Debt
Debt
Cassandras poised as debt sales surge
Harry Wilson Sales of high-yield debt – or, as they were once known, junk bonds – have exploded this year, raising fears that the world is setting itself up for another crash.
Debt agreements rise to avoid bankruptcy
Nearly 50,000 people have used debt agreements in the past five years, resulting in a 20 per cent decline in bankruptcies, according to new figures.
Christmas debt looms as gift that keeps on giving
Almost a third of Australians admit to feeling pressured to spend more than they can afford, a survey says.
Home borrowers paying debt off faster
Peter Trute Bank customers are taking advantage of rate cuts to pay off their mortgages faster, rather than reducing their repayments, Commonwealth Bank chief says.
Plastic debt swells to record $50 billion
Clancy Yeates Australian credit card debt has struck a new record high of $50 billion, ballooning by almost a third in the past five years.
In shadow of debt, debit reigns
Peter Martin We are abandoning credit cards but embracing plastic as never before.
A stronger hand needed to stop debt traps
Annette Sampson If there was ever any doubt that a big regulatory stick needs to be taken to the pay-day lending industry, it was well and truly quelched by a recent landmark decision in the Queensland Civil and...
SUPER
Gearing up for a long investment haul
John Collett With interest rates at record lows does it make sense to borrow to invest?
Lending
Margin loans rise but risk still off table
Clancy Yeates Margin lending is growing for the first time since the stimulus-induced sharemarket surge of 2009, as investors seek to capitalise on record low interest rates and rising stock prices.
Microfinance
Handy little Helper
Christine Long Without the security of a house, Tim de Wal had little chance of getting a business loan from a bank.
Property
Exposure to housing could come back to bite us
Leith van Onselen The inexorable rise of prices during the past two decades has caused many to argue that Australian housing is overvalued.
No credit given once relationship soured
Penny Pryor When recently separated Jan Bradley applied for a personal loan for what she believed was a relatively small amount of $10,000 at her bank earlier this year, she was shocked and dismayed at the way...
Blessed are the savers
Nina Hendy Borrowing money for the fun things in life can come back to haunt you.
Rates that should pique your interest
Potts Spot The Reserve Bank may have reached the end of the line for rate cuts, but lenders are going their own way.
Insight
When locking it in is a loaded question
Clancy Yeates It's easy to see why many people might be wondering if now is a good time to fix their mortgage. Average fixed rates are at the lowest level on record.
CREDIT-CARD DEBT
Plot a path to turn red into black
Christine Long Sticking to a straightforward strategy is the key to defeating credit-card debt.
PROPERTY
Quietly getting our houses in order
David Potts The way the sharemarket rally hogs the headlines, you would think property wasn't doing anything.
Closed due to loss of trust
John Collett Australian Unity Investments, once one of the biggest players in the troubled mortgage fund sector, is terminating its remaining mortgage fund after concluding that it is unlikely to regain the...
Big four banks moving to out-deal mortgage brokers
Eric Johnston The four major banks rely less on mortgage brokers in an aim to push borrowers into fixed loans.
Interest rate cuts spur activity
Chris Zappone Mortgage market shows signs of life, with home loans increasing more than expected.
