Tag: Finder

Australia – Droves of Australians say social media has seduced them to spend, according to new research by Finder, a comparison site. Said survey of 1,009 respondents revealed 2 in 5 (40%) have bought something online after seeing it on social media – equivalent to 8.4 million people.

The average social media shopper spent $420 over the past year, adding up to $3.5 billion nationally. Moreover, social media has driven Aussies to purchase everything from clothing (25%), to beauty products (16%), electronics (15%), and accessories (12%).

Meanwhile, Facebook (61%), Instagram (52%), and TikTok (40%), are the top social media players when it comes to influencing Aussies to buy something.

It comes as no surprise that digital natives Gen Z were the most likely to have been influenced by these ads. More than 2 in 3 (68%) admit to buying an item they saw on social media, followed by more than half (52%) of millennials and 29% of Gen X.

Baby boomers were the least likely to be influenced – only 15% had bought something after seeing it on social media. Of those who were plied by their socials to splash out, the average Gen X spent $400 in the last year, compared to Gen Z ($293). While men (36%) were less likely to buy from social media than women (44%), they spent almost double ($553) that of women ($322).

Rebecca Pike, money expert at Finder, said social media platforms are increasingly shaping how people choose to spend their money.

“With advanced algorithms and data-driven strategies, advertisements are now more personalised than ever before. Have you ever mentioned a product in conversation and then immediately seen an ad for it the next time you opened your phone? By analysing users’ behaviours, interests, and online activity, these platforms seamlessly present tailored content that aligns with individual preferences,” she said.

She also said that it’s important to balance “treat yourself” culture with financial well-being.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with indulging in small luxuries every now and then – after all, treating yourself can be a great way to boost morale. But these splurges should come with a sense of balance and awareness, especially in today’s climate,” she stated.

Pike further added, “Ask yourself whether you can truly afford the item, and whether you will feel good about the decision later. That clothing or gadget might feel irresistible at the moment, but a pattern of these purchases can add up quickly and create financial strain in the long-run.”

She encouraged Australians to be mindful of scams when purchasing items through social media.

“Scammers often exploit social media platforms by creating fake advertisements or accounts to deceive unsuspecting consumers. It’s more important than ever to verify the authenticity of sellers, review feedback or ratings, and be cautious of deals that appear too good to be true,” Pike concluded.

Australia – Comparison site Finder has launched a global dance challenge in collaboration with Olympic breakdancer and viral sensation Rachael Gunn, better known as Raygun. 

Encouraging individuals and groups to flaunt their skills, the Raygun Dance Challenge offers a prize pool of $15,000 AUD. The initiative aims to challenge people to strive to do better.

Using the Finder Beat song, solo or group participants need to create a dance video and post it online. The finalists’ videos will be posted on Finder’s social media channels, with the number of likes determining the winner.

The winner of the solo category will be awarded $5,000 AUD, while the group winner will be awarded $10,000 AUD.

Finder will accept video submissions until  Nov. 12, while its announcement of winners will be on Nov. 22.

Raygun, who was ranked by the World DanceSport Federation as first in breakdancing, will be using her platform to support the initiative.

After scoring zero on her Paris Games performance, Raygun became viral after technicalities still landed her the top rank. 

“After Paris, I had a few people wanting to challenge my moves. I am keen for people to have their chance,” Raygun said.

“Our mission is to get people to ask themselves if they can do better with their money. We’re pumped to see Rachael using her platform to inspire Aussies to do the same, whether they’re making moves on the dance floor or with their finances,” Fred Schebesta, founder of Finder, said. 

Sydney, Australia – Global fintech Finder has launched a new Australian-first podcast series called ‘House of Tech’ which will discuss topics regarding technology, business, and regulations. Said podcast will be hosted by Fred Schebesta, founder at Finder and Senator Andrew Bragg, an Australian senator under the Liberal Party.

The hosts will be joined by business leaders from various industries, from Afterpay Co-Founder Anthony Eisen to artificial intelligence expert Dr. Catriona Wallace.

For Schebesta, they want people to learn about what’s new, what’s upcoming in the areas where things are changing, adding that they hope this podcast helps people with all the changes they’re going through regarding technology.

“I love the intersection of regulation, business and technology. It’s all happening in this space, particularly for cryptocurrency. I’m fascinated by it and I want to share the stories from these great guests about what else is changing, what else is moving well and where those three things tend to intersect,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bragg commented, “There has never been a more exciting time to be in the tech industry in Australia. Fred and I have a joint passion for how business and tech continues to evolve, so it made sense for us to share this with the world.”

To mark the launch of the podcast series, a non-fungible token (NFT) artwork has been created in line with the ‘House of Tech’ theme. The NFT will also include an exclusive lunch with Fred and the Senator, and will be auctioned off with funds raised going towards the First Nations Foundation, an organisation that works together with indigenous communities and the finance industry to provide financial education, training and information.

The podcast will be available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Finder recently launched a podcast series called ‘Block Climbing’ that centres around cryptocurrency-related topics, including the use of blockchain technology and the Web3 era.

Singapore – A third of Singaporeans think cash will be the best performing investment in 2022, making it the top pick ahead of stocks, property, and cryptocurrency, according to a report by comparison platform Finder.

About 1,136 Singaporean adults and 39,573 adults globally were surveyed in December 2021, and against the global data, it was found that Singaporeans are the second most likely to back cash out of 26 countries. Only the United States ranks higher at 34%.

The next most popular picks are stocks and property (17% each), followed by cryptocurrency (15%), bonds (7%), NFTs (6%), and commodities (3%).

Finder’s Investment Editor Kylie Purcell said Singaporeans are likely seeing security in cash.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market at the moment and cash is seen as a safe investment, but people need to consider the inflation-adjusted return. In October inflation rose considerably, with Singapore recording its biggest increase to core inflation in three years,” Purcell said.

“$100 dollars today may only be worth $80 down the track so consumers should be thinking about how they can inflation-proof their portfolios while maintaining liquidity should they need the cash,” Purcell adds.

However, Purcell says that with the MAS tightening its monetary policy, it could be good news for cash savers.

“When central banks look to raise interest rates, it’s typically good news for cash savers, and bad news for other investments like stocks,” Purcell concludes.

Sydney, Australia – Global fintech Finder has announced the launch of its cryptocurrency-themed podcast titled ‘Block Climbing’ in a bid to help Australians on their crypto journeys, including demystifying concepts around Web3 and blockchain technology.

The first episode has already been released on 5 March, and focuses on the rise of cryptocurrency amid the Ukrainian crisis, including crypto donation scams and how Russians can bypass financial sanctions through use of cryptocurrency.

According to Finder, the podcast series is a “Crypto Bro”-free zone where beginners, sceptics and everyone in between are welcome to learn, question and have a few laughs along the way.

“From understanding what Web3 actually means to delving into the depths of blockchain true crime, ‘Block Climbing’ is your new go-to source of information on all things crypto and Web3,” the company said in a press statement.

For Tegan Jones, global reviews editor at Finder and co-host of ‘Block Climbing’, the podcast will explore the good, the bad, and the just plain confusing impacts that crypto and Web3 could have on our lives.

“While we’re fascinated by crypto, we know there is a lot of unexplained jargon that can make the space seem intimidating. I think people are tired of being told to just “do their own research” because it can be hard to know where to start so we want ‘Block Climbing’ to be the place to get your questions answered in everyday language,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, Tim Bennett, publisher at Finder and co-host of ‘Block Climbing’, said that this podcast will be a fun and accessible way into crypto and Web3 content.

“There’s no doubt that blockchain is an interesting technology but there are still some questions to be answered about it. We’re excited to build a community where we can have these conversations in an informative and critical way that is super beginner friendly,” Bennett said.

In upcoming episodes the duo will be looking at North Korean crypto hackers, what Web3 actually means, whether crypto can ever be green and the unsolved mystery of Bitcoin’s origin story, as well as hearing from a few expert guests.

Chris Ellis, CEO of Finder Australia, said launching a podcast aimed at demystifying the world of Web3 made perfect sense for Finder.

“We believe that an understanding of these emerging technologies is critical for Australians looking to benefit from new finance spaces like cryptocurrency. Being able to break down complex topics is at the core of what we do at Finder so I’m very proud to be supporting a podcast like ‘Block Climbing’ to make areas like crypto and Web3 more accessible for everyone,” Ellis concluded.

The first episode of ‘Block Climbing’ is available now on all major podcast platforms, with the next episode set to drop on 16 March, as new episodes will be released fortnightly on Wednesdays.

Australia – Global comparison platform Finder has appointed David Meier, former director of product and experience design at global Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) company Zip Co, to be its new global vice president of product design.

Meier is an experienced leader in product design for technology-led businesses. During his stint at Zip Co, Meier has played a crucial role in the release of ‘Tap & Zip’, a product that drove exponential transactional growth. Aside from this, Meier has also headed up product design for property marketplace Domain.

In his new role, Meier will be assisting Finder as it continues to roll out new products and services, focusing on Web 3.0.

Meier said, “We’re literally on the cusp of a financial revolution, where the democratisation of finance lays on the horizon, and we’re in a position to help our customers join the dots.”

Finder has also announced the appointment of David Chen, former head of strategy and operations at AI-driven document intelligence platform Sypht, as its new chief legal officer.

Frank Restuccia, Finder’s founder and global co-CEO, believes that Chen and Meier’s backgrounds in high-growth technology-led businesses made them both standout recruits. 

“The next 12 months will be crucial to gaining competitive advantage in Web 3.0, and we know we need to move quickly to stay ahead of the market. We want to make sure we have the best talent and leaders on board to help us move towards not only helping people save money but invest and make money too,” said Restuccia.

In November 2021, Finder has promoted Taylor Blackburn, former head of media relations for ANZ, as its new head of public relations for the ANZ region.

Singapore – Black Friday and massive year-end sales are here and shoppers are ready to tick off their lists–even in the least ideal times. An Aussie study has already revealed that some shoppers have added to cart and checked out–while drunk. Meanwhile, Singaporean shoppers, on a lighter note, would do it–out of boredom. 

Of more than a thousand Singaporean adults, 37% will shop sales for a number of different reasons. Topping their intentions was surprisingly to stave away boredom, with 16% saying so, found a survey by comparison platform Finder. 

This is only slightly higher than the number of people who’ll shop because the sales provide good value (14%). In terms of demographics, women are slightly more likely than men to shop the sales overall (38% women vs. 37% men), while men are more likely to be shopping out of boredom (18% men vs. 15% women). 

Meanwhile, Singaporeans aged 65 and above are most likely to shop the sales, with 41% of people from this age group saying they’ll be making a purchase. Only 33% of those aged 35-44 say the same. 

Despite affirmative findings, the survey also found that 63% of Singaporean adults choose not to shop for reasons such as inflated prices (6%) and due to personally-eyed sales not being discounted (5%). 

Sydney, Australia – Online shopping while under the influence of alcohol might sound hilarious, but it does happen: the latest survey from comparison platform Finder shows that around 18% of Australians admit to doing so.

In terms of the frequency of doing it, this is split by 12% admitting to having done it once or twice, and 6% having doendo it often. 

Meanwhile, 62% of the respondents admit that although they haven’t done so, have actually shopped online while mildly sober. 

In terms of what items or services respondents eyed while ‘drunk-shopping’, the most is having food delivered, with around 1212% of the respondents. This is followed by buying alcohol (11%), and shopping for clothes or shoes (9%). Some have even gone as far as applying for a job (2%), applying for a house/apartment (1%), buying airline tickets (1%), and purchasing a pet (1%).

The average amount most spent online while drunk in one sitting was AU$328. Demographic-wise, men have admitted to spending AU$343 while drunk in one sitting, compared to AU$306 for women.

By age group, Gen X drunk shoppers are the worst offenders, spending AU$425 on average per sitting, compared to AU$299 for Millennials and AU$265 for Gen Z.

Sydney, Australia – Global comparison platform Finder in Australia has promoted Taylor Blackburn, former head of media relations for ANZ, as its new head of public relations for ANZ. 

Prior to joining Finder in September 2018, he has previously worked as the account director of communications agencies Haystac and Howorth, and the account supervisor of creative network Ogilvy Health. 

The elevation of Blackburn comes after the stepping down of Adam Freedman, who will be pursuing a different path. 

Commenting on his promotion, Blackburn said, “It’s a thrill to be leading such a great team of professionals, but even more rewarding because of what we do. I joined a really strong crew at Finder in 2018 and it’s my privilege to enable them to go even further as a team.”

Chris Ellis, Finder’s CEO for Australia, shared that Blackburn has powered an incredibly strong media relations team at Finder and demonstrated his deep understanding of the role communications plays in their business – from idea creation to media spokesperson.

“For us at Finder, our customers, partners and crew are at the heart of everything we do. As a passionate and popular leader, Taylor’s unique skill set and experience will be vital to this role, and we’re excited to see him lead our communications function into the future,” said Ellis.

Singapore – With Black Friday sales fastly approaching and planned by various brands, around 54% of Singaporean adult shoppers say they are willing to shop during these sale drops, only if the discounts given are ‘enough and right’, found a survey from global comparison platform Finder.

The latest survey found that Singaporean adults need an average discount of just under half price or 48% from the original price to partake in the shopping event. Furthermore, 15% say they’ll need a whopping 90% discount for them to shop the sales, while 13% say they’ll buy something in the sales if it’s half price with 8% willing to shop if it’s discounted by 25%.

By age group, the survey found that 18 to 24 year olds are much more likely to shop during the Black Friday sales, with 65% saying any type of discount could catch their eye, with 41% across 45 to 54 year olds, and 46% of those aged 65 and above stating the the same.

The survey also notes that Singaporean men are more likely than women to have their interest piqued, with 58% of men saying they’ll shop if the discount is big enough compared to just 48% of women.