Australian energy price increases over August and September were amongst the highest in the world and a lot higher than our trading partners and other major energy producers. I questioned why this was happening. As the Economic Director for Compare The Market, I challenged the energy team to find the answer. It turns out the… Read more »
Yet another fast and furious profit reporting season is over. We get bombarded with so much information that it’s pretty hard to get perspective on what actually happened. That’s why I always look forward to CommSec’s wrap up of reporting season to provide the overview. Here’s summary of CommSec’s key takeaways from this year. Aggregate… Read more »
The Aussie dollar has dropped sharply to a nine-month low and that impacts everyone. Our Australian dollar has dropped sharply over the last couple of weeks to a nine-month low. And the fact that our interest rate cycle is peaking while other countries are still raising rates is also dampening the value of the Aussie… Read more »
As the dust has now settled after last week’s interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank, economists have been reassessing just how many more hikes are to come in this interest rate cycle. Three of the big four banks have revised their forecasts, after the lower than expected 0.25 per cent RBA October rate hike.… Read more »
Last year, half a million Australians couldn’t afford to fill a script. Here’s what needs to be done to put a lid on rising health costs. Nearly every Australian uses some part of the health system every year, whether it be going to the GP, getting a prescription filled, or seeing a specialist. Despite having… Read more »
WLTH CEO Brodie Haupt outlines the emerging lending trends of 2022 and what to look out for. If you are in the housing market or contemplating entering, it is crucial to pay close attention to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) lenders’ moves, and their impact on your mortgage. With the economy taking a brutal… Read more »
As it hits new highs, there is no shortage of bold predictions about Bitcoin reaching US$100,000 or more. Often these are based on not much more than extrapolations by people with vested interests: the price has gone up a lot so it will keep going up. If it gets above its previous high, it must… Read more »
Yesterday Westpac hiked its fixed rate home loan for the second time in less than two weeks, and today the CBA followed suit. Which begs the question: Is it time for a fixed-rate home loan? Three-year fixed-rate mortgages are tied to market rates of that term because banks borrow or hedge interest rate risk at… Read more »
The volatility of global sharemarkets prompted me to ask sharemarket gurus for the stocks on their crash watchlist. I’m really lucky because every weekday on my Ausbiz program, The Call, I get to pick the brains of the best sharemarket analysts in the country. Like me, they are all a bit wary of the volatility… Read more »
The average mortgage has increased substantially as the property market continues to cook. During the week APRA took steps to cool things down. Both Reserve Bank Australia (RBA) and the federal treasurer have said they won’t increase interest rates to cool the overheated property market. They want the states to do it by allowing more… Read more »
