Finance
Navigating your next adventure with ease – a checklist for your next road trip
26 February
Planning a road trip can be an exciting adventure, offering a unique blend of freedom, discovery, and bonding opportunities. Whether you’re exploring familiar landscapes or venturing into unknown territories, preparation is key to ensuring a...[Read More]
Oliver’s Insights – The outlook for Australian shares – is the long underperformance versus global shares over?
26 February
Key points Over the long-term Australian shares have been a relatively strong performer, but it does go through relatively long periods of out and underperformance versus global shares. We see more upside in Australian shares supported by the...[Read More]
Housing and energy costs surge higher in inflation data
26 February
The first round of inflation data for the year has arrived, which is likely to increase pressure on the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates further. WHAT DID THE DATA REVEAL? * Headline inflation remained steady for January at 3.8 per cent * Trimmed...[Read More]
‘Dumbest option’: top economist slams housing tax break
26 February
A major rewrite of Australia’s tax rules is needed to make them fairer and more efficient, one of the nation’s top economists has warned. Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, who led a 2010 review of taxes, said the current system could be...[Read More]
Retirement question a quarter of Aussies can’t answer
26 February
What’s your superannuation fund? That’s the question one in four Australians cannot answer at the top of their heads, as concern grows over workers’ lack of engagement with their retirement plans. Some 26 per cent of Australians cannot name...[Read More]
Stubborn inflation could spell further rates pain
26 February
Higher levels of inflation will stick around for several months, the treasurer has warned, as new figures put pressure on the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates further. Underlying inflation ticked up for January, coming in at 3.4 per cent, up from...[Read More]
Vested interest ‘cartel’ killing Aussie housing dream
26 February
A “cartel” of vested interests is stymying crucial tax reforms which could help free up more homes, a former boss of the Reserve Bank says. Bernie Fraser, the only person in Australian history to have served as both RBA governor and Treasury...[Read More]
Aussies tapping more credit as arrears value swells
26 February
Australians have leaned into debt ahead of the central bank’s pivot to hike interest rates, with applications for mortgages and credit cards doubling in the recent quarter. Mortgage credit demand grew 12.3 per cent, while credit card applications...[Read More]
Labour pains for borrowers as jobs data hits rate hopes
26 February
Ongoing strength in the nation’s jobs market has lifted the change of another interest rate rise in the coming months, experts warn. Australia’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 per cent for January with nearly 18,000 jobs created, according...[Read More]
Asking for a pay rise: How to prepare for the conversation that matters
19 February
For many professionals, the annual performance review is both an opportunity and a source of anxiety—especially when it comes to discussing remuneration. Asking for a pay rise can feel uncomfortable, even risky. Yet when approached thoughtfully...[Read More]
Refinancing your home loan can unlock new opportunities and ease financial pressure
19 February
For many, a home loan is one of the largest financial commitments they’ll ever make. Yet, it’s not something most people revisit often enough. Whether you’re paying off credit cards, dreaming of a kitchen renovation, or wondering if your...[Read More]
Money, meaning, and mistakes: The advice I’d give my younger self
19 February
If I could sit down with my younger self and offer a heartfelt conversation, it would revolve around the two pillars of a well-lived life: financial wisdom and life perspective. It wouldn’t be a lecture, but more like quiet guidance—a few...[Read More]
Oliver’s insights – Nine key charts for investors to keep an eye on
19 February
Key points This year has started off rather messy with geopolitical threats and worries around AI disruption and valuations. We are mildly upbeat on shares for the year but see a 15% or so correction as likely along the way. Nine key charts worth...[Read More]
Rising inflation breaks streak of real wage growth
19 February
Inflation has outstripped wage growth for the first time in more than two years, despite many workers receiving a recent boost to their pay packet. December quarter wages data released on Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed...[Read More]
‘Too high’: risk to economy forces RBA’s hand on rates
19 February
The risk of persistent inflation over coming months was behind the Reserve Bank’s decision to hike interest rates for the first time since 2023. Minutes from the central bank’s February meeting – where the board decided to lift the cash rate...[Read More]