Canstar

Congratulations to Kennards Self Storage, winner of Canstar Blue’s 2024 Most Satisfied Customer Award for Self-Storage and the 2024 award for Self-Storage for Small Businesses. Aussies rated Kennards Self Storage five stars in all categories for the Most Satisfied Customer Award, while small business owners applauded the storage company’s value for money, quality of storage, client services, locations and accessibility. When it comes to self-storage, Aussies say that location, price and security are the most important factors, and according to our 2024 survey results, Kennards Storage delivered on all fronts for consumers this year. Check out the results for best-rated self storage brand here: https://lnkd.in/gtKTi-qt and for best-rated self storage for businesses here: https://lnkd.in/g9kz-dca

Double applause is in order for Aussie Broadband, winner of Canstar Blue’s 2024 award for Most Trusted Internet Provider and 2024 Most Satisfied Customer award for NBN Provider. When it comes to choosing an internet provider, Aussies say data allowance, download speed and the cost of the plan are the most important factors, and Aussie Broadband impressed on all three. Consumers rated the internet provider 5 stars for its speed and reliability, customer service and bill and cost clarity. Aussie Broadband also scored 5 stars in the coveted overall satisfaction category. Canstar Blue’s National Client Manager Karyn Shayler presented the Aussie Broadband team with their award in Melbourne. Congratulations!

🌟 Canstar’s newest property report, ‘Deposit Stars’, has launched, revealing where potential buyers can secure a property with a $50k or $100k deposit. The report, powered by Hotspotting.com.au, used two loan-to-value ratios and three key metrics (price, rental yield, and infrastructure) to uncover 150 suburbs across 8 capital cities and 6 regional markets. Each suburb includes a full suite of all the details potential buyers will want to know: median price, 1-yr growth, 10-yr average growth, median rent and yield for each property, as well as estimated calculations on additional fees or duties for both first and second home buyers. Whether you’re downsizing, looking for a first home or a place to invest, this report shows there are options that could suit your budget. Click below to gain free access to the full Deposit Stars report.

Congratulations Red Energy, the winners of Canstar Blue’s 2024 Most Satisfied Customer Award for Electricity Providers in the Small Businesses category. Red Energy impressed more than 600 small business owners surveyed by Canstar Blue, who scored the provider 5 stars in all key areas: customer service, value for money, online tools and advice, bill and cost clarity, and ease of sign up. Canstar Blue CEO Megan Doyle presented Red Energy CEO Iain Graham and the team with Red Energy’s award earlier this month. It looks like they’re going to need a bigger wall!

Congratulations to the winners of Canstar’s 2024 Savings and Everyday Banking Awards. Canstar’s Bank of the Year Award for Savings recognises the institutions offering competitive savings accounts and term deposits in Australia while our Bank of the Year Award for Everyday Banking award recognises the institutions offering competitive transaction accounts and credit cards for a variety of consumers in Australia. 🏆 Bank of Queensland (BOQ) has claimed Canstar’s Bank of the Year Award for Savings, thanks to its stellar performance across various savings and term deposit account types. BOQ’s Future Saver and Smart Saver accounts stand out for their high interest rates, rewarding customers who meet monthly criteria, alongside market-leading term deposit rates, particularly in the 6-12 month range. 🏆 Great Southern Bank celebrates its 10th consecutive Customer-Owned Bank of the Year Award for Savings. A testament to its strength in the savings product arena, Great Southern Bank offers several strong savings accounts to match customer saving styles and goals. Whether it’s Great Southern Bank’s Goal Saver or Home Saver, customers who meet conditions can be rewarded with competitively high interest rates. 🏆 Australian Military Bank Ltd made significant strides in 2024, securing Canstar’s Customer-Owned Bank of the Year Award for Everyday Banking. Its flagship Military Rewards Account stands out with its attractive cashback program and zero annual or service fees, delivering strong value to members. This achievement is further bolstered by the solid performance of its Low Rate Visa Credit Card, offering competitive rates and features. 🏆 HSBC has claimed the Bank of the Year Award for Everyday Banking, maintaining its leadership in the transaction banking sector with the Everyday Global Account, recognised for fee-free transactions and a cashback program on purchases under $100. Strengthening its position, HSBC’s Premier World Mastercard (Rewards Plus) offers no annual fee, excellent rewards, and comprehensive complimentary insurance benefits, making it a top choice for customers seeking value and flexibility. For more on our Savings Awards, click the link below or to find out more about our Everyday Banking Awards, visit: https://lnkd.in/g2qKm34N

🏡 Is your home and contents insurance bill higher this year? You’re not alone. Our latest research reveals that annual premiums have risen by an average of 13%, meaning many Australians are now paying an extra $286 a year. Of course, actual increases vary depending on individual circumstances and insurer choice. But here’s the good news: policyholders don’t need to sacrifice cover to save money. Switching insurers could help unlock significant savings. 🔍 At Canstar, our experts evaluated insurance policies from 49 providers, analysing more than 20,000 quotes across eight regions, three cover types, and up to two sum-insured amounts. The results? On average, switching to a Canstar 5-Star Rated home and contents insurance policy could save you $819 – or 32% compared to the rest of the market. Our Star Ratings not only highlight potential savings but also help Australians find the right insurance policy for their needs. We highlight top-rated policies offering exceptional value and service. Outstanding Value Awards are given to the highest-performing policies in our Star Ratings research, while our Most Satisfied Customers – Home Insurance Claims Award is based on feedback from hundreds of Australians about their experience with their provider’s claims process. Looking to save and secure great cover? This year’s national award-winning home insurance providers include: 🏆 Home and Contents Insurance: AAMI, Allianz Australia, Budget Direct, Westpac (Inc. Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and St. George Bank) 🏆 Home Insurance: AAMI, Allianz Australia, Budget Direct, Westpac (Inc. Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and St. George Bank), and Youi Insurance 🏆 Contents Insurance: AAMI, Suncorp Group, Westpac (Inc. Bank of Melbourne BankSA and St. George Bank) 🏆 Most Satisfied Customers Home Insurance Claims: RACQ

Today, we had the incredible privilege of hosting Duncan Armstrong OAM OLY, former Olympic champion and passionate mental health advocate, right here at Canstar! Duncan opened up about the personal challenges men face in addressing their mental health, sharing powerful stories from the peaks and valleys of his Olympic journey. A Canstar team member at the event, Lindell Ngaluafe shares his takeaway from the event, commenting, "We listened intently to some of the stories of his success winning the 200 metres freestyle in world record time at the Seoul Olympics, the highs and lows of how it impacted his life, and providing candid perspectives and insights on personal and professional resilience and growth, and the importance of seeking help from mentors and paying attention to our daily habits in order for us to succeed personally. From tales of the Olympic podium to his ongoing health journey, Duncan reminded us all of the importance of self-awareness, prioritising well-being, and the role our families play in keeping us grounded. His powerful message resonated deeply with our team, inspiring us all to reflect and take action." A massive thank you to Duncan for sharing his journey and to our wonderful colleague, Kevin Smart, MBA, for leading such an engaging and thoughtful conversation. Together, we’re building a stronger, more supportive community at Canstar. 

Congratulations today to Canstar’s 2024 First Home Buyer Award winners. The Canstar First Home Buyer awards recognise financial institutions offering outstanding value home loans and additional services that benefit first home buyers in making an informed decision when purchasing a home for the first time. The Bank of the Year award is awarded to a bank that offers outstanding value to first home buyers across all states and territories while the Customer Owned Bank of the Year Award goes to one institution that is present in the particular state or territory. The full list of winners for 2024 are: 🏅 First Home Buyer - Bank of the Year: Bendigo Bank 🏅First Home Buyer - Customer Owned Bank of the Year NSW: G&C Mutual Bank 🏅First Home Buyer - Customer Owned Bank of the Year QLD: Queensland Country Bank 🏅First Home Buyer - Customer Owned Bank of the Year VIC: G&C Mutual Bank 🏅First Home Buyer - Customer Owned Bank of the Year SA: Beyond Bank Australia 🏅First Home Buyer - Customer Owned Bank of the Year WA: Beyond Bank Australia We assessed 46 providers using our unique and sophisticated methodology that considers five categories that follow a customer's journey through the life of the home loan, from planning for a first home to closing a home loan. Joshua Sale, Canstar’s Group Manager - Research, Ratings & Product Data, says, “The first home buying process can be overwhelming for many reasons, and choosing your lender is just one of them. Helping Australians to understand what exceptional service should look like is important.”

🌟We’ve announced the winners for: - Canstar’s Bank of the Year Small Business Award 2024 - Canstar's 2024 Outstanding Value - Business Savings and Transaction Account Awards - Canstar’s 2024 Business Credit Card Awards The Canstar research team have worked diligently to crunch the numbers across all three awards, using our unique and sophisticated methodology tailored to each category. An assessment of value, quality of service and customer satisfaction is considered to produce the list of award winners. Congratulations to the winners in each category: 🎖️Canstar’s Small Business Award 2024 ANZ 🎖️Canstar's 2024 Outstanding Value - Business Savings and Transaction Account Awards AMP, Australian Mutual Bank Ltd, Community First Bank, Heritage Bank, Macquarie Group, Newcastle Permanent, Regional Australia Bank, Suncorp Bank, Westpac 🎖️Canstar’s 2024 Business Credit Card Awards American Express, Newcastle Permanent, St.George Bank, Suncorp Bank, Westpac

We’re always looking for new ways to stay active, so this year we took inspiration from the iconic annual Tour de France and started our own version to boost our health and wellbeing in and out of work. Mirroring the dates of the famous tour (29 June to 21 July), we had dozens of team members across the world take part in a distance and steps challenge, clocking more than 2 million collective steps.  Proving there is nothing like friendly competition to bring people together and get them moving, we saw some incredible stamina and commitment over those weeks - and particularly from our winners. We crowned developer Alexander Uy as our Tour De Canstar Group speed demon after reaching an impressive 400 km over the course of the event, and Canstar Blue Group Manager Distribution Morgan Mantova took some serious strides, walking more than 319,000 steps. Safe to say, the whole team earned the right for a serious treat by the end. Here’s to many more health and wellbeing initiatives that keep us moving as a team.