For weeks I’ve been pointing toward Wednesday’s December quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement as being crucial to setting the tone for interest rates this year. Well, the result was really encouraging and basically signalled the top of this interest rate cycle. The headline CPI rose 0.6 per cent for the December quarter and 4.1… Read more »
Taking a dip in your backyard pool offers a lifestyle few other resources can match, but does a swimming pool add value to your property? The other week I wrote about real estate giant Ray White looking at the added value of having a tennis court. This week they’ve looked at the value-add of swimming… Read more »
Summer holidays are meant to be the most cheerful time of year, but 38.3 per cent of Australians argue over money with their loved ones. I know it is probably stating the bleeding obvious, but I always reckon it’s interesting to see what everyone else is arguing about to judge whether Libby and I are… Read more »
There is plenty the prime minister and his caucus can do to ease the cost of living crisis apart from just changing the stage 3 tax cuts. The overwhelming focus on tax cuts should now be shifted to a more holistic strategy to deliver household budget relief and long-term economic stability. Home loan reforms, energy… Read more »
Economists talk about much needed productivity gains and simplifying our tax system is a key part of that. The changes to the stage 3 tax cuts won’t help. I don’t have an issue with watering down the benefits to top income earners and shifting them to lower to middle income earners – those who’ve been… Read more »
I’ve said this many times before, landlords are not the bad guys in this current rental crisis. In fact, an important part of the solution to the crisis is to encourage more people to be a property investor rather than malign them. The crisis will be solved by Government building more low-cost rental housing, encouraging… Read more »
I know this isn’t very romantic, but have you ever lied to your partner about how much something cost or kept a financial secret from them? You’re not the only one, with new research revealing we’re a nation of financial cheaters. According to a recent Compare the Market survey, almost a third of Australians have… Read more »
Investing for the long term is all about getting the trend right. While the Australian sharemarket finished 2023 at near a record high (and who would have predicted that at the start of the year… or even as recently as October), this chart from one of my favourite analysts Carl Capolingua shows it is part… Read more »
When you look back on 2023 in ten years’ time, the one thing you might remember is just how expensive everything from petrol to power and even chips and chocolate got. That’s why we need to make 2024 the year of the financial fightback. Yes, some price hikes will be hard to avoid. But if… Read more »
If you’re invested in shares, remember how gloomy you were in October? The market was looking terrible as share values tanked. Investors panicked and hit the “sell” button. And that was a mistake. The Australian sharemarket rose 4 per cent in November, over 5 per cent in December and now sits at close to record… Read more »
