| Victoria’s Apartment Defect Insurance Shift Raises the Bar for Builders Fri, 26 Jun: Victoria is moving ahead with a decennial insurance framework for apartment building defects, adding another important signal that construction quality, documentation and insurability are becoming inseparable issues for builders, developers and project teams. - read more
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| Strong Marina Data Points to a Competitive Boat Buying Market Fri, 26 Jun: Australia’s marina sector has delivered one of the clearest signals yet that boating demand remains resilient, even as households continue to navigate higher living costs and careful lending conditions. The Marina Industries Association’s latest research, covering the 2025 Health of the Australian Marina Industry Survey and the 2026 Employment & Salary Survey, paints a picture of an industry with solid revenue, high occupancy and a growing need for investment. - read more
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| New DFAC WorkReady Truck Sharpens the Light-Duty Finance Decision Fri, 26 Jun: DFAC Trucks Australia has added a new challenger to the busy light-duty market, launching the Captain 45 WorkReady with an introductory drive-away price of $59,990. For tradies, contractors and small transport operators who have outgrown a dual-cab ute, the arrival of a ready-to-work 4.5-tonne truck at this price point could make the step into a larger payload vehicle more achievable. - read more
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| What Judo Bank’s Loan Losses Mean for SME Borrowers Fri, 26 Jun: Judo Bank’s sharp share price fall on 25 June 2026 has put a spotlight back on the health of Australia’s SME lending market. The specialist small business lender told the market that a small cluster of business loans had deteriorated in recent weeks, prompting it to lift expected credit costs and cut its full-year profit guidance. - read more
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| What ASIC?s Car Finance Findings Mean for Caravan Buyers Fri, 26 Jun: ASIC’s latest review of car finance has landed at a useful moment for Australians considering a caravan purchase. While the report focused on car loans, many of the lessons translate neatly to caravan finance because buyers are often weighing up secured lending, dealer-arranged options, broker support and personal loan-style products before committing to a major lifestyle asset. - read more
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| Why the Medicare Levy Surcharge Matters Before Surgery Finance Fri, 26 Jun: Australians planning elective procedures may need to revisit their numbers after fresh ATO data showed a sharp rise in people paying the Medicare levy surcharge. The latest Canstar analysis, published on 25 June 2026, says 885,087 taxpayers paid the surcharge in the 2023-24 tax year, with an average cost of $1,284. That is not a cosmetic surgery cost, but it can affect the same household cash flow many borrowers rely on when setting up a personal loan. - read more
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| RBA Fee Data Reveals a Shift in Australia’s Personal Loan Market Thu, 25 Jun: The latest Reserve Bank update on bank fees has provided a useful signal for Australians weighing up personal loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing. While bank fee revenue from households rose by 7 per cent over the year to June 2025, fee revenue from personal loans moved the other way, falling by 19 per cent. That contrast matters because borrowing demand and the actual cost structure of loans do not always move in the same direction. - read more
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| Car finance warning: ASIC puts lenders on notice Thu, 25 Jun: ASIC’s latest review of motor vehicle finance is a timely reminder that the cheapest-looking car loan is not always the safest or most affordable. Released on 24 June 2026, the regulator’s findings raise concerns about high total loan costs, weak oversight of third-party distributors and sales practices that can leave borrowers carrying debt long after the car has lost value or been repossessed. - read more
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| Fuel Excise Relief Tapers: What Caravan Buyers Should Budget For Thu, 25 Jun: Australia’s temporary fuel tax relief is being wound back, and caravan owners are likely to feel the change quickly at the bowser. From 1 July 2026, the current fuel excise relief will continue at a smaller 16 cents per litre reduction until 2 August 2026, rather than the larger short-term discount that has helped soften petrol and diesel prices in recent months. - read more
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| Non-Bank Lenders Now Play a Bigger Role in Australian Car Finance Thu, 25 Jun: A new Australian Finance Industry Association report, released on 5 June 2026, highlights how important non-bank lenders have become in the vehicle finance market. According to the report, motor finance non-bank lenders helped 507,000 consumer and commercial customers buy vehicles in 2025, providing $24.4 billion in loans. By the end of that year, their active loan books were worth $53 billion. - read more
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| What the 2026 Car Loan Awards Mean for Australian Buyers Thu, 25 Jun: The latest 2026 personal and car loan awards from Mozo point to a clear message for Australian motorists: the lowest-cost car finance may not come from the lender you already bank with. The awards assessed hundreds of personal and vehicle loan products across dozens of lenders, with categories covering new car loans, used car loans, secured personal loans, excellent-credit borrowers and green car finance. - read more
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| Alleged $10m Housing Fraud Puts Investor Checks Back in Focus Thu, 25 Jun: ASIC’s latest criminal case against Gold Coast property developer David McWilliams is a timely reminder that attractive investment themes do not remove the need for careful due diligence. The matter, now before the courts, centres on allegations that more than $10 million raised for specialist disability accommodation projects was used for unrelated purposes, including high-risk investments, property purchases, cryptocurrency and luxury spending. - read more
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| New Draft Insurance Code Puts Motor Claim Delays in Focus Thu, 25 Jun: Australia’s general insurance sector is facing a proposed step-up in accountability, with the Insurance Council of Australia opening consultation on a new draft General Insurance Code of Practice on 24 June 2026. For truck owners, small fleet operators and transport businesses, the most relevant shift is not just the wording of the code, but the possibility that parts of it could become contractually enforceable for the first time, subject to ASIC approval. - read more
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| Why the Lowest Car Loan Rate May Not Be the Best Deal Thu, 25 Jun: Australian car buyers heading into the final week of June are seeing a competitive loan market, but the latest rate tables also show why the cheapest headline offer is not always the best finance choice. Current comparison data places some car loan comparison rates from around 5.66% p.a. for eligible borrowers, while green and electric vehicle finance remains close behind, with selected offers beginning around 5.69% p.a. - read more
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| Income Protection Demand Rises as Australians Revisit Personal Cover Wed, 24 Jun: New market data points to a meaningful lift in Australians taking out individual income protection insurance, suggesting more households are reassessing how they would manage financially if illness or injury interrupted their pay. - read more
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| RBA Rate Pause Offers Relief, But Borrowers Still Need a Plan Wed, 24 Jun: Australian mortgage holders have received a welcome pause after the Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35 per cent on 16 June 2026. After three consecutive increases earlier this year, the decision gives households a short period of repayment stability and lenders time to assess how higher rates are flowing through the economy. - read more
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| Claims Delays Put Life Insurance Service Standards in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: A recent sanction against an unnamed life insurer has put claims handling back under the spotlight, particularly for Australians who rely on personal insurance as a financial safety net. The Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee found that the insurer failed to request required information from claimants at the earliest available opportunity, contributing to significant delays for some customers waiting on claim decisions. - read more
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| Draft Insurance Code Puts Claims Standards Back in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: The Insurance Council of Australia has released a draft General Insurance Code of Practice for feedback, marking a significant step in the industry’s push to strengthen customer protections. Released on 24 June 2026, the draft is open for consultation until 21 July 2026 and is designed to make key obligations legally enforceable through insurance contracts. - read more
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| New Crane Cover Highlights the Insurance Gap for High-Risk Trades Wed, 24 Jun: A new specialist insurance product for Australian crane and rigging operators is a timely reminder that not every business fits neatly into a standard policy box. ARTes Specialty, working with wholesale provider Mobius Insurance, has launched an integrated crane and rigging policy for the local market, adding to its earlier Australian offerings for commercial loggers and contractors’ plant and equipment. - read more
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| NSW Budget Puts Insurance Levy Pressure Back on the Table Wed, 24 Jun: The latest NSW Budget has reignited debate over the Emergency Services Levy, with insurance industry concern growing that escalating collection forecasts are strengthening the case for reform. For households and businesses already managing higher premiums, the issue is more than a line item in the state accounts. It goes directly to affordability, underinsurance and whether the cost of funding emergency services is being shared fairly. - read more
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| Life Insurance Claim Delays Put Customer Care in Focus Wed, 24 Jun: A life insurer has been formally warned after serious claims handling failures left some customers waiting months longer than necessary for decisions. The matter, disclosed by the Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee, involved an unnamed insurer that failed to seek information from claimants at the earliest practical opportunity, leading to hundreds of breaches of the Life Insurance Code of Practice. - read more
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| NSW Insurance Levy Pressure Adds to Salon Cost Concerns Wed, 24 Jun: The NSW Budget released on 23 June 2026 has put insurance affordability back in the spotlight, with updated forecasts showing emergency services levy collections are expected to be materially higher than previously projected. For beauty salon owners, skin clinics, nail technicians and mobile beauticians in NSW, the issue is not just a government finance story. - read more
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| A Cooler Property Market Could Help Prepared First Home Buyers Wed, 24 Jun: Australia’s property market appears to be moving into a more cautious phase, and that could matter for first home buyers who have felt crowded out by investors, rising prices and fast-moving auctions. Recent reporting points to weaker buyer demand after higher interest rates, federal tax changes and broader economic uncertainty prompted many purchasers to slow down or pause their search. - read more
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| Life Insurance Demand Strengthens as Businesses Reassess Protection Needs Wed, 24 Jun: New market data reported by Plan For Life points to a notable rebound in parts of Australia’s life insurance sector, with individual lump sum insurance new business rising 6.7% across the 2025 calendar year and individual income protection new business increasing 8.3%. While overall risk new business was lower, that decline was attributed largely to group risk sales returning to more normal levels after earlier periods of heightened activity. - read more
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| New Report Highlights the Cost of Unplanned Business Succession Wed, 24 Jun: A new Business Health research report has put a sharp focus on a familiar but often under-managed risk: what happens to a business if its principal suddenly dies or becomes permanently disabled. While the report is centred on Australian financial advice practices, its message applies broadly to SMEs, partnerships and owner-led companies where enterprise value is closely tied to one or two key people. - read more
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Please Note: If this information affects you or is relevant to your circumstances, seek advice from a licensed professional.
