The signature election housing policy of the federal government is worsening affordability for first time homebuyers, even as it gets more people into home ownership. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese campaigned on widening eligibility to a five per cent deposit guarantee and implemented the policy in October...
Waning consumer confidence could give the Reserve Bank pause as it mulls hiking interest rates at its next meeting. Household spending data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed consumers were gathering steam late last year. Spending through the year to November surged to...
Three Reserve Bank interest rate cuts were widely credited with accelerating growth in property values last year, but historical data shows the most drastic price surges aren’t always due to falling borrowing costs. The 8.6 per cent increase in home values last year was the 11th...
The Reserve Bank’s deputy governor has brushed off a surprisingly soft inflation print, reiterating to borrowers they should not expect any more mortgage relief soon. Inflation figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed the consumer price index was flat in November, slowing...
Australians splashed out on Black Friday sales, concerts and sporting events, putting household spending on track to exceed central bank forecasts. Household spending rose one per cent in November, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Monday. That is 6.3 per cent higher than the same time...
Miners have welcomed the government’s $1.2 billion plan to buy critical minerals to shore up supplies for defence and clean energy technologies. Antimony, gallium and rare earth metals were unveiled by Resources Minister Madeleine King as the first elements to be included in a long-promised strategic...
THE COST OF EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA ACROSS 13 YEARS FOR A CHILD STARTING SCHOOL IN 2026 * National city average: $113,594 (government), $247,174 (catholic), $369,594 (independent) * National regional and remote average: $100,395 (government), $223,874 (catholic), $230,144 (independent) MAJOR CITY SCHOOL COSTS * Melbourne: $121,202 (government), $247,999 (catholic), $435,902...
If you think you’re paying too much for a cup of coffee, there’s good news and bad. The positive is that the extraordinary spike in the cost of beans, which caused cafes and supermarkets to increase prices in the past two years, has stabilised. Drought in Brazil,...
Australians’ blooming love affair with fuel-efficient vehicles is sweeping into the second-hand car market, with figures showing hybrid and electric models are wooing more candidates. But plug-in hybrid electric cars are rising in popularity fastest, with the vehicles becoming the only type to post an increase...
Many people dream of “owning a business,” yet unknowingly recreate the very job they were trying to escape. They swap a boss for customers, fixed hours for longer ones, and job security for constant pressure. True business ownership, in its purest sense, is different. It’s about...