The Savings Tip Jar

Inflation is out, unemployment is down, and an RBA rate hike looks more likely - and that's just the first 10 minutes! This week Dom and Brooke break down a financial news cycle that's been pedalling at lightspeed. Then, savings scribe Bernadette Lunas joins the show to unpack Australia’s most consistent suburbs for property investing. Finally, CommBank senior economist Ashwin Clarke drops...

Raiz CEO Brendan Malone joins Dom and Brooke in the Savings Tip Jar to unpack the findings of the 'Raiz Young Australians Money Reset Report'. If you have any questions, comments, feedback or savings tips you'd like to share, shoot us an email at enquiries@savings.com.au.

This week's Dollar Dialogue features wealth coach Andrew Woodward who discusses a key savings trend to keep in mind for 2026 and explains why he feels the cost of living crisis is set to continue. Andrew also runs us through a money management system that everyday Aussies can implement this year. For an in-depth demonstration of how to use this system, try out Andrew's free mini course:  5...

This week Dom and Brooke discuss the concerning uptick in construction costs, the latest increases to home loan rates and whether term deposits are cool again. Also, savings scribe Harry O'Sullivan joins to discuss his report on how many big bank bonus-rate savings account customers are failing to earn the top rate, which leads our jarheads to question the value of such products and whether th...

Bendigo Bank Chief Economist David Robertson joins Dom in the jar to explain why he feels it's 'too hasty' to expect the RBA to hike the cash rate early this year. David also shares his 2026 forecasts for inflation, the labour market, plus his thoughts on whether AI technology is the solution to Australia's flailing productivity rate.

We're back! But things have changed... After more than three years as co-host, Harrison has hung up the microphone and tipped the last of his savings into the jar. We'll miss him dearly but thankfully we have a new permanent jarhead to take his place alongside Dom, and that's Your Mortgage Editor Brooke Cooper! This first full episode of 2026 sees Brooke and Dom discuss the weaker-than...

Summer Series rolls on. 2026 is set to be a big year for property with many research houses forecasting big gains in values. So, what's a first home buyer to do? Darragh Heard, founder and director of sales and marketing property at Tallpopie, explains to Brooke Cooper the challenges FHBs face now, including construction bottlenecks and actually having a series of good dwellings to choose from...

Summer Series: In depth chats to keep you entertained and informed over the December-January lull where you don't know what day it is. Melbourne remains an enigma in terms of property price performance. Prices are still flat in a lot of areas. Despite interest rate cuts, demand hasn't picked up too much and it remains a balanced market. Victoria is one of the only states broadly on track fulfillin...

Summer series rolls on. In this episode we're talking about Darwin property. Property in the Top End has been a curious success story over the past year or so, neatly coinciding with the introduction of a $50k homeowners grant. On to discuss this and the suburbs to watch in 2026 is Belinda Tennant, the founder of Thrive Property NT. The article about Darwin property here https://www.savings.co...

Summer Series continues on. Let Denise Raward's dulcet tones take you through some of the Gold Coast suburbs to watch in 2026, as marked by property experts. There's a central theme among most: Northern growth corridors. With Denise as a GC local herself, and with Haz growing up there, it's an entertaining one. Read Denise's article with expert picks: https://www.savings.com.au/new...

The first summer series kicks off! These episodes are designed to be more casual in nature over the quiet period. In this episode Brooke and Haz sat down casually to talk about some of the biggest themes and stories of the year. From the RBA cuts to a continued pause, to the ongoing property price rebound, savings account conditions, mortgage rates under 5% - 2025 had a bit of everything. Reach ou...

We speak to savings scribe Harry O'Sullivan on the latest GDP figures and what it all means for the economy and the RBA's rate setting agenda this week. Reach out to us at enquiries@savings.com.au 00:37 - Savings tip 02:38 - GDP overview 04:12 - Household savings ratio 04:50 - GDP per capita 06:38 - Red flags in the economy? 08:01 - Will the RBA change the cash rate in December?

Ever seen some dodgy financial advice floating around on socials, namely TikTok and Instagram? Ever thought they make it seem like it's too easy to buy 50 investment properties and leverage yourself to the hilt? Here to discuss the problem of finfluencers and the dangers of overleverage is Deline Jacovides, financial adviser and founder of Mazi Wealth. She's been busy herself busting those...

Ever seen some dodgy financial advice floating around on socials, namely TikTok and Instagram? Ever thought they make it seem like it's too easy to buy 50 investment properties and leverage yourself to the hilt? Here to discuss the problem of finfluencers and the dangers of overleverage is Deline Jacovides, financial adviser and founder of Mazi Wealth. She's been busy herself busting those...

We had an extended discussion with co-host Brooke Cooper about the recent rule changes in Victoria about agents having to disclose the reserve price a week out from auction, and what that means for the market. Brooke's piece on Victoria's auction news: https://www.savings.com.au/news/victoria-forces-disclosure-of-auction-reserve-prices-in-crackdown-on-underquoting Reach out to us at enquir...

On this week's podcast we're talking about selling your property and the traps to avoid. We've talked about buying properties ad nauseum but not really ever about selling - until now. We've got David Kaity on - property marketing strategist, the founder of Revolutionary Real Estate and author of the book Real Estate Agents Don’t Sell Homes - to discuss how to save on costs when sel...

On this week's podcast we're talking about selling your property and the traps to avoid. We've talked about buying properties ad nauseum but not really ever about selling - until now. We've got David Kaity on - property marketing strategist, the founder of Revolutionary Real Estate and author of the book Real Estate Agents Don’t Sell Homes - to discuss how to save on costs when sel...

We spoke to savings scribe Denise Raward on home loans under 5%. There are a few out there, and Denise keeps a close eye on the market movements. However, most are fixed instead of variable, so you'll need to weigh up if it's worth it to 'lock it in Eddie'. Forgive the echo at the start - it gets better, I promise. Denise's article: https://www.savings.com.au/home-loans/which-h...

The ABS' lending indicators report showed a marked uptick in the level of investment lending, in fact it's at a record high. Credit growth is also at its strongest level in a decade - the last time it was this hot, APRA put the handbrake on investment lending. On to discuss why and how investment lending has grown so hot is Joel Bowman, the senior economist at Domain. He also spoke about t...

The ABS' lending indicators report showed a marked uptick in the level of investment lending, in fact it's at a record high. Credit growth is also at its strongest level in a decade - the last time it was this hot, APRA put the handbrake on investment lending. On to discuss why and how investment lending has grown so hot is Joel Bowman, the senior economist at Domain. He also spoke about t...

We chat to savings scribe Bea Garcia about transitioning from renting to buying a home and how to know you are ready. It comes down to flexibility versus stability. Bea's article here: https://www.infochoice.com.au/home-loans/transitioning-from-renting-to-buying-a-home 00:45 - Savings tip 01:47 - Knowing when you're ready 04:14 - Finance and lifestyle tradeoffs 07:00 - Does it make sense in 2025/2...

This week we're talking housing supply. We've talked about it a few times before, but the recent building approvals data shows a healthy uptick in homes approved for construction, most notably apartments. So, is this a positive sign? Here to discuss all that and more is Shane Garrett, the chief economist at Master Builders Australia. Great chat! 00:50 - Savings tip 02:02 - Uptick in buildi...

This week we're talking housing supply. We've talked about it a few times before, but the recent building approvals data shows a healthy uptick in homes approved for construction, most notably apartments. So, is this a positive sign? Here to discuss all that and more is Shane Garrett, the chief economist at Master Builders Australia. Great chat! And we chat to savings scribe Bea Garcia abo...

We spoke to savings scribe Bernadette Lunas, editor of Your Investment Property Magazine about building approvals, and what that means for the government's construction goals and for investors. Bern and Brett Warren's articles on YIP https://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/expert-insights/brett-warren/why-our-housing-shortage-will-drag-on-for-another-decade https://www.yourinvestmentpropertym...

In this episode we're talking about young people's proclivities to invest with Bryan Wilmot, the CCO of investment platform Stake. We talked about the latest research from the firm, plus his general take on the share market right now. 00:35 - Savings tip 01:15 - Hesitation to invest 02:26 - Attitudes towards investing 04:31 - Inheritocracy 06:13 - Investing returns and stacks 08:40 - Rise...