Toyota leading the pack, but Tesla accelerating fast

Consumers are confidently snapping up new vehicles, and while they continue to gravitate towards the biggest brands, they’re also showing increasing interest in greener vehicles. A total of 269,002 new vehicles were sold in the first three months of 2023, which was 2.5% more than the first quarter of 2022, according to the Federal Chamber … Read more

ACCC issues warning about fake bank messages

Australia’s consumer watchdog has sounded the alarm about sophisticated bank impersonation scams that have claimed a number of peoples’ life savings. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said scammers were using new technology to trick their victims. This included: Making calls appear to come from a bank’s legitimate phone number. Sending text messages that … Read more

ATO changes rules around working-from-home deductions

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has changed how taxpayers claim deductions for costs incurred while working from home. You can choose one of two methods to claim working-from-home deductions – the fixed-rate method (which has been updated) and the actual-cost method (which has not). The revised fixed rate method applies from 1 July 2022 and … Read more

Govt makes super less generous for those with large nest eggs

The federal government has announced plans to reduce tax breaks for Australians with superannuation balances above $3 million. Currently, earnings from super in the accumulation phase are taxed at a concessional rate of 15%. This will continue for all super accounts with balances below $3 million. However, from 1 July 2025, the concessional tax rate … Read more

How to refinance in a declining market

With interest rates rising, it’s important to make sure your mortgage rate is still competitive – which is why so many Australians are refinancing right now. However, refinancing can be more challenging when property prices are falling, as they are in many parts of the country. That’s because your equity (or the debt-free share of … Read more