| RBA Fee Data Reveals a Shift in Australia’s Personal Loan Market Thu, 25 Jun: The latest Reserve Bank update on bank fees has provided a useful signal for Australians weighing up personal loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing. While bank fee revenue from households rose by 7 per cent over the year to June 2025, fee revenue from personal loans moved the other way, falling by 19 per cent. That contrast matters because borrowing demand and the actual cost structure of loans do not always move in the same direction. - read more
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| Car finance warning: ASIC puts lenders on notice Thu, 25 Jun: ASIC’s latest review of motor vehicle finance is a timely reminder that the cheapest-looking car loan is not always the safest or most affordable. Released on 24 June 2026, the regulator’s findings raise concerns about high total loan costs, weak oversight of third-party distributors and sales practices that can leave borrowers carrying debt long after the car has lost value or been repossessed. - read more
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| Fuel Excise Relief Tapers: What Caravan Buyers Should Budget For Thu, 25 Jun: Australia’s temporary fuel tax relief is being wound back, and caravan owners are likely to feel the change quickly at the bowser. From 1 July 2026, the current fuel excise relief will continue at a smaller 16 cents per litre reduction until 2 August 2026, rather than the larger short-term discount that has helped soften petrol and diesel prices in recent months. - read more
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| Non-Bank Lenders Now Play a Bigger Role in Australian Car Finance Thu, 25 Jun: A new Australian Finance Industry Association report, released on 5 June 2026, highlights how important non-bank lenders have become in the vehicle finance market. According to the report, motor finance non-bank lenders helped 507,000 consumer and commercial customers buy vehicles in 2025, providing $24.4 billion in loans. By the end of that year, their active loan books were worth $53 billion. - read more
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| What the 2026 Car Loan Awards Mean for Australian Buyers Thu, 25 Jun: The latest 2026 personal and car loan awards from Mozo point to a clear message for Australian motorists: the lowest-cost car finance may not come from the lender you already bank with. The awards assessed hundreds of personal and vehicle loan products across dozens of lenders, with categories covering new car loans, used car loans, secured personal loans, excellent-credit borrowers and green car finance. - read more
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| Alleged $10m Housing Fraud Puts Investor Checks Back in Focus Thu, 25 Jun: ASIC’s latest criminal case against Gold Coast property developer David McWilliams is a timely reminder that attractive investment themes do not remove the need for careful due diligence. The matter, now before the courts, centres on allegations that more than $10 million raised for specialist disability accommodation projects was used for unrelated purposes, including high-risk investments, property purchases, cryptocurrency and luxury spending. - read more
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| New Draft Insurance Code Puts Motor Claim Delays in Focus Thu, 25 Jun: Australia’s general insurance sector is facing a proposed step-up in accountability, with the Insurance Council of Australia opening consultation on a new draft General Insurance Code of Practice on 24 June 2026. For truck owners, small fleet operators and transport businesses, the most relevant shift is not just the wording of the code, but the possibility that parts of it could become contractually enforceable for the first time, subject to ASIC approval. - read more
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| Why the Lowest Car Loan Rate May Not Be the Best Deal Thu, 25 Jun: Australian car buyers heading into the final week of June are seeing a competitive loan market, but the latest rate tables also show why the cheapest headline offer is not always the best finance choice. Current comparison data places some car loan comparison rates from around 5.66% p.a. for eligible borrowers, while green and electric vehicle finance remains close behind, with selected offers beginning around 5.69% p.a. - read more
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| Income Protection Demand Rises as Australians Revisit Personal Cover Wed, 24 Jun: New market data points to a meaningful lift in Australians taking out individual income protection insurance, suggesting more households are reassessing how they would manage financially if illness or injury interrupted their pay. - read more
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| RBA Rate Pause Offers Relief, But Borrowers Still Need a Plan Wed, 24 Jun: Australian mortgage holders have received a welcome pause after the Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35 per cent on 16 June 2026. After three consecutive increases earlier this year, the decision gives households a short period of repayment stability and lenders time to assess how higher rates are flowing through the economy. - read more
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| Claims Delays Put Life Insurance Service Standards in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: A recent sanction against an unnamed life insurer has put claims handling back under the spotlight, particularly for Australians who rely on personal insurance as a financial safety net. The Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee found that the insurer failed to request required information from claimants at the earliest available opportunity, contributing to significant delays for some customers waiting on claim decisions. - read more
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| Draft Insurance Code Puts Claims Standards Back in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: The Insurance Council of Australia has released a draft General Insurance Code of Practice for feedback, marking a significant step in the industry’s push to strengthen customer protections. Released on 24 June 2026, the draft is open for consultation until 21 July 2026 and is designed to make key obligations legally enforceable through insurance contracts. - read more
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| New Crane Cover Highlights the Insurance Gap for High-Risk Trades Wed, 24 Jun: A new specialist insurance product for Australian crane and rigging operators is a timely reminder that not every business fits neatly into a standard policy box. ARTes Specialty, working with wholesale provider Mobius Insurance, has launched an integrated crane and rigging policy for the local market, adding to its earlier Australian offerings for commercial loggers and contractors’ plant and equipment. - read more
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| NSW Budget Puts Insurance Levy Pressure Back on the Table Wed, 24 Jun: The latest NSW Budget has reignited debate over the Emergency Services Levy, with insurance industry concern growing that escalating collection forecasts are strengthening the case for reform. For households and businesses already managing higher premiums, the issue is more than a line item in the state accounts. It goes directly to affordability, underinsurance and whether the cost of funding emergency services is being shared fairly. - read more
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| Life Insurance Claim Delays Put Customer Care in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: A life insurer has been formally warned after serious claims handling failures left some customers waiting months longer than necessary for decisions. The matter, disclosed by the Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee, involved an unnamed insurer that failed to seek information from claimants at the earliest practical opportunity, leading to hundreds of breaches of the Life Insurance Code of Practice. - read more
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| NSW Insurance Levy Pressure Adds to Salon Cost Concerns Wed, 24 Jun: The NSW Budget released on 23 June 2026 has put insurance affordability back in the spotlight, with updated forecasts showing emergency services levy collections are expected to be materially higher than previously projected. For beauty salon owners, skin clinics, nail technicians and mobile beauticians in NSW, the issue is not just a government finance story. - read more
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| A Cooler Property Market Could Help Prepared First Home Buyers Wed, 24 Jun: Australia’s property market appears to be moving into a more cautious phase, and that could matter for first home buyers who have felt crowded out by investors, rising prices and fast-moving auctions. Recent reporting points to weaker buyer demand after higher interest rates, federal tax changes and broader economic uncertainty prompted many purchasers to slow down or pause their search. - read more
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| Life Insurance Demand Strengthens as Businesses Reassess Protection Needs Wed, 24 Jun: New market data reported by Plan For Life points to a notable rebound in parts of Australia’s life insurance sector, with individual lump sum insurance new business rising 6.7% across the 2025 calendar year and individual income protection new business increasing 8.3%. While overall risk new business was lower, that decline was attributed largely to group risk sales returning to more normal levels after earlier periods of heightened activity. - read more
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| New Report Highlights the Cost of Unplanned Business Succession Wed, 24 Jun: A new Business Health research report has put a sharp focus on a familiar but often under-managed risk: what happens to a business if its principal suddenly dies or becomes permanently disabled. While the report is centred on Australian financial advice practices, its message applies broadly to SMEs, partnerships and owner-led companies where enterprise value is closely tied to one or two key people. - read more
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| Claims Delay Sanction Puts Life Insurance Service in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: The Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee has sanctioned an unnamed life insurer after claim handling failures left some customers waiting more than eight months for decisions. The failures occurred between July 2023 and May 2025 and resulted in 358 breaches of the Life Insurance Code of Practice, with the insurer later paying a combined $160,000 in interest to 101 eligible customers affected by the delays. - read more
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| What Acenda’s Workplace Dispute Means for Life Insurance Customers Wed, 24 Jun: Acenda, one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest life insurance groups, is facing fresh scrutiny after the Finance Sector Union raised concerns about a proposed enterprise agreement for staff. The dispute follows a period of major integration after the combination of the former MLC Life Insurance business, Resolution Life Australasia and Asteron Life New Zealand under the Acenda Group. - read more
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| What the Lead Generation Crackdown Could Mean for Life Insurance Shoppers Wed, 24 Jun: Australia’s review of lead generation practices is becoming a significant issue for the life insurance sector, with industry bodies warning that broad restrictions could have unintended consequences for consumers who are actively looking for cover. The debate follows wider concern about harmful financial product marketing, particularly where consumers have been drawn into unsuitable products through call centres, online forms or unclear referral arrangements. - read more
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| Life Insurer Sanctioned After Hundreds of Claim Handling Breaches Wed, 24 Jun: A recent sanction against an unnamed Australian life insurer is a timely reminder that the value of life insurance is tested most clearly at claim time. The Life Code Compliance Committee found the insurer failed to request information from claimants at the earliest appropriate opportunity, contributing to significant delays for people waiting on decisions during already difficult periods. - read more
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| Small Business CGT Carve-Outs May Strengthen Borrowing Confidence Tue, 23 Jun: Australian small businesses and start-ups have gained a clearer view of future tax settings after the federal government announced significant carve-outs to its planned capital gains tax reforms. For business owners considering expansion, succession, acquisition funding or new investment, the changes could help reduce some uncertainty at a time when finance decisions are already being shaped by higher rates, tighter serviceability checks and cautious lender appetite. - read more
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| Payday Super Set to Test Small Business Cash Flow Tue, 23 Jun: Australian small business owners have a tight deadline ahead as Payday Super begins on 1 July 2026, shifting superannuation from a quarterly obligation to a payment made alongside wages. The reform is designed to improve transparency for employees and reduce unpaid super, but it also changes the cash flow rhythm many employers have relied on for years. - read more
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Please Note: If this information affects you or is relevant to your circumstances, seek advice from a licensed professional.
