Money you're losing
The bills you already pay, the subscriptions you forgot, the traps, and the rights you are paying for twice. Most of these are one phone call or one letter.
$2.18 billion
the largest single figure in here — Is that message real?
16 of them, every one free to act on, and almost none of them earns us anything. Sourced to ACCC, PrivateHealth.gov.au, Moneysmart (ASIC).
Bills you can cut
On the bills you already have: power, your home loan, your health cover.
$221Are you paying the loyalty penalty on power?Stay on the same electricity plan for years and you likely pay more than a new customer. Checking takes ten minutes with your latest bill.10 minutes$1,400How old is your home loan?Lenders price new borrowers better than existing ones. The ACCC put a number on it, and the phone call to fix it is short.30 minutesEvery policyIs your health cover still the right one?Premiums rise every year, usually on 1 April, and the cover you bought years ago may not be what you need now. There is a government comparison site with every policy on it.20 minutes31%Have you ever asked your insurer for a better price?Almost nobody does, and about a third of the people who do get one. It is one phone call and it does not reduce your cover.15 minutesNo feesAre you paying your bank to hold your money?Account-keeping fees, overdraw fees and dishonour fees are avoidable, and if you hold a concession card your bank has to be asked about a basic account.20 minutesPlan aheadBack-to-school costs landing all at once?Uniforms, supplies and fees arrive in the same fortnight every year. There is government support for them, and second-hand options most schools run quietly.30 minutesYour usageAre you paying for mobile data you never use?Most plans include unlimited calls and texts, so the price is really the data allowance. Paying for a big one you do not touch is the commonest phone-bill mistake.20 minutes
Money quietly leaving
Scams, subscription traps and the rights you're already paying for twice.
$2.18 billionIs that message real?Scam losses are the single biggest number on this site, and the defence is a habit rather than a product.2 minutesAlready yoursBeing sold an extended warranty?You may already have the protection, free, under consumer law. The ACCC says so plainly.2 minutes at the counter3 yearsIs that gift card really expired?Most gift cards sold in Australia must last at least three years. Shops get this wrong often enough to be worth checking.5 minutesIllegalCan you actually cancel it?Hard-to-cancel subscriptions and automatic renewals are on the ACCC's list of terms that may be unfair, and unfair terms are now illegal rather than merely void.15 minutesEvery 3 monthsWhen did you last read your own credit report?You have a right to a free copy every three months, from each of the bodies that hold one. Mistakes on it are common and they cost you money on every loan you apply for.30 minutesPoor valueDid the car dealer sell you insurance too?Add-on insurance sold alongside a car is usually poor value, and there is a process for getting a refund on one you should never have been sold.30 minutes3 typesYou may have insurance you have never been told aboutMost super funds include life, total and permanent disability and income protection cover. People pay for it without knowing, and families miss claims because nobody knew it existed.20 minutesAsk whyTurned down for a loan?Applying again straight away usually makes it worse. Each application is recorded, and a run of them reads as trouble to the next lender.30 minutesNot allIs that comparison site comparing everything?Usually not. Most cover part of the market, rank sponsored results first, and are paid a commission when you buy. Some sell your details on top.5 minutes
Not sure which of these are yours?
The two-minute check asks a few honest questions and shows only what applies to you. No sign-up, and nothing about you is stored.