The Compass Co.

Small business owners in need of credit will be buoyed by new data that shows the approval rate for loans has remained strong throughout the coronavirus crisis. In fact, about 70% of SME business loan applications received by lenders have been approved since early February, according to Australian Banking Association…

Consumer sentiment is surging, confidence in the housing market is booming, and the number of experts tipping a Melbourne Cup Day cash rate cut is increasing. Let’s look at why households and businesses are becoming increasingly optimistic. Ahh, spring. It’s fair to say we love it around here. Not only…

If you’re a small or medium-sized business owner in need of an affordable loan then we’ve got good news: the federal government is expanding the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme to allow businesses to borrow more and for a wider range of purposes. The scheme, which is in phase one until…

You’ve probably heard the federal government is giving $25,000 grants to eligible Australians looking to build or substantially renovate their homes. Today we’ll look at what that means for first home buyers when combined with state and territory schemes. If you’ve been umming and ahhing about purchasing your first home…

Great news for small business owners: the federal government has extended the $150,000 instant asset write-off to 31 December 2020, but you’ll need to act asap if you want to make use of the scheme this financial year. A few months back, just as coronavirus was ramping up in Australia,…

You might have heard that the federal government will give eligible Australians $25,000 to build or substantially renovate homes as part of the new HomeBuilder scheme. Today we’ll look at who exactly can qualify for the initiative. The $680 million program, which is part of the federal government’s economic response…

The dreaded and controversial stamp duty tax could soon be a thing of the past, with calls for it to be abolished gaining momentum. The Property Council of Australia is the latest body to add their voice to the chorus this month after both the NSW and Victorian state governments ramped…

Every now and then a bank does something that bucks the trend and takes customers by surprise. Today we’ll look at two cases that recently made national headlines and how you can reduce your chances of getting caught out. While the below two examples may not relate to your home…

With interest rates at record low levels, today we’ll look at a question that many are asking: should I lock in a fixed rate home loan? You may have recently received a call directly from your bank, or seen more ads than usual across the internet spruiking super low fixed-rate…

SME businesses in need of working capital due to the coronavirus outbreak can now access unsecured loans “more cheaply and more freely” than ordinary business loans. The initiative is part of the government’s $40 billion Coronavirus SME Loan Guarantee Scheme, which kicked off just before the Easter weekend. Because the government…