Hughes Financial

I have some exciting news for my business! As part of my succession planning, I am very pleased to introduce you to Mark Natoli, who will be stepping in to assist with your lending and finance requirements moving forward.

I chose Mark to succeed me because of his extensive mortgage and finance background, including his experience working internally within banks. And most importantly because he shares my values and approach to client service.

I want to sincerely thank you for your support over the years, and I know I am leaving you in excellent hands. I will be working closely with him during this transition and will remain available to answer any questions you or Mark may have.

Mark is looking forward to working with you all so don’t be shy to reach out to him!

With appreciation
Peter

Many predicted that the RBA would cut rates today, however they have held the Cash Rate steady at 3.85%.

Statement by the Monetary Policy Board: Monetary Policy Decision | Media Releases At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 3.85 per cent.

As many expected, the Reserve Bank has just lowered the cash rate target by 0.25%, to 3.85%

Statement by the Monetary Policy Board: Monetary Policy Decision | Media Releases At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent.

Good luck to all those crazy people competing in the UTA this weekend in the beautiful Blue Mountains. With distances up to 161km I think I can safely use the word 'crazy' 😂.

Are you self-employed and found it hard to get a home loan? Well you'll be pleased to know that several lenders have recently improved their policies for self-employed applicants. Hughes Financial has been helping self employed customers for over 18 years so get in touch to see how we can help you!

The RBA has today left the Cash Rate Target unchanged at 4.10%.

Statement by the Monetary Policy Board: Monetary Policy Decision | Media Releases At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.10 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances at 4 per cent.

Well as many expected, the RBA reduced the Cash Rate Target today by 0.25%.

Statement by the Reserve Bank Board: Monetary Policy Decision | Media Releases At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate target to 4.10 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances to 4 per cent.

This is not exactly finance related, but nonetheless an important topic. I am nearly finished a great book on parenting – ‘The Conscious Parent’, by Shefali Tsabary. It’s such a good book, I would recommend you read it even if you don’t have kids!

How long does it take to crack your password?

Did you know that every Australian resident who sells a property (contract signed on or after 1st Jan 2025) needs to obtain a Foreign Resident Capital Gains Withholding tax Clearance Certificate? Previously this was only required for sale prices >=$750k.

- Without this Clearance Certificate, 15% of the sale proceeds must be withheld and sent to the ATO.
- Certificates can be obtained from the ATO, free of charge.
- Certificates can be obtained before you sign the contract for sale of the property.
- Certificates are valid for 12 months.
- Everyone on title of the property must obtain their own Certificate.

Certificates can take a few weeks to obtain, so my advice is to apply early.

The devastating LA fires are a timely reminder to review your building and contents insurance. High inflation over the last few years has increased building costs, so if you haven’t reviewed your insured value in the last 12 months, now would be a great time to do that.

What’s the difference between a home loan and a mortgage?

- A home loan is the money you borrow to buy a property. There will be terms such as an interest rate, repayment amount and repayment term.

- A mortgage is the legal agreement that protects the lender if you don’t repay the loan, eg taking the property as security, so they can sell it if necessary to recover the loan funds.