The Savings Tip Jar

We spoke to resident finance journalist Harry O'Sullivan on the first two months of Trump's presidency, what the steel tariff means for Australia, if it means 'recession', what it could mean for other sectors, and what it means for finances and shares domestically. 00:00-01:03 - Intro 01:03-02:30 - Harry's Savings Tip - Time is Money 02:30-04:07 - Reviewing Trump's tariff on Aussie steel 04:07-06:01 - The 'R' word - Recession 06:01-07:45 - More on the recession talk 07:45-09:58 - Where this will end up 09:58-11:48 - Reflecting on Harry's thoughts in November 11:48-12:48 - Share markets and super 12:48-14:55 - Impact on RBA monetary policy 14:55-15:13 - Outro

Amidst all this talk about the cost of living crunch, there's one overlooked 'hack' that could save people over $5k. It's salary packaging, or salary sacrificing. The savings aren't explicit, but you do save on tax. Many people know they can salary sacrifice super contributions, but did you know with some workplaces you can also do it for your petrol, transport, groceries, your mortgage, and your car? Some professions can sacrifice around $16k. Here to chat about that is Mike from Smart Salary Packaging, which works with companies to deliver their packaging schemes. He discussed the benefits, as well as probably the hottest topic - novated leasing, and if it's worth it. Great insightful chat! 00:00-00:43 - Intro 00:43-01:49 - Mike's Savings Tip 01:49-02:43 - Why aren't more people salary packaging? 02:43-04:44 - Benefits of salary packaging 04:44-07:08 - Educating workplaces on salary packaging 07:08-08:15 - Why not for profits get a bigger sacrifice 08:15-09:30 - Intro to novated leases 09:30-12:29 - Novated leasing benefits 12:29-13:23 - No GST on novated leasing cars 13:23-14:21 - Outro

Amidst all this talk about the cost of living crunch, there's one overlooked 'hack' that could save people over $5k. It's salary packaging, or salary sacrificing. The savings aren't explicit, but you do save on tax. Many people know they can salary sacrifice super contributions, but did you know with some workplaces you can also do it for your petrol, transport, groceries, your mortgage, and your car? Some professions can sacrifice around $16k. Here to chat about that is Mike from Smart Salary Packaging, which works with companies to deliver their packaging schemes. He discussed the benefits, as well as probably the hottest topic - novated leasing, and if it's worth it. Great insightful chat! Plus we spoke to resident finance journalist Harry O'Sullivan on the first two months of Trump's presidency, what the steel tariff means for Australia, if it means 'recession', what it could mean for other sectors, and what it means for finances and shares domestically. And all the latest news and savings tips of course. 00:00-01:50 - Intro 01:50-05:50 - Savings Tips - Enter Competitions & $69 Dreamworld Annual Pass 05:50-08:54 - Rabobank cuts savings rates again 08:54-13:25 - Super for housing could boost house prices by 10% 13:25-17:48 - New $4k cashback offer from Police Bank 17:48-32:54 - Trump's first two months as president, reviewed by Harry O'Sullivan 32:54-46:57 - The benefits of salary sacrificing, with Smart's Mike Daley 46:57-48:13 - Outro

This week we spoke to InfoChoice finance journalist Bernadette Lunas on which generation REALLY had it harder when buying a home. We've looked at the data to help you settle your debate with your uncle who's four beers deep at the barbecue! It essentially boils down to high entry price vs high interest rates, plus a few other factors such as: Joint incomes; homebuyer support; home ownership rates and more. Put down those tongs and tear into Uncle John! 00:00-00:58 - Intro 00:58-03:20 - Bern's Savings Tip: Cook at Home 03:20-05:25 - Interest Rates vs High Prices 05:25-10:05 - Changing Household Dynamics 10:05-11:07 - Is the next generation stuffed? 11:07-12:08 - Outro

This week we spoke to Jo Agresta, the co-founder of property app Abodey. Abodey aims to take the time and guess work out of property hunts, marrying up suitable properties with the buyer's profile. New research from the app also suggests 50% of homebuyers have buyers' remorse in some respects, with that figure jumping to 80% in some areas and in some situations. Jo joined us to unpack all that, as well as share some sage property hunting advice with Dom and Haz. 00:00-00:47 - Intro 00:47-02:10 - Jo's Savings Tip: Lock your savings away 02:10-03:29 - A bit about Abodey 03:29-05:52 - Talking about 'buygret' 05:52-07:00 - What's driving buygret 07:00-09:43 - Natural levels of buyers remorse 09:43-12:59 - Auction regrets, a case study 12:59-14:44 - Off-market properties 14:44-17:10 - Final tips 17:10-18:17 - Outro

This week we spoke to Jo Agresta, the co-founder of property app Abodey. Abodey aims to take the time and guess work out of property hunts, marrying up suitable properties with the buyer's profile. New research from the app also suggests 50% of homebuyers have buyers' remorse in some respects, with that figure jumping to 80% in some areas and in some situations. Jo joined us to unpack all that, as well as share some sage property hunting advice with Dom and Haz. Plus we chatted to resident finance journalist Bernadette Lunas on who REALLY had it harder when buying a home - Boomers, Gen X, Millennials or Gen Z. An interesting talk! And all the latest news and savings tips of course. 00:00-01:56 - Intro 01:56-04:49 - Savings Tips: Cheap Décor at TK Maxx; Cheaper Kayo Through AFL Membership 04:49-08:36 - Per capita recession over? 08:36-12:33 - Grants on offer for those flood/cyclone affected 12:33-15:43 - Total value of dwellings over $11 trillion! 15:43-27:47 - Boomers vs Millennials Home Buying Debate, with Bernadette Lunas 27:47-45:42 - How to win at auctions and avoid regret with Jo Agresta from Abodey 45:42-46:59 - Outro

Joining us for his very first spotlight segment is Alexi Falson, a motoring journalist from group sister websites carloans.com.au and Performance Drive. He's been with us for a few years now but only now has he hopped on the podcast. His topic of choice was depreciation, and how to avoid it. It's a big killer, with many cars losing a third of their value in as little as three years. Plus he gives us an electric vehicle market update, and shares two savings tips. 00:00-01:05 - Intro 01:05-03:51 - Alexi's Savings Tips - avoiding impulse purchases, and look at demo vehicles 03:51-04:23 - The brand with the least depreciation 04:23-06:07 - The post-Covid car market 06:07-07:13 - How much cars lose in depreciation 07:13-08:26 - Why people should care about depreciation 08:26-10:42 - How to stop your car from depreciating so much 10:42-12:43 - EV market update 12:43-14:21 - What to do about batteries on used EVs 14:21-14:33 - Outro

This week we had Elsa on to discuss the all important topic of credit scores. She told us it's not necessarily the score that matters but what's in the report. You can download them for free once a quarter from the likes of illion, Experian, and Equifax and in it you'll see not just credit items but also interesting things like your phone plans, energy, internet and so on. Elsa said it's important to look at it every so often because if there's a discrepancy or a fraud, it could affect your ability to get credit in the future. So, raise those flags ASAP! 00:00-00:45 - Intro 00:45-01:05 - Elsa's Savings Tip - don't forget happiness 01:05-03:57 - Credit Score vs Credit Report 03:57-05:32 - What matters on your report 05:32-06:48 - How long stuff stays on your report 06:48-08:08 - Are Aussies becoming more financially savvy 08:08-09:35 - Taking out credit to build a profile - fact or fiction 09:35-11:09 - Home loan approvals, how they factor in 11:09-13:09 - How to dispute a discrepancy 13:09-15:07 - Final tips 15:07-15:59 - Outro

This week we had Elsa on to discuss the all important topic of credit scores. She told us it's not necessarily the score that matters but what's in the report. You can download them for free once a quarter from the likes of illion, Experian, and Equifax and in it you'll see not just credit items but also interesting things like your phone plans, energy, internet and so on. Elsa said it's important to look at it every so often because if there's a discrepancy or a fraud, it could affect your ability to get credit in the future. So, raise those flags ASAP! We also spoke to Alexi Falson, resident motoring journalist on the importance of depreciation, as well as a market update on electric vehicles. Plus all the latest news and savings tips of course. 00:00-01:54 - Intro 01:54-06:20 - Savings Tips - Reconsider Fine Dining, and Cashback Debit Cards 06:20-09:42 - Property prices bounce in February 09:42-12:20 - ING cuts savings rate by only 10bps but there's a catch 12:20-15:38 - Virgin Money not passing on rate cut to home loan customers 15:38-30:08 - Which cars depreciate the least? With Alexi Falson 30:08-45:51 - The importance of credit reporting, with Elsa Markula 45:51-47:05 - Outro

Matt Bowen, head of consumer and market insights at ING, jumped on the podcast this week to talk about the latest findings from the bank that found more than two thirds of mortgage holders are planning to keep their repayment the same. This is despite the cash rate cut potentially unlocking $1200 a year in savings.00:00-00:37 - Intro 00:37-02:39 - Matt's Savings Tip - review your subscriptions 02:39-03:43 - How mortgage holders are responding to the RBA cut 03:43-04:59 - Are people spending the savings? 04:59-06:36 - Are repayments automatically lowered? 06:36-07:58 - Super top ups 07:58-09:09 - Will the RBA be pleased 09:09-10:25 - How Matt's responding personally 10:25-11:33 - Outro

Matt Bowen, head of consumer and market insights at ING, jumped on the podcast this week to talk about the latest findings from the bank that found more than two thirds of mortgage holders are planning to keep their repayment the same. This is despite the cash rate cut potentially unlocking $1200 a year in savings. Plus we talk to Brooke Cooper, Your Mortgage editor, to discuss her latest piece on the rent to buy conundrum and what would-be homebuyers are better off doing nowadays. And all the latest news and savings tips of course. 00:00-02:40 - Intro 02:24-05:17 - Savings Tips - Warranties & Free Paramount Plus 05:17-09:18 - RBA rate fallout - who's passing on the cuts? 09:18-13:06 - Westpac & NAB's 10 offset accounts 13:06-15:49 - New $4k mortgage cashback offer 15:49-26:09 - Renting vs buying with Brooke Cooper 26:09-36:40 - How people are responding to the cash rate cut, with Matt Bowen 36:40-38:16 - Outro

In her last ever segment for the Savings Tip Jar, Your Investment Property Magazine editor Emma Duffy unpacked the government's decision to ban foreign investment on existing homes for another two years. She says the decision is window dressing, and that they make up a small portion of home buyers, and that more is needed to combat the affordability crisis. 00:00-02:07 - Intro & Emma's Savings Tip 02:07-05:34 - Explaining the context 05:34-08:11 - Land banking ban 08:11-09:19 - Impact on Aussie investors 09:19-11:20 - Emma's thoughts on it 11:20-12:56 - Outlook on property market 12:56-13:40 - Outro

Warren Hogan, chief economic adviser at Judo Bank, isn't one to mince words. This time on the podcast he wasn't happy about the RBA rate cut decision to bring it down to 4.10%. He said they run the risk of looking "pretty stupid" with what he says is a premature rate cut. 00:00-00:26 - Intro 00:26-02:27 - No rationale for rate cut 02:27-04:46 - Geopolitics and Trump talk 04:46-07:01 - 'Sustainable' inflation 07:01-09:11 - Warren's wrong calls 09:11-09:49 - Election talk 09:49-10:14 - Outro

February delivered the first RBA rate cut in more than four years. This provides relief to mortgage holders but Judo Bank economic adviser Warren Hogan said the decision is premature, the RBA has fallen into the politicisation of inflation trap, and that Aussies as a whole are copping high inflation to appease a few. Not one to mince words! Plus we chat to Emma Duffy, the editor of Your Investment Property Magazine on her last ever segment to talk about the foreign investment ban on existing properties. Plus all the latest news and savings tips. 00:00-02.07: Intro 02:07-04:00: Savings Tips - use your neighbours, and discount gift cards 04:00-06:17: RBA cuts cash rate to 4.10% 06:17-08:38: HECS debts now factor less into serviceability 08:38-12:05: The interest rate needed to cause a homebuyer surge 12:05-25:41: Foreign investors banned for two years, with Emma Duffy 25:41-35:38: Unpacking the RBA's cash rate cut with Warren Hogan 35:38-37:29: Outro

This week Denise took us through the ins and outs of green homes, what you need to qualify as 'green', and how to qualify for a green home loan. We also explored the benefits of green home loans, and the lender requirements for them. Plus Denise' savings tip and her personal experience 'going green'!00:00-02:42: Introduction to Green Home Loans 02:42-05:23: Understanding Green Home Loans and Their Benefits 05:23-07:53: Government Initiatives and Financial Support 07:53-10:43: Market Trends and Property Value Implications 10:43-12:15: Personal Experiences and Future Considerations

This week, Angus Taylor was kind enough to jump on and share his vision should his party be elected to govern this year. With an election likely in the next few months, we asked him various questions as to what matters most to Aussies - cost of living is likely to be a huge touchstone among voters. We asked if the 'super for housing' policy is a good idea, what to do to speed up housing supply, and what boosting productivity looks like and if it means some job losses in the public sector. Plus Angus' savings tip.00:00-00:37 - Intro 00:37-01:35 - Angus Taylor's savings tip(s) 01:35-02:49 - What an LNP government would bring to the table 02:49-04:25 - Harmonising government actions and RBA rate rises 04:25-06:20 - Super for housing - a good idea? 06:20-08:35 - How a coalition government would speed up housing supply 08:35-10:43 - Chance of more income tax cuts 10:43-13:19 - What 'cutting red tape' means 13:19-15:12 - Solving the productivity problem 15:12-16:08 - Does productivity come at the expense of job losses? 16:08-17:00 - Outro

This week, Angus Taylor was kind enough to jump on and share his vision should his party be elected to govern this year. With an election likely in the next few months, we asked him various questions as to what matters most to Aussies - cost of living is likely to be a huge touchstone among voters. We asked if the 'super for housing' policy is a good idea, what to do to speed up housing supply, and what boosting productivity looks like and if it means some job losses in the public sector. Plus Angus' savings tip. And we chat to resident finance journalist Denise Raward about the benefits of green home loans. And all the latest news and savings tips. 00:00-02:00 - Intro 02:00-04:43 - Savings Tips: Caryard deals & threaten to cancel Kayo 04:43-06:54 - Lutheran Laypeople is no longer a bank 06:54-09:57 - Grocery price controls in remote areas 09:57-12:50 - Moratorium on branch closures 12:50-24:55 - Green home loan benefits with Denise Raward 24:55-41:11 - Angus Taylor MP, shadow treasurer 41:11-42:32 - Outro

For the first time in 2025, Emma joins us to discuss CoreLogic's latest home value index, plus what investors should watch in 2025. This includes any further regulation with APRA signalling if the housing market gets too hot, it might apply the handbrakes. This could include higher lending standards, or other caps and tomfoolery. This is the second-last time Emma joins us before embarking on a big overseas sojourn/sabbatical, so her savings tip is very handily travel-related.

Damning evidence continues to mount for the slow start to the government's Housing Accord. It wants to build 1.2 million new homes by 2029, and the first six months of the program has been anything but inspiring. Every state and territory lags behind its goal, but some are much worse than others. Here to unpack all that is Matt Kandelaars, a policy and advocacy executive at the Property Council of Australia. 00:00-00:33 - Intro 00:33-02:14 - Matt's Savings Tip 02:14-04:33 - The government is behind on its housing target 04:33-07:38 - Addressing tradie skill shortages 07:38-11:39 - The best and worst performing states 11:39-16:19 - Easing red tape and cutting stamp duty 16:19-18:50 - What each side of politics can do in an election year 18:50-19:59 - Outro

Damning evidence continues to mount for the slow start to the government's Housing Accord. It wants to build 1.2 million new homes by 2029, and the first six months of the program has been anything but inspiring. Every state and territory lags behind its goal, but some are much worse than others. Here to unpack all that is Matt Kandelaars, a policy and advocacy executive at the Property Council of Australia. Plus we have Emma Duffy, the editor of Your Investment Property Magazine on for her first chat of 2025 (and her second-last) to give us an update on the market, and what investors should look out for in 2025. And all the latest news and savings tips! 00:00-02:12 - Intro 02:12-05:50 - Savings Tips: Shop wisely at Costco, and cheap shavers 05:50-09:27 - New savings account from Heartland Bank 09:27-11:46 - NAB cuts fixed home loan rates 11:46-14:35 - People feeling more confident to spend 14:35-23:25 - The latest home values and investor update on 2025, with Emma Duffy 23:25-42:48 - The government's behind on its housing target, with Matt Kandelaars from the Property Council of Australia 42:48-44:08 - Outro