Ratehacker: Australia’s Top Rates and Credit Cards in July

Ratehacker: Australia’s Top Rates and Credit Cards in July
Contributor: Alison Cheung, RateCity
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The new financial year is unlike any most Australians have experienced before. The pandemic’s still hitting hard and there’s an ongoing recession to get through. Having said that, some of us might be able to take advantage of the resulting low cash rates to sort out our finances.

It’s been around a month since Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed that the country had gone into a recession. Since then, the Reserve Bank of Australia has continued its plan to retain the cash rate at 0.25 per cent until the country moves closer towards full employment and inflation.

Generally, this record-low rate is good news for those with loans or others intending to take out credit. However, people who relying on interest for their income are heavily missing out.

With the new fiscal year starting in an uncertain economy, planning ahead and protecting your finances could be a timely move.

Home loans

With the home loan interest rate war at full throttle, rates are plunging to unprecedented levels. Owner-occupiers in Tasmania are able to access interest rates below 2 per cent. Those residing elsewhere can also expect to see plenty of interest rates starting with a the 2 per cent mark.

If you’re looking to buy property in a softening market, or take advantage of low interest rates by refinancing, here are some of the lowest interest rates for owner-occupiers and investors on the RateCity database.

Owner-occupier home loans</h3

Note: data accurate as at July 9, 2020.

Investor home loans

Note: data accurate as at July 9, 2020.

Personal loans

Many people prefer to pay down debt and refrain from taking out further credit in uncertain times. But a personal loan may be an option to consolidate existing debt. For others who are fortunate enough to be less affected by COVID-19, major plans that may have been delayed, such as a home renovation or further education, could possibly be back on the cards with more time spent at home.

Note: data accurate as at July 9, 2020.

Credit cards

Credit card debt may seem to be a problem that keeps coming back for some people. If this is you, perhaps it’s a good time to review your credit card purchase rate and annual fees. While the average credit card rate on RateCity is 16.65 per cent, there are lower rate options out there for those concerned about their credit card debt.

If you’re fed up with paying fees, you could consider switching to a credit card with a zero or very low annual fees. There are 30 credit cards on RateCity’s database that charge no annual fees, with others averaging at $132.60 as of June 30.

Note: data accurate as at July 9, 2020.

 

Disclaimer: This article contains general information only and is not intended to be used as personal advice.


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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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