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"For all Commercial, Residential and Equipment Finance needs." Call (08) 89 41 41 41 for a free no-obligation broker service.

Getting the right finance in today’s market is more complex than simply providing a few pay slips and your driver’s licence. Finding the best deal let alone understanding the application process can be a daunting and difficult prospect. Connected Finance Solutions can make it simple and because we are a full service broker firm we can meet your business, commercial and home loan needs. With Managing Director Andrew Carmichael at the helm, our team combines integrity, quality advice and business acumen to help you find the right finance solution. Disclaimer - Your contact information will be collected by Connected Finance Solutions Pty Ltd ATF The Finance Unit Trust and AFG or its subsidiaries and related businesses. AFG can be contacted at www.afgonline.com.au . We use this information to stay in contact and provide our services to you. We may also use your information to offer or provide you with additional products or services, or ask for your feedback. We may not be able to assist you if we do not have your current contact information. We may need to disclose your information to our associates, contractors and service providers, who may be overseas. Our Privacy Policy contains information about how you can access your personal information and request corrections or complain if you are dissatisfied with how we have dealt with your personal information.

15/10/2026

Unemployment reaches 4.7%

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has a difficult balancing act ahead, following the release of the latest unemployment figures.

Australia's unemployment rate reached 4.7% in September, up from 4.6% in August and the highest level in nearly five years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The number of employed Australians fell by 39,300 during September, although full-time employment actually increased by 34,400.

These figures matter because the RBA has two important objectives – keeping inflation under control and supporting full employment.

After four cash rate increases this year, taking the rate to 4.60%, there are signs that higher borrowing costs are weighing on economic activity.

The RBA will now need to consider whether another rate rise is necessary to contain inflation, or whether doing so risks weakening the jobs market further.

The latest data strengthens the case for leaving rates unchanged at its November meeting.

13/10/2026

What's next for interest rates?

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left the door open to further interest rate increases, although another rise is far from guaranteed.

Minutes from its September meeting, when the cash rate was increased to 4.60%, reveal growing concerns about inflation.

The board noted that higher global energy prices, stronger-than-expected domestic inflation and widespread business cost pressures had made it harder to bring inflation back to its 2-3% target range.

However, there are also signs that higher interest rates are working.

Household spending has slowed, property prices have fallen and demand for new housing loans has weakened.

The question now is whether those changes will be enough to bring inflation under control without requiring further rate rises.

The RBA has made it clear that its future decisions will depend on incoming economic data, particularly inflation, employment and consumer demand.

11/10/2026

What does a square metre of property cost?

We normally compare property markets using median prices. But another way to look at value is how much buyers are paying per square metre.

A new PropTrack analysis found the median asking price for Australian houses in August was $1,535 per square metre – up 10.1% year-on-year.

But location makes an enormous difference.

At the top end, houses in Sydney’s Paddington have an asking price of $28,091 per square metre, while units in Barangaroo command an extraordinary $45,534.

Realestate.com.au economist Luc Redman said scarcity helps explain the premium in some expensive locations, with buyers prepared to sacrifice space to live in highly desirable areas.

At the other end of the spectrum, moving further from expensive inner-city locations can give buyers significantly more property for their money.

08/10/2026

Listings jump 21.6% over the year

Australia’s property market has entered spring with considerably more homes available for sale.

SQM Research recorded 276,839 residential listings in September – 2.6% more than in August and 21.6% more than a year earlier.

Some of the biggest annual increases occurred in Brisbane (+43.5%), Adelaide (+39.5%) and Melbourne (+30.3%).

Interestingly, new listings were up a much smaller 8.1% year-on-year. That suggests the increase in total stock isn’t simply because more vendors are listing their homes – properties are also taking longer to sell.

That could be welcome news for buyers. More properties sitting on the market generally means more choice, less pressure to make rushed decisions and greater negotiating power.

06/10/2026

First home buyers save $1.4 billion in LMI

First home buyers who used the expanded 5% Deposit Scheme have collectively avoided an estimated $1.4 billion in lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI) costs over the past year.

That’s according to new federal government figures, which show 102,594 first home buyers have used the scheme since it was expanded on 1 October 2025.

The scheme allows buyers to enter the market with a deposit as small as 5% without paying LMI, which would normally be an additional cost for many borrowers purchasing with less than a 20% deposit.

For someone purchasing the national median-priced home with a 5% deposit, the government estimates the LMI saving at around $23,700.

That doesn’t make buying a first home easy, but it can substantially reduce the upfront hurdle for buyers who qualify.

04/10/2026

House approvals remain strong

The latest building approvals data contains both good and bad news for Australia's future housing supply.

The bad news is total dwelling approvals fell 6.1% in August to 16,953, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

But detached housing is moving in the opposite direction.

Private-sector house approvals rose 3.7% during August to 10,885 and were 18.4% higher than a year earlier.

August also marked the eighth consecutive month in which more than 10,000 private-sector houses were approved across Australia.

The weak spot was higher-density housing, with approvals for private-sector dwellings excluding houses falling 21.2%.

That matters because Australia needs a strong pipeline of both houses and higher-density homes if housing supply is going to keep pace with demand.

01/10/2026

Property values fall for sixth straight month

Australia’s housing downturn continued in September, with the national median property value falling 1.1%, according to Cotality.

That marked the sixth consecutive monthly decline and leaves national values 5.2% below their March peak.

Every capital city except Darwin recorded a fall during September, with Brisbane (-1.5%) and Sydney (-1.4%) seeing the largest declines.

But while the recent trend has been weaker, the annual figures tell a more mixed story.

National values are unchanged compared with a year ago, while five capital cities are still higher: Darwin (+11.9%), Perth (+10.1%), Hobart (+7.0%), Adelaide (+6.5%) and Brisbane (+5.9%). Combined regional values are also 5.6% higher.

So although property prices have been falling in recent months, plenty of markets are still sitting above where they were this time last year.

29/09/2026

Interest rates hit 15-year high

The cash rate has reached its highest level in almost 15 years, after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) increased it from 4.35% to 4.60%.

The decision means the RBA has now raised rates four times this year as it tries to get inflation back under control.

Annual inflation was 3.5% in July, while underlying inflation was 3.6% – both above the RBA’s 2–3% target range.

The RBA said previous rate rises were already having an impact, with financial conditions tightening and the economy slowing.

But with inflation still too high, the board decided another increase was needed – and hasn’t ruled out further increases if inflationary pressures persist.

27/09/2026

House affordability gap narrows further from the city

The further Australian house buyers look from the C*D, the more closely listing prices tend to match their budgets.

That’s one of the key findings from Domain’s 2026 Matching Demand Report, which compares the prices buyers search for with the prices of homes listed for sale.

Detached houses remain the least affordable dwelling type relative to buyer budgets, with seller premiums recorded across every inner-ring capital city market. But the gap generally becomes smaller through the middle and outer rings.

The outer suburbs provide the closest alignment in many capitals. Melbourne, Canberra and Perth, for example, are relatively close to balance, although affordability pressures have increased in some other outer-ring markets over the past year.

So while house prices remain challenging, the report shows there are significant differences depending on how broadly buyers are prepared to search.

24/09/2026

Five ways Australia might look different in 2066

What might Australia look like 40 years from now?

Treasury’s latest Intergenerational Report offers some clues. These are projections rather than predictions, but they provide an interesting picture of how the country could change by 2065–66:

* Population = 39.3 million
* Life expectancy = 89.5 years for women and 86.1 years for men
* Australians aged 85+ = about three times as many as today
* Economy = more than twice its current size
* Real income per person = 55% higher

Australia’s population is expected to grow more slowly and become older, but Treasury also expects Australians to live longer, remain healthier for longer and enjoy higher living standards.

A lot can change over four decades, but the broad direction is one of a bigger, wealthier and longer-living Australia.

Address

3/7 Margaret Street
Stuart Park, NT
0820

Telephone

+61889414141

Website

http://www.connectedfinance.com.au/

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