Entries by IndigoFinance

Our household energy rules

Heating and cooling Close doors to unused rooms Close curtains or window shades Use blankets, electric blankets, wheat bags or hot water bottles instead of heating the room Clean your air conditioner or cooler so it doesn’t take as much energy to run Turn off heating or cooling when you are not home and overnight […]

If you only knew the truth about your interest rate…

At a time of almost constant changes in the finance world – and an absolute overload of information online – it’s easy to see why some consumers are becoming ‘switched off’. A recent study about financial literacy found 36% of respondents didn’t realise if they reduced the length of their loan they would also have […]

10 Steps to successful property investment

Property has been considered a popular path to wealth creation for Australians for many years. It has the potential to generate capital growth (an increase in the value of your asset) as well as rental income. There are also tax advantages associated with negative gearing. However, when buying an investment property it is wise to […]

Energy costs…our greatest financial grief

Average annual electricity bills in Australia hover around $1,600 per state, even hitting as high as almost $2,000 in South Australia. For example, a family of five’s average annual electricity bills can climb to as much as $2,576.28. Our varying Aussie climate coupled with a growing population place increased demand on energy use. Q. How […]

Ease your investment property cashflow burden

Get them NOW – your investment property tax returns on pay day Whether you are a first time property investor or a property portfolio owner, cash flow is critical. There are many ongoing, and sometimes surprising, costs associated with holding investment properties. Numerous unending costs include insurance, body corporate/strata fees, council and water rates, property […]

Changes looming in the Airbnb space

There is no doubt that Australians and visiting tourists have embraced Airbnb accommodation sharing with gusto. In fact, in 2017 there were 5,090,000 Airbnb bookings in Australia. Globally, the company has enabled 260 million check-ins in 191 countries. Airbnb is not just a city sensation In 2017 Airbnb reported that Australia was the only major […]

The Value of Mortgage Broking

As housing affordability continues to challenge home buyers across all income levels and demographics, Australia’s experienced mortgage brokers help to drive choice, competition and valuable services for the Australians who need them most. Mortgage brokers encourage competition between all lenders in the market, which has contributed to a fall in lenders’ net interest margins (NIMs) […]

Start planning NOW for your future lifestyle!

In a recent survey 48% of our respondents told us they have an investment property! That’s music to a finance specialist’s ears – it’s satisfying to hear those people have a financial strategy that could lead to a more comfortable retirement. However, 66% of respondents also said they are worried about not having enough money in […]

Debt got you down?

In January 2018 there were over 16.7 million credit cards in Australia and 70.19% of us have a credit card1. In addition: • Australian households have the fourth highest debt levels in the world after Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway. • The ratio of average household debt to income has almost tripled since 1988 from […]