Inflation
Opinion
Income tax
Yes, we need tax reform, but it offers no easy answers
Surely if we could end the crazy business of bracket creep, we’d pay less tax? Well, yes – but no.
- by Ross Gittins
Latest
Exclusive
Cost of living
Ordinary workers ‘can’t keep up’ with mortgages, rent and bills – even with multiple jobs
Working Australians, some with multiple jobs, are inundating financial counselling services at COVID-era levels as interest rates and inflation make life unaffordable.
- by Shane Wright
Rents, weather events and premiums mean fight against inflation not yet won
Australia’s inflation rate has been falling for over 18 months, but rent and insurance inflation are among the household essentials bucking that trend.
- by Rachel Clun
Opinion
Interest rates
The ‘brace position’ that could help some homeowners’ budgets
Australian borrowers now know to talk to their lender before they get into serious money trouble – and that’s a good thing.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Early end-of-financial-year sales help lift retail spending
Retail turnover rose by 0.6 per cent in May following two sluggish months of consumer spending.
- by Rachel Clun and Shane Wright
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Donald Trump’s dangerous ideas have these ‘vigilantes’ worried
With Donald Trump favoured to regain the US presidency, a group of investors is starting to focus on the implications of his core economic policies. They’re concerned.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Analysis
Interest rates
The only certainty for your mortgage rate – Reserve Bank uncertainty
The Reserve Bank is supposed to have a handle on how the economy will perform over the next two years. Its minutes show it doesn’t.
- by Shane Wright
Updated
Sharemarket
ASX retreats as tech firms slide; coal miners surge after mine fire
Eight out of the 11 ASX sectors ended Monday’s trading session in the red, with a surge in the shares of coal miners helping to temper some of the losses as the benchmark index fell 0.2 per cent.
- by Millie Muroi
Opinion
Australian economy
Why we’re going into the new financial year carrying last year’s problems
It is difficult to see anything much that will stimulate corporate profits in the remainder of this calendar year.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Interest rates
Why interest rate speculators should get back in their box
The future of interest rates needs more brainpower and a lot less idle speculation.
- by Ross Gittins
Exclusive
Tax cuts
Value of stage 3 tax cuts will be gone soon after next election
Australians will start to see their pay packets improve from Monday as the stage 3 cuts begin, but more tax cuts are needed to stop tax rates climbing higher.
- by Shane Wright