About the author

Bernadette is a journalist with years of experience covering topics in macroeconomics, real estate, and lifestyle beats for notable print media organisations. She joined the InfoChoice Group in 2024, bringing her passion for writing stories that help Australians make better decisions about money.


Bernadette's latest articles

Bernadette Lunas

Wages growth accelerates faster than inflation over 2023

Wages growth in Australia outpaced the annual rate of inflation in 2023, the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed.

21 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Renters turn to shared housing to overcome supply hurdles

More and more renters are turning to alternative living setups as they grapple with the ongoing housing supply chal...

21 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Australian Competition Tribunal green lights ANZ’s buyout of Suncorp bank unit

ANZ Group’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Suncorp’s banking arm was authorised by the Australian Competition Tribunal, overturning the decision of ...

20 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Mortgage rates slide down in anticipation of earlier-than-expected RBA cut

Several lenders continue to drop interest rates on their home loan products amid the release of more data reinforci...

16 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Unemployment rate hits a two-year high in January

Australia’s unemployment rate hit a two-year high as it climbed 4.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis, the late...

15 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Debit vs Credit Card

The main difference between a credit card and a debit card is how they finance a purchase. And whichever is better depends largely on your financial goals an...

15 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Record home prices defy economic indicators – here's why

When it comes to relationship breakdowns in Australia, nothing has been more apparent in recent months than the decoupling between home values and housing ma...

14 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Valentine’s Day sparks financial scams

No rest for the wicked indeed, even on Valentine’s Day, as romance scam activities targeting unsuspecting Aus...

13 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

High cash rate spurs refinancing activity in 2023

New mortgages fell as Aussies opt to refinance in a bid to circumvent the impact of high cash rates gripping the ho...

13 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Nearly 19k first home buyers benefit from NSW stamp duty relief

Thousands of first home buyers in New South Wales have saved up to $30,000 in stamp duty following reforms that lif...

12 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Term deposit rates move in different directions in the wake of RBA pause

In the wake of RBA’s decision to keep the cash rate unchanged in February, some of Australia’s big bank...

09 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Why do home values fluctuate if there’s a chronic supply shortage?

Generally, prices tend to go higher when supply lags behind demand. But despite the ongoing housing supply shortage...

08 Feb 2024