KY Partners

19/07/2026

Fuel prices vary dramatically, but it's not price gouging say service station owners Top business news for you selected by KY

While oil and wholesale fuel prices have been at two-decade lows, pump prices have not come down so quickly or consistently across the country. But service station owners say they too are struggling to survive the COVID-19 downturn.

18/07/2026

Analysis: Married women with kids are victims of a complicated tax system Top business news for you selected by KY

A future tax review could consider incentives that may encourage women to return to work and boost our economy.

17/07/2026

Millennials make up a big slice of the mortgage broker market

By Gerv Tacadena

When it comes to borrowing for their home purchases, nearly half of all Millennials went through a mortgage broker, making them the largest customer group currently in the market.

A new research by Roy Morgan showed that over the past twelve months to March 2018, millennials – defined as people born between 1976 and 1990 – comprised 48.6% of existing home borrowers who used a mortgage broker.

Members of Generation X, who were born between the years 1961 and 1975, accounted for 38.8% of those who consulted a mortgage broker for their home loans.

The research found that 42.5% of millennials with a five-year home loan used a mortgage broker. Roy Morgan industry communications director Norman Morris explained that this could be due to several factors.

"These include the fact that this generation has grown up at a time when mortgage brokers were always there and so that they are seen as a very familiar way of acquiring a home loan," Morris said.

Another potential reason for these millennials to seek the help of brokers is to get a better interest rate.

In contrast, older generations may be less likely to go through the process with a mortgage broker. Only 37% of Gen Xers and 27.6% of Baby Boomers did consult a broker while the rest went straight to the lending institution.

17/07/2026

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.

- Napoleon Bonaparte

"Impossible is a word to be found only in..." - Napoleon Bonaparte quotes from BrainyQuote.com

17/07/2026

Wall Street rebounds on tech gains, US to borrow a record $3 trillion Top business news for you selected by KY

Australian shares rise, Qantas secures extra funding to get through the coronavirus crisis and US markets edge higher led by Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

16/07/2026

Mortgage offset accounts: Making your loan work for you

Savvy borrowers have an endgame in sight before they even apply for a home loan, and with the right mortgage offset account, they could win that game even more quickly.

Home buyers usually focus on the here and now, not the distant future. Rather than the size of their loan balance in 10 or 20 years, they are more likely to think about how much they can borrow and the kind of house they can afford.

But smart borrowers know the future matters. The years roll around and it’s always better to pay off a mortgage before its term and pay less interest to the bank.

The good news is that if a mortgage offset account is right for a borrower, it can help them do just that. An offset account can make them a match for their mortgage.

What is a mortgage offset account?

A mortgage account with 100 per cent offset is a fully featured transaction account that sits alongside a home loan. In many ways it acts just like a regular bank account.

However, along with the usual facilities, like ATM access and direct debit, there’s another significant advantage: Any money sitting in the offset account reduces the amount that the bank calculates interest payments against.

That’s right. The loan principal is reduced for the purposes of interest calculation by the amount of money in the offset account, without increasing the repayment amount.

How does an offset account work?

An example may make it easier to understand how an offset account works. If a home buyer has a principal of $350,000 outstanding on their mortgage and also has $10,000 in a linked 100 per cent offset account, the bank will only charge them interest on $340,000.

The money they save in interest goes straight into paying down their loan principal, which has the effect of reducing the interest paid over the life of the loan, as well as the overall loan term. Less money paid off faster.

When borrowers realise that banks calculate interest on mortgages daily, offset accounts can be used proactively. For example, getting salary paid into an offset account means the loan principal is in effect reduced by that amount as soon as it is paid.

Savvy borrowers may even choose to use interest-free days on their credit cards to pay for goods and services, so they can keep cash in their offset accounts working for them.

How can my mortgage broker help?

Mortgage brokers help borrowers apply for and secure appropriate home loans every day, and many will have an accompanying offset account. They will usually compare a range of competitive products, and look at loan features like offset accounts so borrowers can make informed decisions.

Anyone with a mortgage can choose to have a linked offset account, although it will depend on the loan type and institution. It’s always best to check the offset is 100 per cent.

It’s important to know that offset accounts are usually included as part of fully featured home loans, which might mean you pay more in fees or a higher interest rate. So discussing your financial circumstances with a broker could be a smart first step.

Game, offset, match

Borrowers who are serious about winning the mortgage game need to be aware that having a mortgage offset account could offer them an edge in the long term.

In any sport, a match isn’t won instantly. Points are accumulated over time. With the points scored daily by an offset account, it can be game, offset and match.

For more information contact your broker today.

- YOUR LOAN HUB

16/07/2026

Ability is nothing without opportunity.

- Napoleon Bonaparte

"Ability is nothing without opportunity." - Napoleon Bonaparte quotes from BrainyQuote.com

16/07/2026

ASX rises as Qantas rallies, Wall Street rebounds on tech gains Top business news for you selected by KY

Australian shares rise, Qantas secures extra funding to get through the coronavirus crisis and US markets edge higher led by Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

15/07/2026

More than meets the eye – white-label loans are more than a good price

For those unfamiliar, a white-label loan is essentially a home-branded loan. Just like your favourite home-branded products you see in supermarket aisles there is more than meets the eye – the white-label loan is more than its competitive price tag. White-label products are high quality and are developed by leading lenders – they are just packaged differently and therefore available at a sharper rate.

White-label loans are exclusively available through mortgage brokers and have rapidly grown in popularity over the past few years. So much so that over 85% of brokers now have a white-label offering for their clients. And, as brokers and customers both demand more from white-label, the products have evolved to be about much more than price, to also focus on flexibility, service and quality.

Flexibility

There is a range of choice in white-label – you can get variable, fixed or combo rate loans. They are particularly suitable for home-buyers looking for a simple, straightforward product as through white-label you can have access to the loan features you need (like redraw, debit card access and a customer care facility) and you don’t have to pay for bells and whistles you won’t use.

Service

In addition, service is increasingly becoming a differentiator for white-label. Sourcing a home-loan can be the biggest financial decision a person ever makes and understandably then, customers demand support from their brokers and rely on them as trusted advisers to guide them through the process.

A common misconception is that because the loan’s rate is more competitive, it does not come with the same level of support. Through a white-label loan, brokers can still access dedicated support teams – and ultimately give their customers quick responses to their queries and every chance of first touch unconditional approval.

Quality

Essentially, white-label delivers many of the same great features as bank-branded home loans, but for a lower cost to the customer. The quality remains the same, and the growing popularity of white-label is evidence that consumers are tapping into the opportunity and high-value of this product.

If you’re not sure if white-label is right for you, your mortgage broker can help you with this important decision. Because brokers have access to a myriad of loans from a range of different lenders – you can receive independent, unbiased advice based on their expertise and experience in the industry.

15/07/2026

But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.

- Ernest Hemingway