Friends With Money

With interest rates at their highest level in years, could homeowners be doing more to keep their mortgage costs down?

On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Richard Whitten, money and home loans expert at Finder, to discuss the outlook for rates and the practical steps borrowers can take to cut their home loan costs.

00:00 Introduction
02:01 Are lenders passing on the latest rate rise?
03:08 What does the latest hike mean for borrowers?
04:22 Will there be another rate rise this year?
05:44 First steps to reduce your mortgage costs
08:00 How to negotiate a lower rate with your lender
10:00 When refinancing makes sense and what to watch for
12:00 Why refinancing may be harder right now
13:23 Richard's top tip for homeowners facing higher repayments
14:34 Conclusion

#friendswithmoney #tomwatson #richardwhitten #homeloans #rbaPodcast Links:
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✈️ Are frequent flyer points still worth it after the rewards shake-up?

❓Question:
With banks reducing rewards and changes to card surcharges coming into effect, should Australians still be chasing frequent flyer points?
✅ Short Answer:
Yes, but only if you play the game strategically. Frequent flyer points can still deliver significant value, particularly for travel, but the rules are changing. According to points expert David Moloney, Australians need to focus on earning points efficiently, avoiding interest charges, and redeeming points before they lose value.
💡 Key Takeaways:
New RBA rules are reducing the amount banks earn from credit card transactions, which means some rewards programs are becoming less generous.
Around 35% of credit card payments are linked to frequent flyer programs, meaning millions of Australians could be affected by changes to rewards schemes.
Two-thirds of Qantas Frequent Flyer points are now earned on the ground rather than in the air through shopping, credit cards and loyalty partnerships.
Simple strategies such as linking supermarket rewards programs, using airline shopping portals and pooling family points can boost balances with little extra effort.
The most valuable points collectors focus on the highest return for the lowest level of effort, rather than chasing every available promotion.

🚨 Watch Out For:
Never carry credit card debt just to earn points. Interest charges can wipe out any rewards value.
Credit card annual fees only make sense if the value of the points and benefits exceeds the cost.
Paying card surcharges that are greater than the value of points earned can leave you worse off.
Avoid making unnecessary purchases simply to earn points. The points should be a bonus, not the reason for spending.
Redeem points regularly rather than hoarding them for years, as airlines and loyalty schemes can devalue points over time.

🎯 Who This Matters To:
This episode is for travellers, credit card users, frequent flyer members and anyone looking to get more value from everyday spending. If you collect Qantas Points, Velocity Points or other loyalty rewards, you'll learn practical ways to maximise your rewards while avoiding costly mistakes.
📚 Resources & Links:
Points: Mastering the Game of Frequent Flyers by David Moloney
Qantas Frequent Flyer Program
Reserve Bank of Australia payments and surcharge reforms discussed in the episode

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 How the new RBA rules are changing rewards programs
02:10 Why Australians should still collect points
03:05 Why most points are now earned on the ground
04:13 The "highest return for lowest effort" strategy
05:45 Three easy ways to earn more points
07:29 Are points really free?
08:00 The dangers of credit card debt and rewards chasing
09:11 The hidden "lazy tax" points collectors pay
10:37 Why you should redeem points before they lose value
11:00 Final thoughts

Podcast links:
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Money Website
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Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au

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Financial advice can be valuable, but for plenty of Australians, the cost puts it out of reach. So could super funds hold the key to closing the advice gap?
On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Rudy Leong, senior private wealth adviser at UniSuper, to discuss the type of financial advice members can currently access through their super funds and how that could change in the future.

00:00 Introduction
01:56 What is the financial advice gap?
04:00 What advice can super funds currently provide?
06:10 Does advice through a super fund cost money?
07:42 Overview of the financial advice reforms
10:00 What the reforms could mean for super fund members
11:49 The opportunities and risk of AI in financial advice
14:34 One question everyone should ask their super fund
15:46 ConclusionPodcast Links:
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Money Website
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Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au

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From October, card surcharges will become a thing of the past. But while the change promises savings for cardholders, it could have ripple effects beyond the checkout.
On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Adele Eliseo, founder of The Champagne Mile, to explain what's changing, who's likely to benefit and why credit cardholders need to pay close attention.
00:00 Introduction
01:34 What happens to card surcharges from October?
03:42 Why are card surcharges being banned?
04:40 How much are consumers likely to save?
05:32 The impact on rewards credit cards
07:03 How banks are already changing rewards programs
08:27 What rewards card holders should do now
10:10 Conclusion
#friendswithmoney #tomwatson #adeleeliseo #creditcardsPodcast Links:
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Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au

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Australia's sharemarket may be dominated by a handful of large miners and banks, but there are plenty of opportunities beyond the heavyweights.
On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Jamie Hannah, deputy head of investments and capital markets at VanEck, to discuss the risks and rewards offered with small caps and mid caps.

00:00 Introduction
01:17 What are small caps and mid caps?
03:33 Behavioural differences
05:07 The mid cap sweet spot
06:18 How have small and mid caps performed?
08:36 The investment case for smaller companies
11:21 How much should investors allocate to small and mid caps?
13:19 The key risks of investing in smaller companies
15:30 Options for gaining exposure to small and mid caps
16:31 Local and international ETF opportunities
19:25 Conclusion

#friendswithmoney #tomwatson #jamiehannah #investing #smallcaps #midcapsPodcast
Links:
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Money Website
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Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au

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