Australian households are feeling slightly less optimistic about the economy after reeling in their expectations for further interest rate cuts. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index fell 3.1 per cent to a “cautiously pessimistic” 95.4 in September. Sentiment has been steadily improving through 2025 amid falling inflation...
Australian borrowers have been warned the end of interest rate cuts may be near as a surge in household spending heats up the economy. A surprise jump in economic growth, revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, was followed by strong household spending data,...
We know small businesses work hard to get their tax and super right, however we understand mistakes can still happen. If you’re a sole trader, you can get ahead this tax time by avoiding these common errors: Not reporting all income – this includes income earned...
Australia’s Future Fund has smashed its investment target, delivering a 12.2 per cent return to send the nation’s sovereign wealth fund above $250 billion for the first time. The bumper result for 2024/25 exceeded the fund’s mandate of 6.9 per cent per year and came despite...
Housing affordability has plunged to a 20-year low, but first-home buyers are still finding ways to get into the market. Despite interest rates starting to come down, surging house prices have made it harder than ever for Australians to buy a home, according to a report...
Housing, energy and infrastructure developments could be fast-tracked in some areas and blocked entirely in others under a major overhaul of Australia’s planning rules. The federal government is promising to enshrine “regional planning” in national law, allowing officials to consider the combined impact of developments in...
The head of Australia’s largest super organisation says he’s open to improvements to performance tests for underperforming funds. AustralianSuper chief executive Paul Schroder said it was “utterly important” for benchmarks on returns to remain, but was receptive to suggestions to bolster protections. “It’s really important to protect...
It takes a village to raise a child, but access to one is far from equal. Families often rely on grandparents, neighbours, friends and others to help rear the next generation and make the daunting task of parenthood less stressful. But financially insecure Australians, renters, those with...
Australia risks getting left behind by the AI wave because of red tape stopping firms from building essential digital infrastructure, the head of the nation’s biggest telco warns. The telecommunications sector will be essential to supporting the rollout of artificial intelligence but is being hampered by...
Running a business comes with countless moving parts, but one thing is certain: solid financial management is the backbone of success. Many small business owners start by handling their books themselves, only to find the task overwhelming, time-consuming, and sometimes costly when mistakes slip through. Hiring...