The Savings Tip Jar

How To Avoid Being Stung By International Transaction Fees, With Macquarie's Olivia McArdle 16.07.2026 11min

In this week's Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Olivia McArdle - Macquarie's Head of Deposits & Payments - to discuss overseas transaction fees and how to avoid them.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Westpac Stands By August Rate Hike Call, Term Deposit Rates Fall Again, Sharp Rent Rises & How To Avoid Travel Card Costs, With Macquarie's Olivia McArdle 16.07.2026 35min

In this week's Savings News Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...Westpac's stronger convictions of an August cash rate hikeMore term deposit rate cuts, including one from Australia's biggest bankSharp rent rises on housing throughout the countryThen, in our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Olivia McArdle - Macquarie's Head of Deposits & Payments - to discuss travel card fees and how to avoid them. Plus our "righteous" savings tips.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

How Good Were Australia's "Good Old Days" ? With AMP's Shane Oliver 09.07.2026 17min

In this week's Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Dr Shane Oliver - AMP's Chief Economist - who looks into how good Australia's "good old days" actually were compared to now (spoiler: not so good). Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Top Deposit Rate Dropped, Property Market Downturn, SMSF Home Loan Frenzy & The "Good Old Days", With AMP's Shane Oliver | Ep 159 09.07.2026 38min

In this week's Savings News Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...Recent term deposit rate drops, including a big one from a market leaderWhat history suggests we should expect from Australia's current property market downturnHow the incoming ban on SMSF home loans is driving a frenzy of activityThen, in our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Dr Shane Oliver - AMP's Chief Economist - who looks into how good Australia's "good old days" actually were compared to now (spoiler: not so good). Plus our "hot" savings tips on heating and holiday homes.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Wage Advance Apps Explained: Pros & Cons 01.07.2026 13min

In this episode we talk to one of our Savings Scribes - Bernadette Lunas - about what we need to know about wage advance apps.You can read Bern's full guide to wage advance apps here. Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Building Wealth With Tech & The New Tax Reality, With Sharesies Co-Founder Brooke Roberts 24.06.2026 15min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with Brooke Roberts - the co-founder and co-CEO of the Sharesies wealth app - who explains how Sharesies can help Aussies build long-term wealth and shares her thoughts on the recent changes to capital gains tax in Australia. Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Rates On Hold, Mortgage Demand Plummets, Divorce Debt & The Housing Shift | Ep 157 18.06.2026 32min

In this week's Savings News Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...RBA's first hold of 2026 and Bullock's hawkish tonePlunging mortgage demand, led by first home buyersThe disturbing data on divorce debtIn our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Dr Nicola Powell - the Chief Residential Economist at Domain - who shares her insights into the RBA, the property market and the broader economy.Plus we all share a savings tip. Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Interest Rates, Uncertainty & Australia’s Housing Shift, With Domain's Dr Nicola Powell 18.06.2026 12min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with Dr Nicola Powell - the Chief Residential Economist at Domain - who shares her insights into the RBA, the property market and the broader economy.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

NAB's Shock New RBA Forecast, Home Loan Rate CUTS, Expert Tax Time Tips & Westpac's Bizarre New Savings Account Age Limit | Ep 156 11.06.2026 37min

In this week's Savings Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...NAB's new RBA forecast, expecting the next rate change to be a cut!The fresh cuts to fixed-rates on home loans The changed conditions on Westpac's market-leading savings account rate, including its age limit being lifted to 40! In our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by Mark Chapman - the Director of Tax Communications at H&R Block - who shares some of his top tax return tips for this EOFY.And as always, Dom and Denise share a savings tip.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Tax time tips this EOFY, with H&R Block's Mark Chapman 11.06.2026 10min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with Mark Chapman - the Director of Tax Communications at H&R Block - who shares some of his top tax return tips for this EOFY.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

155: Savings ratio falls, steep property price drops & EOFY car sales 04.06.2026 31min

In this week's Savings Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...the household saving ratio falling from 7.0% to 6.2% and whether we're headed for another per capita recession the May property price results across the country, including sharp drops in Sydney and Melbournetax change concerns for young investors In our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by ,Pete Willis - the Director of Buying at digital used car marketplace Carma - who shares some of his top tips for buying a car, especially during the EOFY sales.And as always, we all share a savings tip.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

What to keep in mind when buying a car, with Carma's Pete Willis 04.06.2026 10min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with Pete Willis, the Director of Buying for digital used car marketplace Carma who shares some of his top tips for buying a car, especially during the EOFY sales. Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Prices down, rents up? What the federal budget means for property 27.05.2026 11min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with REA Group Senior Economist Angus Moore who breaks down the potential impacts of the federal budget on Australia's property market. Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

154: Inflation down, unemployment up and sharp savings rates 27.05.2026 34min

In this week's Savings Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss...headline inflation falling from 4.6% to 4.2% the surprise lift in the unemployment rate to 4.5%the high savings rates now available on savings accounts and term deposits In our Dollar Dialogue, we're joined by REA Group Senior Economist Angus Moore, who explains how the new federal budget could impact the property market. And as always, we all share a savings tip.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

153: Tax bracket indexation + How the federal budget hurts young savers 20.05.2026 38min

In this week's Savings Roundup, Dom and Denise discuss... the Opposition’s proposal to introduce tax bracket indexation (something that we’d actually asked Angus Taylor about back in episode 92!) more savings account rate changes in response to the RBA’s hike, and how - once again - big banks are failing to pass it on in full to all savings account customers. how the latest RBA minutes have reduced the odds of another RBA rate hike at next month’s meeting. In our Dollar Dialogue, we talk to Federal Independent MP Nicolette Boele - who has some serious concerns about how the capital gains tax reforms will impact younger savers and investors. And as always, we each share a savings tip.Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

How CGT changes will hurt young savers, with Independent MP Nicolette Boele 20.05.2026 15min

This week's Dollar Dialogue features a chat with Independent MP for Bradfield Nicolette Boele who's concerned how the changes to capital gains tax will impact younger savers and investors.After Nicolette shares her savings tip, we ask her about:The “intergenerational fairness” aspect of the budgetThe changes she would like to seeHer thoughts on the government's broken promisesThe potential for the government to backtrack or water down these changesWhy we shouldn't discourage young investors from taking risks Questions, tips or feedback? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

152: Federal budget breakdown - What every Aussie saver needs to know 13.05.2026 45min

In this week's Savings News Roundup, we talk through that whopper of a federal budget - probably the most consequential one we've seen in decades, particularly for Aussies that strive to save, invest and growth their wealth. Is it providing a fairer go, or merely blocking people from having a go?We also examine how some banks may be leaving savings account customers behind in how they're passing along the RBA rate hike, and the sudden drop in home loan lending observed in the latest ABS data. Then, in our Dollar Dialogue, we hear from Emeritus Professor of Finance and UNSW Business School Peter Swan, who does not hold back in his assessment of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' fifth federal budget, describing it as the "worst one he's ever seen" in his 50 years of budget-watching. And of course, our savings tips - including using a financial planner and not letting social media influence your standards. Email us your thoughts and tips: enquiries@savings.com.au

'Worst one I've ever seen': Expert reacts to the 26/27 federal budget 13.05.2026 17min

Emeritus Professor of Finance and UNSW Business School Peter Swan does not hold back in his assessment of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' fifth federal budget. Got something to say? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

Why the real inflation shock may still be ahead 08.05.2026 11min

This week's Dollar Dialogue featured a post-RBA hike discussion with Dr Susan Stone, who's the Credit Union SA Chair of Economics at Adelaide University. Dr Stone explains why she feels the RBA had to hike this month, and why another hike might be necessary later this year. She also suggests the RBA might be too optimistic in their inflation forecasts, and gives her thoughts on what it all means for the upcoming federal budget.Got any feedback or tips? Email us: enquiries@savings.com.au

151: RBA Hike 3 - The Dark Rate Rises 07.05.2026 40min

In this Savings News Roundup, we talk through this week's RBA rate rise - the third of 2026, and perhaps not the last. We also talk through the property market slowdown and a potential new tax offset that’s rumoured to be in the federal budget.Then, in our Dollar Dialogue, we hear the expert analysis of the RBA decision from Dr Susan Stone, the Credit Union SA Chair of Economics at Adelaide University. And of course, our savings tips - which includes a special points transfer offer from Velocity which Dom is particularly excited about. Email us your thoughts and tips: enquiries@savings.com.au