Retail spending hit record highs in March and home lending proved stronger than expected in what could prove to be a last hurrah before rising interest rates start to take their toll. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said retail trade rose 1.6 per cent in March...
Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with the Retirement Standard released by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) each quarter. The Retirement Standard provides a detailed budget of the estimated minimum living cost to support a comfortable and a modest lifestyle for...
Australian farmland prices have seen their highest growth in 27 years with land values increasing by 20 per cent in the past year, according to a Rural Bank report released on Tuesday. The Australian farmland value report which analysed data from 1995 onwards found the median...
When looking for a good deal on a home loan (mortgage), the interest rate matters. A home loan is a long-term debt, so even a small difference in interest adds up over time. Home loans come with different options and features. These can offer flexibility or...
Retail spending reached a record turnover in March against the backdrop of rising prices and eased COVID-19 restrictions. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said retail trade rose 1.6 per cent in March to $33.6 billion, 0.8 per cent higher than the previous record set in November...
Australians will be able to travel to London and New York on non-stop ultra long-haul Qantas flights from Sydney and Melbourne from late 2025, ahead of the likely addition of routes between Paris and Frankfurt. Qantas, which has been working on the no-stopover flights under Project...
The Future Fund now stands at $201 billion after posting a 10-year return of 10 per cent and despite challenging international markets. This compares with a 10-year return target of 6.4 per cent – the consumer price index plus four to five per cent. In a portfolio...
Australia’s dog owners have been urged to keep their furry friends in their backyards after the number of posties attacked while delivering the mail skyrocketed. Postal workers were attacked more than a thousand times over the past year, with an average of five dog incidents per...
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group has posted a modest lift in first-half cash profit after managing to keep a lid on costs despite continuing strong competition in the home loan market. Australia’s third-largest bank said cash profit from continuing operations for the six months ended...
The Australian stock exchange has edged lower ahead of a key Federal Reserve meeting, where the US central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates for the second time since 2018. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index faded in the afternoon to close down 11.5 points, or...