The Savings Tip Jar

Savings.com.au finance journalist Bernadette Lunas talks us through the ins and outs of using a novated lease to finance an EV. Read Bernadette's guide to novated leases . Send us your thoughts, comments, questions or savings tips to enquiries@savings.com.au

This week Dom and Denise outline the latest movements in the fixed-rate markets for home loans and term deposits, and discuss the dip in oil prices following the announcement of a 2-week ceasefire in Iran. Then, in our Savings Scribe segment, Bernadette Lunas joins us to break down the ins and outs of novated leases, particularly for those considering using them to acquire an EV amid the fuel pric...

Dom and Denise chat to John Arnott, the Director of AMP Bank GO, about the rise of the 'unconditional' savings account. If you have any questions, comments, feedback, or savings tips, send us an email to enquiries@savings.com.au

Australia will have three more RBA rate hikes this year - that's what Westpac's economic eggheads have predicted this week. Such hikes - tipped for May, June and August - would take Australia's cash rate to a post-GFC record high. Meanwhile, the fuel price crisis rolls on, but some relief this week with the halving of the fuel excise to save motorists 26cents/litre at the pump for the...

Savings Scribe Bea Garcia joins to chat all things green car loans. What are they and could they save you money? If you have questions, comments, or feedback, email us at enquires@savings.com.au.

Oil prices are at their highest point since the pandemic and petrol-heads are feeling the pinch. That's why, this week, Dom and Brooke chat with Carma director of buying Pete Willis about the current used car market and the ‘deadline’ facing SUV sellers. If you have questions, comments, or feedback, email us at enquires@savings.com.au.

Oil prices are at their highest point since the pandemic and petrol-heads are feeling the pinch. So, we thought it was time for a bumper car edition (get it?) of the Savings Tip Jar. This week, Dom and Brooke chat with Carma director of buying Pete Willis about the ‘deadline’ facing SUV sellers. And, Savings Scribe Bea Garcia joins to chat all things green car loans. What are they and could they s...

AMP Chief Economist Dr Shane Oliver gives us his take on the RBA's latest rate hike and its impact on households. Plus he explains why government spending is a factor in Australia's inflation problem and highlights an obvious area of spending the government could cut back on. And finish with a bang, we ask him whether he thinks Australia is headed for a recession. If you have questions, co...

The RBA has lifted Australia's cash rate for the second month in a row. But why now? Why smash indebted Aussie households amid the current petrol price panic? Dom and Denise talk to AMP Chief Economist Shane Oliver to find out, as well as ask him some big questions about the influence of federal government spending and areas the government could cut back on, plus whether Australia is headed fo...

Savings Scribe Bernadette Lunas joins to talk about Aussie homeownership rates. Is the Australian Dream still alive? Listen to find out! If you have questions, comments, or feedback, email us at enquires@savings.com.au.

RBA expectations are heating up ahead of the central bank's Tuesday rate decision, with two of the big four banks now putting their money on a March rate hike. But where should you - or shouldn’t you - be putting your money? Australia’s #1 bill buster and consumer finance expert at Zyft, Joel Gibson, joins Brooke and Dom to unpack the latest cost-of-living pressures. With Aussies set to feel a...

RBA expectations are heating up ahead of the central bank's Tuesday rate decision, with two of the big four banks now putting their money on a March rate hike. But where should you - or shouldn’t you - be putting your money? Australia’s #1 bill buster and consumer finance expert at Zyft, Joel Gibson, joins Brooke and Dom to unpack the latest cost-of-living pressures. With Aussies set to feel a...

Savings Scribe Denise Raward breaks down the rumoured changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Give To Gain’ , highlights the importance of sharing knowledge and access to opportunity, including financial advice . With the financial literacy gap still contributing to wider inequalities such as the wage gap, wealth gap, super gap and retirement gap, Dom and Brooke are joined by UniSuper Head of Advice Strategy Annika Bradley to discuss how better...

International Women’s Day is on 8 March , and with this year’s theme being ' Give To Gain ', it’s the perfect time to tackle the financial literacy gap and its impact on other inequities: the wage gap, wealth gap, super gap, and retirement gap. Joining Dom and Brooke is UniSuper Head of Advice Strategy, Annika Bradley , who shares practical ways women (and men) can use financial knowledge...

What would you do if you unexpectedly received a chunk of cash? Your first instinct might not be the best cause of action. That’s according to Bridges Financial Services financial planner Pete Brewster, who joined the Savings Tip Jar podcast the week to talk about what Aussies should do if they suddenly find themselves with a lump sum. Hint: Paying off your mortgage or dumping it into superannuati...

Thinking about turning your home into an investment property? Savings Scribe Bea Garcia breaks down the financial, tax, and lending implications - including the financial and emotional traps that could cost you. Got questions, comments or savings tips? Email us at enquiries@savings.com.au

What sparked Australia’s refinancing surge in 2025? Australian Banking Association CEO Simon Birmingham joins the Savings Tip Jar podcast to unpack why so many mortgage borrowers jumped ship, and what it signals for the market today. We also cover:🏦 Bonus savings account interest rates 🔀 Brokers vs direct‑to‑bank lending📈 What’s happening with investor lendingGot questions, comments or savings...

Australian Banking Association CEO Simon Birmingham joins the Savings Tip Jar to break down a ripper year for home loan refinancing. What drove mortgage-holders to refinance in droves in 2025? He also covers the latest in the banking world - bonus savings rates, brokers vs. direct-to-bank lending, and investor lending trends. Plus: Savings Scribe Bea Garcia unpacks the key steps for transitioning...

Is the solution to Australia’s housing crisis a flat‑pack home from Bunnings? The retail giant is now selling pre‑fabricated modular houses, and Custodian managing director James Fitzgerald is here to break down what it could mean for homeowners and the nation. We cover:🏠 How pre-fab homes can add value to a property💰 What they cost (and what they might cost in the future)📉 The potential tax im...

It turns out love might care more about budgeting than bouquets. New research from ING shows 1.5 million Aussies have ghosted a potential partner after discovering their financial values didn’t match. ING head of consumer & market insights Matt Bowen joins Brooke and Dom to unpack why money habits matter so much in modern dating, what Aussies really think about financial compatibility, and the...

Cool housing solutions, financially hot dates, and a swathe of financial news : It’s a dual-expert episode of the Savings Tip Jar podcast. This week, Custodian managing director James Fitzgerald joins us to unpack the rise of modular homes, a low-cost housing solution now stocked by retail giant Bunnings. Then, ahead of Valentine’s Day, new research reveals 1.5 million Aussies have ghosted a poten...

The RBA has delivered its first rate hike of the cycle, but why now, and what happens next? Dom and Brooke sit down with Savings.com.au journalist Harry O’Sullivan - our resident Savings Scribe and unofficial 'chief economist' - to break down the Reserve Bank’s latest move. With a background in economics, Harry walks us through what drove the RBA’s decision, what it signals about the path...

It’s official : the Reserve Bank of Australia has hiked the cash rate for the first time since 2023, bringing the 2025 cutting cycle to an abrupt end. Dom and Brooke are joined by Savings.com.au 'chief economist' Harry O’Sullivan, who breaks down all punters need to know about the decision and what to expect next. Plus, house prices and the Aussie dollar are both on the up. And finally, Ra...

In this week's Dollar Dialog, CommBank senior economist Ashwin Clarke breaks down one of Australia’s most overlooked - yet integral - data points: the Household Saving Ratio. If you have questions, comments, feedback or savings tips, email us at enquires@savings.com.au.