Government Budget, announced earlier this month. Along with the Family Home Guarantee, aimed at helping single parents buy a home with a two per cent deposit, the New Homes Guarantee program is being expanded, and the amount that first home buyers will be able to access under the First Home Super Saver Scheme is also increasing. Here’s more on each of these programs.

In this year’s Federal Budget, single parents who may be struggling to get onto the property ladder, received a helping hand from Government, with the introduction of the Family Home Guarantee. Designed to help single income earners with dependents buy a home with just two per cent deposit, the scheme kicks off on 1 July 2021, but with limited places. Read on to find out more.

A new scheme introduced in Federal Government’s 2020/2021 Budget aims to lift the claim limit on depreciating assets for business owners, and incentivise expenditure in small businesses, while an increase in threshold for Instant Asset Write-Offs offers more businesses opportunity to claim deductions in this tax year. Read on to find out more about how these changes may impact your business and where to go for more information.

As house prices across Australia continue to soar, more first home buyers are getting financial support from their parents. So much so that the Bank of Mum and Dad has been named the ninth largest mortgage lender in Australia. And with average financial contributions at just under $90,000, the amounts parents are contributing are not insignificant.

With financial year end not far off, it’s a good time to start thinking about preparing your tax. There are a few things you can do ahead of June 30 to help you get ready for tax time 2021. Things like organizing your paperwork, prepaying any expenses in this financial year, and setting a budget for the new financial year.

For many of us, 2020 is the year we’d rather forget! But with the festive season fast approaching, it seems fitting to celebrate the end of a particularly tough year in a meaningful way. If the thought of dusting off the decorations or hosting a lavish feast is something you’d rather not think too much about, take heart and check out these 3 simple ways to make this festive season more meaningful.

With the end of year in sight and a number of lenders offering cashback, rebates and special deals, there’s never been a better time to review your home loan or apply for a first home loan. To help you make an informed decision about your future finances, here are some of the offers currently in market.