Your Money

Which state economies are performing best?

- October 31, 2025 2 MIN READ

While we always focus on the ‘big picture’ economic data for the country as a whole, I’m always fascinated by how the individual states and territories are performing. CommBank publishes a quarterly State of the States report, which always makes for great reading. The findings Overall, the latest report found that the economic performance of… Read more »

Economic figures are ugly
News

Economic growth figures out this week were ugly

- June 7, 2024 6 MIN READ

Leading into COVID we were on a world record-breaking run of consecutive quarters of positive economic growth. Since the lockdowns finished the Australian economy has been tough going. Economic growth figures out this week were ugly – up just 1 per cent for the quarter and just 1.1 per cent for the year. Remember, this… Read more »

Immigration is needed for Australian economy
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We need immigration… the balance just needs to be right

- May 31, 2024 3 MIN READ

To keep our economy ticking along, we need to attract the right type of migrants, support their arrival with infrastructure and welcome them with opportunities. I’ll be honest, I hate the politics of immigration and the hate it can create. Apart from our First Nations peoples we are a country built on migrants. Mine arrived… Read more »

RBA board announcement
News

A noteworthy change in this week’s RBA Board announcment

- March 22, 2024 3 MIN READ

Reserve Bank Board meeting week and, as expected, official interest rates were kept on hold. But there was an important change in the statement explaining the announcement. The words are now more important than the actual decision. From saying “a further increase in interest rates cannot be ruled out” in September, this week’s statement said… Read more »

RBA interest rates
News

A hefty dose of RBA financial therapy

- February 9, 2024 3 MIN READ

A tumultuous week for finance nerds like me who for years have excitedly marked the first Tuesday of the month in our calendars as “Reserve Bank Board Meeting Day”. This week was the last RBA board meeting on the first Tuesday of the month… the next one will be Tuesday March 19 as the RBA… Read more »

Australian households reduce spending
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Australian households put the brakes on the economy

- December 8, 2023 3 MIN READ

This week gave us some critical economic signposts. The RBA decided to keep interest rates on hold and the latest economic growth figures were pretty anaemic – without the impact of migration the economy would be in recession.  As expected, at their meeting on Tuesday, the RBA Board decided to keep interest rates on hold… Read more »

Inflation is heading in the right direction
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Inflation heading in the right direction at last

- December 1, 2023 2 MIN READ

I’ve said over the last couple of weeks that I reckon the December quarter CPI figure (released on 29 January) will be lower than most people think and that we are at the top of the interest rate cycle. Just as the September CPI surprised everyone by being higher than expected, the December quarter will… Read more »

Impact of inflation on households
News

Behind the headlines: what rising interest rates really mean

- November 17, 2023 4 MIN READ

The Reserve Bank has been constantly saying that as it monitors the economy for any further need for interest rate increases, apart from inflation its focus is on jobs, household spending and the property market. This week we received key data on all these areas. First up jobs. Unemployment up but job creation still strong… Read more »