Empower Mortgage & Finance Solutions

19/12/2023

We are thinking of everyone impacted by Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent flooding in Far North Queensland. We thank the extraordinary efforts of all who have been serving our community with rescues, recovery, evacuation centres, donations and clean up! You are absolute heroes! ❤️🙏

We have a collection of women’s hygiene items (sanitary pads, tampons, incontinence pads) as well as baby clothes (newborn to toddler), shoes, baby blankets, books and toys for anyone in our community who is in need. They are all gorgeous little items, clean and dry and ready to wear!

We can deliver anywhere from Babinda to Cairns City, although we prefer to stay off roads to the northern beaches to enable emergency and recovery crews through. However, if you are in the northern beaches and desperate, please let us know and we will coordinate to help get you the assistance you need. Please don’t struggle in silence… our whole community cares about you! For those living on the south side, you are also welcome to collect from our home in Gordonvale, if you prefer.

If anyone is in need of mental health or financial support during this difficult time, please call the numbers below. Thank you to these organisations for assisting individuals and families in their time of need! 🌈

15/12/2023

We recently had the pleasure of facilitating our Financial Literacy & Empowerment Workshop with 100+ seniors from Bentley Park College. It was encouraging to see these students engaged in learning about the real world of finance and participating so wholeheartedly! ☺️👏

Congratulations to the Year 12 Graduates and thank you for your kind words of appreciation and the gorgeous flowers you presented us with. They were unexpected and most appreciated! 💐🙏

Amongst the topics covered, we discussed:
✔️ How to organise and follow a realistic budget
✔️ What a credit report, what function it serves and how to keep your credit score healthy
✔️ Employer superannuation and extra contributions
✔️Mindful purchasing, being aware of instant gratification when buying
✔️ Some of the traps with debt including phone plans, credit cards, personal loans, car finance, subscriptions
✔️ How to safeguard against higher interest rates
✔️ Handy savings habits, the satisfaction that comes when you work hard to achieve a savings goal

If you would like us to attend your school or college to facilitate our workshops in 2024, please get in touch as we would love to support you and your students! We will be sharing our calendar in the New Year. 😃📅

12/12/2023

We have been a bit quiet of late settling loans for our wonderful clients before the Christmas shutdown. We seemed to blink and November had already come and gone! 😅

Before the end of year comes to a close, we would like to thank Jodi Allen, illustrious leader of TradingMate.com.au for the opportunity to share our passion for mental health and finance. We enjoyed facilitating our Mental Wealth: How To Safeguard Your Mind & Your Money Workshop, alongside a fabulous crew of local business owners.

This community event was an excellent opportunity to come together to learn new skills and strategies for protecting our mental wellness and money! 🧠💪💸

Here are our 7 Top Takeaways for Financial Empowerment:

✔️ Have access to your own money and have a bank account in your own name.
✔️ Apply for opportunities to upskill, get promoted or negotiate pay rises. As small business owners, you may choose to pay yourself or reinvest into your company. Be mindful of your options and make informed decisions.
✔️ Know your Credit Score. This can be helpful as you can review your lending history and check for any inaccuracies. (If you are unsure what a Credit Score is, you can scroll back a few posts to see some information we recently shared).
✔️ Stay well informed about your Superannuation. Know how much you have, which fund it is with, how and where it is invested. Understand your current investment strategy.
✔️ Learn your Risk Profile. (If you’re unsure what this is, will be sharing more information about this soon!)
✔️ Ensure you are adequately insured through your Superannuation and understand your policies ie) Death (also known as Life); Income Protection (also known as Salary Continuance); and Total and Permanent Disability (TPD). Check if your Income Protection policy covers you to age 65 years.
✔️ Organise a current Will and Enduring Power of Attorney. Keep a copy of your documents in a safe place which is accessible to people you trust. Inform your loved ones of your wishes.

10/11/2023

REMEMBRANCE DAY

We remember with gratitude all current and former serving members of the Australian Defence Force and Department of Defence civilians who have been deployed and defended our shores. We pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and selflessly gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. “Greater love hath noone than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
We Will Remember Them. Lest We Forget! ❤️🙏

If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who needs support today, Open Arms Veterans and Families Counselling provides a free, confidential service (1800 011 046). You are not alone!

30/10/2023

YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!

Your Mental Wealth matters! As we wrap up the month of October, Mental Health Awareness Month… we are reminded that our mental wellbeing is important ALL year around! Mental health can impact anyone, at any time… and it doesn’t discriminate. It impacts people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and religions, and across all industries, communities, workplaces and schools. While society is getting better at bringing mental health out of the shadows, unfortunately there is still a lot of shame and stigma out there.

If you are struggling with a financial matter, we encourage you to speak with us sooner rather than later. We find that two heads working to solve a problem… is usually better than one! And the earlier we know about any potential problems you may be experiencing, the better, as there is usually more we can do to help. Please don’t suffer alone in silence. We don’t judge and we understand that everyone is doing the very best they can.

27/10/2023

UNDERSTAND YOUR CREDIT SCORE! ☑

When applying for your first home, it is important to understand what a credit score is and how your credit score impacts your loan application. Your credit score is a numerical rating which is determined by your financial history. It considers any historical consumer credit application information, consumer credit application patterns, length of your credit history and current consumer credit application information.

Certain things can negatively impact your credit score, such as:

☑ Applying for multiple loans online or over phone/in person (personal loans, credit cards)
☑ Late or non-payment of household bills (electricity, telephone)
☑ Using free credit score applications readily available online
☑ Letting other people take debt out in your name

We can request your credit report and advise you of your credit score. We can also advise you on how you can improve your credit score.

25/10/2023

Looking forward to sharing some helpful tips and smart strategies at our TradingMate.com.au Mental Wealth In Business workshop this afternoon. There is still time to book yourself a ticket if you are a business owner in Cairns! 😊

October Table Host
Stephanie Russell-Farnham - Empower Mortgage & Finance Solutions

Ready to get set for success with your business journey? Join us next week at the Trading Mate event "Mental Wealth in Business" where we find out more from Stevie on freshening up the way we manage our finances for mental freedom!

"EMPOWER Mortgage & Finance Solutions is committed to helping clients protect their mental wealth! We understand the emotional and financial stressors that can come with running a business and we offer financial literacy workshops, budgeting tips, support with debt consolidation and refinance. We offer diverse services and specifically cater them to meet your business and/or personal lending requirements."

Book your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/tm-oct-2023-mental-wealth-in-business and come and hang out with the TM crew who are all about supporting each other with every aspect of our small business challenges.

Guests - you are very welcome - grab a Visitor ticket to check out what we're all about - or take up the "Joining TM" option, and we'll do the (not-so) hard yards & add your business details onto www.tradingmate.com.au - Australia's Best Value National Online Small Business Directory. This is a full 12 month advertising subscription that includes a bevvy of opportunities, promotions & connections to get the biz ball rolling in the right direction - less than $2 per week - you can't go wrong!!

https://tradingmate.com.au/Blog/ToolboxTalk/3392/stephanie-russell-farnham-empower-mortgage-finance-solutions

24/10/2023

10 THINGS LENDERS CONSIDER WITH YOUR HOME LOAN APPLICATION

If you want to buy your first home and have no idea where to start, we can help you. It is important to understand what lenders require before you submit your home loan application.

Lenders are looking for certain requirements in prospective home owner applications. These include your income, monthly budget, employment history, rental history, credit score, assets, liabilities, dependents, savings and property particulars.

Read the article here: https://bit.ly/40aNIbZ

23/10/2023

ARE YOU LOOKING TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOME? 🏠

With the rising cost of living and the negative press about how hard it is for First Home Buyers to break into the market, you may feel you have no chance of buying a home. Don’t be discouraged as we are here to help. We can review your current financial situation and help you plan how to buy your first home.

Contact us today for a FREE and confidential financial health check to explore your lending options.

19/10/2023

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE TONIGHT!

From all of us at Empower Mortgage & Finance Solutions, we would like to wish all of the finalists good luck tonight at the Cairns Chamber of Commerce BEX Awards for 2023. Remember you are all winners in your own right, so good luck and enjoy the night!