Winners & Finalists

This card offers at least 120,000 bonus points over the first 13 months and $100 off the annual fee for the first year . It comes with travel insurance and purchase insurance, and earns 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Finalists:

• Qantas Premier Platinum
• ANZ Frequent Flyer Black

The Amplify Signature cards offered by St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne feature 200,000 bonus points over the first two years. It also offers an uncapped earn rate of 1.5 points per $1 spent, travel & purchase insurance and lounge passes.

Finalists:

• Coles Rewards Mastercard
• American Express Essential Credit Card

The card offers a 0% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for up to 22 months, with no balance transfer fee. Plus, an annual fee refund when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases each year as well as access to Instant Savings. It offers rewards, insurance cover and lounge passes.

Finalists:

• CUA Low Rate Credit Card
• ANZ Low Rate

This card offers an 8.99% p.a. purchase interest rate, up to 55 days interest-free and an ongoing $0 annual fee.

Finalists:

• Bank of us Visa Credit Card
• Community First Low Rate Credit Card
• Easy Street Easy Low Rate Visa credit card

This card features an ongoing $0 annual fee, 8.99% p.a. purchase interest rate and up to 55 days interest-free.

Finalists:

• Heritage Bank Gold Low Rate Credit Card
• Hume Value Visa

This card offers perks for travellers, even when they can't travel. With 0% foreign transaction fees overseas and online with retailers, overseas travel insurance, $0 annual fee, complimentary purchase protection and price guarantee insurance.

Finalists:

• Commonwealth Bank Low Fee Gold Credit Card
• Macquarie Platinum Card

Freedom Lend's variable rate home loan ticks almost every box a borrower needs: the rate is consistently low, it has virtually no fees and offers a 100% offset account.

Finalists:

• Tic:Toc Live in 10% deposit Variable Rate - Principal & Interest
• Well Home Loans Balanced Variable - LVR 80% (Owner occupier, P&I)

This fixed rate home loan lets you lock in a low interest, it offers a 100% offset account and a 10% deposit. With the option to make extra repayments this loan is competitive and flexible.

Finalists:

• Tic:Toc Live in Loan Fixed Rate Home Loan - 3 Year (Owner Occupier, P&I)
• Pacific Mortgage Group Fixed Home Loan - 3 Year (Owner Occupier, P&I)

This loan offers investors a competitive fixed rate, plus the flexibility of an optional offset account and limited extra repayments. Combined with minimal fees makes for a great mortgage offer.

Finalists:

• Well Home Loans Balanced Fixed Home Loan - 3 Year (Investor, P&I)
• UBank UHomeLoan - 3 Year Fixed Rate (Investor, P&I)

This investment loan from Freedom Lend has a consistently low variable interest rate, no fees and a 100% offset account, making it a strong and flexible loan all round.

Finalists:

• Well Home Loans Balanced Variable - LVR 80% (Investor, P&I)
• Reduce Rate Lovers Variable Home Loan - LVR up to 80% (Investor)

With a competitive rate and a maximum insured loan to value ratio of 95%, this loan is a good low deposit home loan. It also comes with few fees and a 100% offset account as well.

Finalists:

• Freedom Lend Variable Home Loan - LVR ≤ 90% (Owner Occupier P&I)
• Aussie Elevate Variable Home Loan - LVR <= 90% (Owner Occupier, P&I) 100% Offset Loan

With a low rate, 100% offset account and no fees this loan is a strong option for refinancers looking to switch to a more affordable loan with all the useful features and flexibility.

Finalists:

• Tic:Toc Live in 10% deposit Variable Rate - Principal & Interest
• Well Home Loans Balanced Variable - LVR 80% (Owner occupier, P&I)

This account has a competitive ongoing bonus rate and no monthly deposit conditions. Bonus interest is also available on balances up to $250,000, which is higher than many other accounts.

Finalists:

• UBank USave + USpend
• ING Savings Maximiser

Judo Bank offers fixed rates on term deposit accounts, a choice of term lengths to choose from and a minimum opening deposit of $1000. Judo offers a loyalty bonus of 0.10% p.a. if you open another term deposit.

Finalists:

• Auswide Bank Term Deposit
• ING Term Deposit

This account is a good everyday transaction account and multi-currency account in one. It can hold 10 currencies, no account keeping fees, $100 cash back offer and a 2% cashback on Tap&Go purchases.

Finalists:

• NAB Classic Banking with Platinum Visa Debit Card
• Australian Military Bank Military Rewards Account

This policy covers a range of 39 treatments in a private hospital and is competitively priced. It includes access to an advice line and "best doctor" second opinion service.

Finalists:

• HCF HCF HOSPITAL GOLD $500 EXCESS Gold
• Phoenix Health Fund Limited Gold Complete Hospital 500 Gold

This mid range health insurance policy offers a mix of treatments, in addition to the standard Silver tier inclusions, it includes cover for sleep studies and insulin pumps.

Finalists:

• CUA Health Limited Standard Hospital $500 Excess (Silver Plus) SilverPlus
• nib Health Funds Ltd. Silver Hospital Silver

This basic bronze policy offers 24 hospital treatments competitively priced against other funds in the market.

Finalists:

• HBF Health Limited Bronze Hospital Plus $500/$1000 Excess BronzePlus
• HCF HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $500 EXCESS BronzePlus

This policy offer cover $50,000 to $15 million. Features include grief counselling, financial planning, and terminal illness benefits.

Finalists:

• TAL
• Qantas

This policy offers competitive pricing and features a maximum monthly payout of $25,000, and benefits up until age 65.

Other benefits cover rehab, spousal support and nursing care.

Finalists:

• Virgin
• TAL

This plan offers 100GB of monthly data for under $50 a month at decent speeds and data capped plans for data-capped plans suitable for people who don't need a lot of data and are looking to save.

Finalists:

• Tangerine NBN Standard
• Flip NBN Unlimited PIA Premium 25

This plan is a great all-rounder option, with unlimited data for just under $70 a month. While there are some NBN plans that appear to be cheaper initially on the Standard speed tier, they are often limited-time deals.

Finalists:

• Aussie Broadband 100/40 Unlimited – Build Your Own NBN Plan
• Kogan NBN Gold Unlimited

This $30 plan offers value for data at an affordable price. Similar prepaid plans appear to offer a better data to price ratio, but are only offered for the first three recharges. This plan offers consistent value.

Finalists:

• amaysim 4G Prepaid SIM-only 35GB $30 28 Days
• ALDImobile Mobile Plan 18GB $25 30 Days

This mobile plan offers close to 100GB for less than $30. It also offers 3GB of bill shock protection to buffer users from going over their data allowance easily.

Finalists:

• Vaya Unlimited $24 18GB 1 Month
• Mate 4G Great Mates SIM-only 25GB $30 1 Month

This long expiry plan is good value for those who don't use their phone a lot. The 365 day prepaid plan offers 7GB a month, and a low monthly rate paid upfront. Users also get 10% off groceries at Woolworths stores.

Finalists:

• Kogan Mobile Small 80GB $150 365 days Flex
• amaysim 4G Prepaid SIM-only 120GB $200 365 Days

This loan has a competitive rate, and additional features including an offset account, penalty-free additional repayments, redraws and pre-approval.

Finalists:

• IMB New Car Loan
• Hunter United Cracking Car Loan

This loan offers a rate from 4.85% p.a. based on your credit history. Funding ranges from $4,000 to $8,000 and repayments are flexible. Extra repayments are penalty-free, and a low $10 monthly fee applies.

Finalists:

• Money Place
• Alex PL's

This loan offers a fixed rate, fixed term and no ongoing or early repayment fees. Loans are available from $5,000 to $30,000 on a term of between 2 and 5 years.

Finalists:

• IMB Unsecured Personal Loan
• CUA Unsecured Fixed Rate Personal Loan

This fund has impressive long-term performance figures and low fees.

Finalists:

• QSuper Lifetime Aspire Group 1
• Hostplus Balanced

ANZ's lifestage product, ANZ Smart Choice, has 7 different investment life stages, strong past performance figures and really low fees.

Finalists:

• Guild Building Lifestage
• Child Care Building Lifestage

This platform is simple to use but has advanced features including CHESS-sponsored ASX shares, access to exchange traded funds (ETFs), managed funds (mFunds), warrants, options and IPOs.

It has a range of trading tools, including broker ratings, limit orders and company news and analysis. Plus, no subscription or inactivity fees.

Finalists:

• CommSec Share Trading Account
• Saxo Invested

This platform has over 20 international stock markets to choose from including Singapore, Russia and the Baltic Region. Brokerage fees for global stocks are low and a low currency conversion fee for US brokerage trading.

Finalists:

• Saxo Invested
• Phillip Capital

This platform has a selection of advanced trading tools and low brokerage fees for high frequency trading. It offers the option to trade global and Australian shares, fractional shares, OTC stocks, options, forex, CFDs and commodities plus eight different limit orders when trading.

Finalists:

• Saxo Invested
• IG Share Trading

This platform has no monthly subscription fee or inactivity fee. It has a range of analysis tools, access to managed funds and IPOs and ETF promotions.

Finalists:

• Phillip Capital
• Macquarie Online Trading Account

This platform offers zero brokerage or subscription fees for the basic package and there's a low minimum investment of $10 per trade.

Finalists:

• eToro (share trading)
• Selfwealth Share Trading (Basic account)

This platform offers a range trading tools and features including advanced charting tools, stock analysis, watchlists and conditional orders. Users can access global and Australian share markets, including the ASX and CHI-X, managed funds, options, warrants, forex and CFDs.

Finalists:

• IG Share Trading
• Saxo Invested

This platform offers zero brokerage fees, a low currency conversion fee and no subscription fees for the basic account.

It allows users to copy more experienced investors' trade movements, other features including news updates, charting tools and a demo account with $50,000 play money to practice with.

Finalists:

• Stake
• Phillip Capital

With brokerage fees that are the lowest in the market for both Australian and global shares this platform released $0 commission trading for all global stocks, including US and Europe, while fees for Australian shares start from just $5.

Finalists:

• Saxo Invested
• Interactive Brokers Australia

This platform offers some of the cheapest broker fees on the market with access to 25 global stock markets plus forex, CFD and commodities trading. It also has an extensive range of trading features, including advanced limit orders, options trading, charting tools, broker analysis and company news.

Finalists:

• Interactive Brokers Australia
• CMC Markets Stockbroking (Classic account)