Articles

Sharper thinking on money, debt and wealth.

Practical perspectives drawn from working with Australian families on the financial decisions that move the needle.

How to assess if you are truly ready to buy your first home

A deposit is the headline. The real question is whether your income, debts, savings habits, and life trajectory hold up under closer inspection. Here is how Charter Finance helps clients answer it honestly.

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When refinancing makes sense (and when it doesn't)

A lower headline rate is the easiest sales pitch in finance. The reality is more nuanced. How Charter Finance evaluates whether refinancing actually saves you money.

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Property + Buying 7 min read

Property in 2026. Timing is not the question. Structure is.

There is always a reason to wait. Wars somewhere in the world. Elections around the corner. Rate cycles turning. Markets that look stretched, or markets that look like they might fall. Regulators tightening, or about to. The reasons rotate, but the instinct is the same: hold off until the picture clears.

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Industry Insight 7 min read

The accumulation trap. When your buyers agent is building a portfolio, not wealth.

There is a pattern in the Australian property investment market that needs talking about. It is being driven by people who are supposed to be acting in their clients' best interests, and it is costing investors real money.

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Debt Strategy 7 min red

The hidden cost of paying minimum repayments

The minimum repayment looks manageable. That's the point. Lenders set it at the lowest level the system can sustain, and then they let compound interest do the rest of the work.

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Rate Environment 6 min read

The RBA is at 4.10%. Here is what is actually in your control.

In March, the RBA pushed the cash rate to 4.10%. The vote was five to four. The four dissenters wanted to hold, not cut. That tells you everything about where we are.

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Workplace Wellness 5 min read

Your team optimises everything at work, except their own money.

After years of running financial education programs inside Australian businesses, from law firms and professional services groups to construction companies and SMEs, one pattern repeats every single time.

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Browse the full archive

As more articles are published, the most recent stay here. Older pieces move into the archive, organised chronologically with category filters.

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