In our ever changing world, where you never know whether to pack your brolly or your bathers from one day to the next, talk of the seemingly swift upward turn our property markets have taken of late has hit the news in a big way.

In a few days, Australians will take to the polls to decide on the fate of two men and their respective parties. During this election campaign we’ve heard…

Not too long ago, local commentators were fretting about the state of the US economy and its fall from grace with global credit ratings giants as the government floundered unsuccessfully to make a dent in the country’s mounting deficit.

Recently though, economists have turned their attention to the ailing European markets where equities are spending more time in the red than the black and the critical funds borrowed by the banks to in turn lend out to consumers like us are showing alarming signs of drying up.

There has been a lot of hubbub around the traps of late about borrowers having access to some great deals due to revitalised competition in the finance sector. But while this might have brought a smug smile of self importance to Wayne Swan’s face, many smaller lenders are not quite so jovial.

Yes, there is a battle being waged for your business; that I won’t deny. But the reality is, while the big four boys are stomping around, making lots of noise and flexing their lending muscles, the little guys are struggling to be heard.