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After months of falling demand for home loans, competition among lenders is stronger than many people realise.
Yet surprisingly few Australians talk to their own home lender directly anymore. In fact, mortgage brokers now arrange nearly 82% of all home loans in Australia, up from just 50% only a decade ago.
So why are Australians so reliant on mortgage brokers?
Banking and finance expert Susan Thorp says some people find home loans confusing to work out on their own. A study she helped conduct found people who’d used a broker were more confident they’d chosen the best loan. However, the study also found people who’d used brokers actually ended up with less understanding of home loans than those who’d dealt with a lender themselves.
With another interest rate rise potentially just three weeks away, here’s what you should know about how brokers work – and where to find good independent advice before you talk to a broker or lender.
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Liz Minchin
Executive Editor + Business Editor
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Susan Thorp, Monash University
A broker might be able to get you a competitive deal – but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve a similar result on your own.
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Michelle Burgis-Kasthala, La Trobe University
The Trump administration is bent on destroying the ICC. It will require a strong counter offensive to preserve the court and its functions.
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Christine Mary Hallinan, The University of Melbourne
We’re seeing what happens when consumer demand collides with commercial interests for drugs including GLP-1s, psychedelics and testosterone. It’s a huge shift.
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Josh Holloway, Flinders University
The Greens’ leadership changes show the party has drawn two opposing lessons from one electoral loss. The question for them now is whether either is right.
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Mike Lee, South Australian Museum; Flinders University
Isolation has been both blessing and curse for the wildlife of both countries.
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Viviana Wuthrich, Macquarie University; Jessica Belcher, Macquarie University
The key to good exam performance is learning to manage your anxiety. Here’s what can help students.
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Kate Cantrell, University of Southern Queensland
Magda Szubanski’s books are not conventional celebrity memoirs. She doesn’t name-drop or frame her story as one of triumph.
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Politics + Society
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Safiullah Taye, Australian Catholic University; Farkhondeh Akbari, Monash University; Niamatullah Ibrahimi, The University of Melbourne
Afghanistan’s own democratic aspirations long predate the West’s intervention in 2001. The Taliban’s return dealt a devastating blow, but these aspirations endure.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The government has announced it had ‘stepped in’ to delay the ATO’s ban on credit card payments until June 30 next year.
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Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania
Australian batters aren’t scoring runs like they used to. There are a few reasons why, but the answer isn’t obvious.
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Health + Medicine
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Margaret Murray, Swinburne University of Technology
Protein is famous for filling us up and helping us stay full between meals. But fibre does this too – and most of us are not getting enough.
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Andrew Jull, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A new study linking lower nurse staffing on surgical wards with higher rates of post-operative deaths has raised urgent new questions about NZ’s settings.
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Business + Economy
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Marta Khomyn, Adelaide University
This week’s Firmus rollercoaster offers some useful lessons – including what to always look for before investing any money.
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Environment + Energy
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Kathryn Bowen, The University of Melbourne
I witnessed a genuine desire for the world to engage with the people affected by climate change.
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Caitlyn Forster, University of Sydney
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and appreciate our tiniest critters.
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Science + Technology
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Melissa Lee, Monash University
OpenAI released 722 new AI-generated mathematical papers at once – three have been retracted, and mathematicians are coming to grips with the rest.
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Arts + Culture
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Garritt C. Van Dyk, University of Waikato
The second Moriori language week – ta wik’ a ta rē Moriori – celebrates the voices of a people whose rich culture and history were once nearly extinguished.
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Triss Niemi, Flinders University
Anthony Nocera’s Log Boy asks how we can possibly move on from a crisis that is, indeed, ongoing.
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Nina Hillenberg, Torrens University Australia
An Olympic emblem has to represent a city and a nation – while also engaging the rest of the world. How can one symbol do it all?
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Laura Ginters, University of Sydney
In Grace Chapple’s delightful and incisive adaptation, the story refocuses and settles into 2026, reminding us of the power of theatre.
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Books + Ideas
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Alexander Howard, University of Sydney
New Nobel winner Anne Carson’s playful, deeply intelligent work riffs off and reinvents ancient classics – and often lands with breathtaking emotional force.
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Your Say
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In response to the article 'Our research found a new reason to keep teachers happy – it’s linked to how well students do', my experience has shown that teachers who are more positively motivated in their role have students with more positive outcomes. However, rather than teacher wellbeing influencing student outcomes, should we not also acknowledge that engaged and successful students create teachers who are more confident and motivated themselves? As a teacher, I know my mental state can fluctuate throughout the day. Classes where students are engaged, academically driven, and/or treat me with respect are more motivating and uplifting than classes where students are disrespectful, unmotivated, and refuse to engage in the work. We need to have a larger conversation about the role that students play in creating a positive work environment for teachers.
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