The old Commodore has finally given up somewhere on the Mitchell Freeway, the tow truck driver is being kind about it, and by the time you're home, you've already opened three car listings and one finance calculator. Then the doubt creeps in. There was that missed credit card payment two years ago. The phone bill that went to a collector. The application you made with a bank in a hurry and got knocked back on. Is anyone going to lend you money for a car at all? Probably yes, and the difference between an approval and another knockback is mostly preparation. Rather than a general list of tips, here's a timeline: what to do three months out, one month out, the week you apply, on the day, and after you're approved. Follow it in order, and your application arrives in far better shape than the one you'd fire off at midnight after a breakdown. Where Perth Borrowers Stand The starting point is better than many people assume. According to Equifax, the average Australian credit score reached 864 out of 1,200 in 2025, and Western Australia's average was higher still at 893, with just over half of Australians improving their score over the previous twelve months. Two things follow from that. Scores can move and move quickly when the right habits are in place. And a lender assessing a WA applicant is used to seeing solid files, which means a below-average score stands out and needs to be explained or improved before you apply. Three Months Before You Apply This is where most of the gains are made, so start here if you possibly can. Get your credit report. You're entitled to a free copy from each credit reporting body every three months. Check it for errors, old defaults that should have dropped off, and accounts you don't recognize. Fix what's fixable. Dispute mistakes in writing. Pay out small defaults and ask for them to be marked as paid. Stop applying for credit. Every application leaves an inquiry on your file, and a cluster of them reads as desperation. No new cards, no buy-now-pay-later accounts, and no "just checking" applications. Set up automatic payments on every bill and existing loan so the next three months show a clean run. Start a deposit. Even a few thousand dollars changes how a lender sees the application. One Month Before You Apply Now shift from repair to presentation. Tidy your bank statements. Lenders will read the last three months line by line. Reduce gambling transactions, late fees, dishonours and overdrawn days to zero if you can. Reduce other debts. Paying down a credit card, or closing one you don't use, lowers the repayments a lender has to account for. Work out an honest budget. Know what repayment you can comfortably afford after rent, food, fuel, insurance and everything else. Gather documents. Payslips, tax returns if self-employed, proof of address, driver's license, and details of any existing loans. Decide your price range from the budget, not from the listings. The Week You Apply This is where choosing the right car and the right lender makes the difference. If your file has real blemishes, don't start with the bank that already said no. Specialist lenders and dealers who work with bad credit car finance every day assess applications differently, looking at current income, stability and the last few months of conduct rather than a single old default. Carmart Perth, which sells quality used vehicles rather than new ones, works with a panel of lenders that includes options for buyers with past defaults, discharged bankruptcies or thin credit histories, and the team helps match the vehicle price to what a lender is realistically likely to approve so the application isn't set up to fail. That matters because a modest, well-priced used car with a sensible loan term is far more likely to be approved than an ambitious one, and a dealer who understands the finance side can steer you to the right car before you apply rather than after a rejection. Wherever you go, ask the finance contact to pre-assess your situation before lodging a formal application, so any inquiry on your file is one that's likely to succeed. On the Day Apply once, carefully. One well-prepared application beats three rushed ones. Be completely honest about income, debts and history. Lenders verify, and a discovered omission ends the conversation. Offer the deposit you've saved; it lowers the loan amount and shows commitment. Consider a shorter term if repayments allow, since lenders see less risk over three years than seven. Ask about the rate and fees in writing before signing anything, including any balloon payment at the end. After You're Approved The approval isn't the finish line. It's the start of the next credit file. Set the repayment to come out the day after payday, automatically Never miss one; on-time car loan repayments are one of the fastest ways to lift a score Avoid new credit for at least six months Review your rate after twelve to eighteen months of clean repayments, since refinancing to a better rate becomes possible as your score improves Treated this way, a bad-credit car loan becomes the tool that repairs the credit that made it necessary. Conclusion Improving your chances of getting approved for car finance comes down to timing and honesty: clean up your credit file months ahead, present three months of tidy bank conduct, choose a car and a loan that match what a lender will realistically approve, apply once with the right lender rather than repeatedly with the wrong one, and then use the loan itself to build a better score. With Western Australians holding some of the strongest average credit scores in the country, a borrower who prepares properly has every reason to expect a yes. The Commodore may be gone, but the next car doesn't have to start with a knockback. By ML Staff. Images generated with OpenAI.

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami will open a new interactive exhibition, The Science Behind Pixar, on Saturday, October 10, as part of a month of Halloween-themed programming. The exhibition features more than 50 hands-on experiences that explore how science, technology, engineering and math are used to create Pixar films, including sections on animation, lighting and character development. Museum members are invited to a preview on Friday, October 9, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. before the exhibition opens to the public. As part of the seasonal lineup, Frost Science will host nightLAB: Weird Science on Thursday, October 15, an adults-only evening that offers after-hours museum access, special programming in the Frost Planetarium and activities with community partners. The month concludes with the 10th Annual Spooky Science Monster Mash on Saturday, October 31, a family event with science shows, themed experiments and early access programming for members. Additional October activities include a Halloween edition of Laser Evenings on Friday, October 16, combining music with laser light shows, and a MUVE volunteer work session on Saturday, October 17, supporting coastal habitat projects at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. The museum is also promoting its upcoming Winter Camp sessions in December, which focus on Earth and space science for children and teens. By ML. Photo(s)/Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Versace has unveiled a fall selection of ready to wear pieces focused on supple nappa leather, expanding its seasonal offering with new tailored and outerwear options. The collection features pants, vests, and jackets crafted with intricate quilted padding and contrast topstitching, incorporating signature House hardware and motifs to highlight the brand’s design codes for the colder season. The new nappa leather looks are available at Versace boutiques and on versace.com, where customers can explore the full range of seasonal leather designs. By ML. Photo(s)/Versace

Tiffany & Co. has expanded its HardWear jewelry line with new designs that incorporate vibrant turquoise accents. The latest pieces are inspired by an archival 1962 design and mark the first time that turquoise has been integrated into the HardWear collection’s signature links. The updated collection is part of Tiffany & Co.’s ongoing use of color in jewelry design and is available through the brand’s retail channels and online at Tiffany.com. By ML. Photo(s)/Tiffany & Co.

Chanel is spotlighting its Sublimage Les Extraits and Sublimage L’ESSENCE DE TEINT as part of an intensified skincare and complexion ritual built around polyfractioned Vanilla Planifolia. Selected from more than 117 vanilla varieties, Vanilla Planifolia is described by Chanel Research as a plant that draws strength from the shade to bloom more fully in the light. Through a patented polyfractioning process, the brand isolates active components from the plant, and the resulting polyfractioned Vanilla Planifolia is formulated to support skin rejuvenation. The Sublimage range combines Chanel’s restoring skincare formulas with the complexion product Sublimage L’ESSENCE DE TEINT to create a step by step ritual focused on improving skin texture and enhancing visible radiance. The extraction method used to obtain polyfractioned Vanilla Planifolia is protected by a patent in the United States, indicating that the approach is exclusive to the brand’s Sublimage line. By ML. Photo(s)/CHANEL

Burberry is promoting its latest range of scarves that focus on tactile textures, neutral tones and distinctive brand details, positioning the accessories as versatile wardrobe staples. Selected designs in the collection, including the signature wide check cashmere scarves, can be personalised through a complimentary monogramming service that allows customers to add initials to their chosen piece. Shoppers can explore the full range of scarves or focus on customisable options through Burberry’s online store. To browse the selection, customers can shop scarves online, and those interested in added personalisation can view personalised pieces directly. Customers who prefer to see the scarves in person can visit selected Burberry boutiques, where staff can assist with choosing materials, colours and monogram options available in store. By ML. Photo(s)/Burberry

Miami New Drama will present the world premiere of Gandhi and the Jew, a new play by Harley Elias, at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach from November 5 to 29. The production explores the early friendship between a young Mohandas Gandhi, then a lawyer in South Africa, and Jewish architect Hermann Kallenbach, focusing on how their relationship shaped Gandhi before he became a global figure. Artistic Director Michel Hausmann describes the work as an opportunity to revisit a largely forgotten chapter of history and to examine its relevance for contemporary audiences. The cast features New Delhi–born actor Keshav Moodliar, a graduate of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division, as Gandhi, and New York actor Max Katz, an alum of Drama Centre London and the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, as Hermann Kallenbach. Performances are scheduled at the Colony Theatre, with previews on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6 at 8 pm. Preview tickets are priced at $45 before later increases. Gandhi and the Jew is written by Harley Elias and directed by Margot Bordelon. By ML. Photo(s)/Miami New Drama

Aman has released a new conversation with fashion designer Kim Jones and Aman Essentials CEO Kristina Romanova, highlighting their first collaborative collection and the ideas that shaped it. The discussion focuses on how travel and design informed the collection, with Romanova and Jones describing landscapes and journeys that influenced the pieces and their materials. They also outline a shared philosophy of understated luxury and functionality, presenting the collection as a wardrobe designed to move with the wearer and adapt to different settings. Further details on the collaboration and collection are available in Aman’s online journal, which explores the creative process and aesthetic direction of the project. By ML. Photo(s)/Aman

Christian Dior presented its Summer 2027 Women’s collection in Paris, centering the runway around the Bassin Octogonal in the Jardin des Tuileries. The collection explores lightness through technical construction, treating air as an integral element of lace, silk mousseline, organza, and other delicate fabrics. Tailleur is approached as flou, with silhouettes moving between transparency and opacity to create fluid movement. Tailoring shapes are reworked in sheer silk mousseline, while cropped skirts and jackets feature lace embroidery, pleating, and georgette petals in pastel pink and blue. Denim is pleated and finished with bird-shaped buttons, and outerwear adopts soft, flowing lines. Printed jacquard plissé, inlaid Chantilly lace, printed silk mousseline, and embroidered bouclé underline the craftsmanship of the Dior ateliers. The set placed the audience around the large octagonal fountain in the Jardin des Tuileries, with a cluster of camphor trees installed in the water. Sourced from Italy, the trees are scheduled to be replanted in the Tuileries so they can continue to grow after the show. Guests from the worlds of art, music, fashion, and film attended the presentation, including actors, artists, designers, directors, and performers such as Jennifer Lawrence, Jisoo, and Camille Cottin. You can watch the show online. By ML. Photo(s)/Christian Dior

Givenchy will broadcast its Summer 2027 womenswear collection in a live show from Paris, scheduled for today at 5:30 p.m. CEST. The runway presentation will be designed by creative director Sarah Burton, with set design by James Chinlund. Viewers will be able to follow the event in real time on Givenchy.com as the fashion house unveils its latest womenswear designs for the upcoming season. By ML. Photo(s)/Givenchy

The Miami HEAT will feature a Vice City themed night on November 18 when the team hosts Milwaukee, with tickets available through Ticketmaster. Fans can buy tickets for the November 18 matchup and experience the Vice City game presentation at Kaseya Center. The team has also introduced a new Vice City uniform collection that highlights the franchise’s alternate look. Supporters can shop the collection through the official online store, where Insiders receive free shipping on orders of 99 dollars or more. By ML. Photo(s)/Miami HEAT

Dior has introduced a new selection of pieces designed for cooler days, focusing on outerwear and accessories that reflect the house's heritage. The season's collection features flared wool coats lined in silk, inspired by the iconic Bar jacket. The offering is complemented by Dior Médaillon boots and small leather goods adorned with bows, all of which emphasize the brand's enduring design codes. Customers can explore the latest styles and place orders through the official Dior website as the collection becomes available for the season. By ML. Photo(s)/Dior