First Home Savings Account

The first home savers account is a government scheme introduced to encourage first home buyers to save, and help get into the property market.  To be eligible for the scheme you must:

You can save money faster by depositing money from your pre-tax earnings into this account, and the Government will also contribute 17 per cent on the first $5,000 of individual contributions made each year.

The savings are capped at $75,000 but the upfront contribution of $1,000 has now been removed.

Government contributions are tax free and any interest earned is only taxed at 15%, which is lower than interest tax in other accounts.  More good news, you can still claim the First Home Buyers Grant.

The savings plan is for four years, and you cannot access the funds until then.  The funds will be released tax-free when you use the money to buy your first home.



Found in: Article (782), Section (54)

Queensland First Home Buyers, Lowest in 6 Years

mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} endif--> Number of first home buyers in Queensland has been thinning, which recently recorded its lowest in six years.
Found under: First Home Buyers

Increased Super Benefits and Tax Breaks on the Verge

On the other hand, the government will increase super benefits though savings tax breaks. ... concessions are also made to first home saver accounts which will give the first home buyers a greater chance to save more.

Additional $4000 Grant for First Home Buyers

mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} endif--> The Queensland Government will give an additional $4000 grant to first home buyers in areas outside of south east Queensland.

Demand for home loans Plunges

mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} endif--> Home loan demands have declined for six consecutive months, from October last year to March, due ...

Perth First Home Buyers Market Down

grant, coupled with unrelenting interest rate hikes concludes into the collapse of Western Australia’s first home buyers market.
Found under: First Home Buyers

Bank Fee Income Reaches $12.7B

This income is brought about by rise in charges on loan reprising, home loans, among others. ... re-priced their loan books to account for higher funding costs, the Reserve Bank of Australia's June quarter bulletin, released on Thursday said.
Found under: Banks

Auction Market Slows Down

First home owners do not usually enter the auction market for their first purchase, while majority of the auction market players are upgraders and investors, Bell explicates.

Brisbane and Perth, Most Expensive Homes in Australia

mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} endif--> Brisbane and Perth are the most expensive cities to buy a home in Australia, the Council of Australian Governments Reform Council report shows.

Macarthur Region Now Feels the Effect of Rate Hike

The Macarthur area is where first home buyers find more affordable houses for the past 15 months.
Found under: Home Loans > Affordability

Australian Borrowers Face Greater Risks

Cost of home also soared by 20% in March, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistic.
Found under: Industry

Credit Cards Debts Surpass Mortgage Repayments

Claus says the household finances are in better shape now than they were during the first quarter of this year. ... Savings rates increased noticeably during the financial crisis, one reason is that people are saving because they were fearful they might lose their job," Claus explains.
Found under: Industry

Interest rates on hold - RBA

especially when their actions in curtailing lending for residential development are already harming the new home building recovery,’’ he said.
Found under: Industry > Interest Rates

Credit Unions Gaining Market Share

mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} endif--> One in every ten borrowers are now using a mutual bank for home loan, according to Abacus, the organization representing the Australian mutual sector, which includes the credit ...

NAB Satisfaction Picks Up while Westpac Fall

can be brought by a number of factors like basic banking fees reduction and enhanced home loan pricing.

Focus on Homeloan Weakens Economic Growth

Meanwhile, according to Joseph Healy favoring home lending may mean less credit to allocate to business.