Ratehacker: August’s Best Credit Card, Bank And Home Loan Deals

In our monthly Ratehacker round-up, Jeremy Cabral from comparison site finder.com.au highlights recent credit card offer changes, plus the best savings accounts and home loans.

Money picture from Shutterstock

Last week the Reserve Bank elected to keep the official cash rate at 2.0%. That lack of movement means you’ll have to work harder to find the best money deals, but there are still good options to be had.

Credit Cards

Feature: Low purchase rate and no annual fee

ME frank Credit Card: 9.99% per annum interest rate on purchases and cash advances This card has a $0 annual fee. You can enjoy up to 55 days interest-free if you pay the balance in full each month.

Feature: 0 percent balance transfer

Westpac Low Rate Credit Card: 0% per annum on balance transfers for 20 months You’ll pay a 2.5% balance transfer fee, but after that you have 20 months at 0%. This offer is exclusive to finder.com.au and closes on 30 September 2015.

Feature: Bonus Qantas Frequent Flyer points

HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card: 40,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points if you sign up before October 31 2105 You’ll also earn 1 point for every dollar spent in Australia, 2 points for every dollar spent overseas and receive 2 free Qantas Club lounge invitations.

Home Loans

Recent regulatory changes mean that if you’re looking for an investment loan, your options are now a little more restricted.

Feature: Variable rate home loan

Mortgage House Pure and Simple Home Loan: 3.99% per annum and zero fees There are no application or ongoing fees, and you can make additional repayments whenever you wish.

Feature: Refinancing loan

IMB Essentials Home Loan: 4.17% per annum variable rate This loans features no application or monthly fees, a 100% offset account and a a life-of-loan discount off the standard variable interest rate

Feature: Fixed rate home loan

Greater Building Society Ultimate Fixed Rate Home Loan: 3.69% fixed rate locked in for one year This loan has a minimum value of $300,000 and is only available in NSW or Queensland.

Personal Loans

Feature: Low interest rate personal loan

CUA Fixed Rate Personal Loan: 11.99% per annum interest rate on up to $50,000 There’s no monthly service fee for this loan, though you will pay a $120 application fee.

Feature: Fixed rate new car loan

Beyond Bank Low Rate Car Loan: 6.74% per annum fixed rate There’s no penalty for early repayment with this loan, and you can borrow up to 100% of the vehicle’s value.

Travel Insurance

Feature: Policy discount

InsureandGo Travel Insurance: 10% discounts on your travel insurance This exclusive finder.com.au offers gives you 10% off any travel insurance with InsureandGo.

Life Insurance

Feature: No premiums for 12 months

Freedom Final Expenses Insurance: No premiums for first 12 months No, that isn’t a typo — get approved for Freedom Final Expenses Insurance, designed to cover funeral and associated costs, and you won’t pay any premiums for the first 12 months.

Savings Accounts

Feature: High maximum variable interest rate

ING Direct Savings Maximiser: 3.50% per annum when you deposit $1000 or more each month Deposit your salary into this account each month to score an additional 1.25% per annum interest on top of the base 2.25% rate.

Feature: Teenage saving account

Bankwest Hero Saver: 3.25% per annum interest rate Available to anyone aged 12 or over, you’ll qualify for the 3.25% rate if you deposit at least $200 each month and make no withdrawals.

Transaction Accounts

Feature: Free ATM withdrawals and no international fees

Citibank Plus Everyday Account: Access at 3000 ATMs in Australia and no overseas fees In Australia, you can use any Westpac, St George or BankSA ATM for free. Citibank doesn’t charge for withdrawals at overseas ATMS either, and you can transfer money internationally fee-free.

Jeremy Cabral is the Publisher at finder.com.au and finder.com which includes comparisons for credit cards, tools to find savings accounts, insurance and a constantly updated database of discounts and coupon codes. Connect with Jeremy on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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