‘Hot mess’ inflation result puts rate rise on the table

26 August

More interest rate hikes are on the cards after Australia’s headline inflation rate came in higher than expected, despite falling to its lowest level in eight months.The consumer price index rose one per cent in July, resulting in the annual rate...[Read More]

Fast-evolving online scams fleece millions from Aussies

26 August

Aussies have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to scammers in 2026, with swindle tactics becoming trickier despite a drop in reported activity.Cybercriminals have cheated Australians out of $186.9 million so far in 2026, down from almost $210...[Read More]

Foreign property purchases fall as home buyer ban bites

26 August

Purchases of Australian property by overseas investors have plunged after the government announced a ban on foreigners buying Australian homes.The number of investment approvals fell by more than 22 per cent to 5284 in 2024/25, the Productivity...[Read More]

Jobs data and a fireside chat: the economic week ahead

19 August

As the US dragged itself out of the Great Depression, newly-elected president Franklin D Roosevelt pioneered an informal style of radio address to nurture rapport with a bruised American public.It’s unclear whether the LED lighting at...[Read More]

Retirement savings to be ‘decimated’ under early access

19 August

Workers being able to access their superannuation early would destroy their retirement earnings, the treasurer has warned, following calls by Pauline Hanson.The One Nation leader has called for a relaxation of rules that would allow people to...[Read More]

Early days but a door is opening for first home buyers

19 August

A dive in new home loans to property investors is an “encouraging sign” Labor’s changes to negative gearing and the capital gains discount are working as intended, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.The number of investor loans fell 8.6 per cent in...[Read More]

Tech giants unaware how many children on social media

19 August

Social media companies do not know how many Australian teenagers remain on their platforms months after the introduction of laws banning those under 16.Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and Google on Friday appeared before a Senate inquiry considering...[Read More]

AI boom, productivity malaise making RBA’s job harder

19 August

The surge in artificial intelligence investment and Australia’s sluggish productivity growth rate are forcing the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates higher, a top central bank official says.Speaking two days after the RBA kept the cash rate...[Read More]

Push on to shake up ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates

19 August

As a kid, Emma Willliams’ favourite dinner was McDonalds.But now a mum-of-two with a backyard full of chickens, she’s desperate for her family to avoid packaged foods and is making it her mission to minimise food waste.“I find it really hard...[Read More]

Australians are ‘furious’ about inflation: RBA deputy

9 September

Australians are “furious” about inflation and it will take the nation years to fully get on top on higher post-pandemic living costs, the Reserve Bank’s deputy governor says.Ahead of the central bank’s meeting later this month on interest...[Read More]

Reserve Bank’s grim rates warning as oil prices spike

9 September

The Reserve Bank might have to raise interest rates if inflation is higher than expected as oil prices surge back towards $US100 a barrel.More attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz drove Brent crude above $US97 a barrel, which will seep...[Read More]

AI boom forecast as Australia’s biggest bonanza yet

9 September

The adoption of artificial intelligence is rocketing in Australia, creating massive demand for infrastructure that will deliver jobs and economic benefits.The nation was at the “cusp of a data centre boom”, Oxford Economics head of economics...[Read More]

‘Green light’ for rate hike as GDP growth surprises

2 September

Australia’s economy grew by 2.1 per cent in the last financial year, cementing the odds for another rate rise as the economy proves more resilient than the Reserve Bank expects.Gross domestic product expanded by 0.4 per cent in the June quarter,...[Read More]

Small-business owners, women worried about golden years

2 September

Almost three million Australians are expected to retire over the next decade, but not everyone is heading toward their golden years with confidence.Many are still thinking about their “number” – the preferred size of their superannuation pot...[Read More]

Blanket bans on AI could cause ‘data centre panic’

2 September

One-size-fits-all restrictions on how artificial intelligence data centres are powered could send investment in the growing technology overseas, business groups warn.In a submission to a Senate inquiry into AI data centres, the Australian Chamber of...[Read More]