Aussies borrowing more conservatively

While Australians are pouring more money into their homes, we’re not borrowing as much with our personal loans or credit cards, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Landlord's market in Sydney _ and Hobart

Property investors hunting for rental returns may find that Sydney has the highest asking rents in the country, but Hobart has experienced the strongest improvement in asking rents over the past few years, according to the latest figures from SQM Research.

CoreLogic tracks slowing housing affordability

CoreLogic has crunched the numbers to confirm what many of us suspected – Australia’s housing affordability worsened over the first quarter of 2017, with several measuring metrics showing a marked deterioration over the past few years.

Big banks grow share of wallet

Australia's big banks are managing more customer wealth today than they were 10 years ago, indicating a strong brand loyalty from Australians that could increase further in the future.

Car crime stats up

Keep an eye on your car keys – new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that in 2016, car crime across Australia reached its highest level since 2012, driven by spiking car theft numbers in key states.

Dwelling approvals continue downward trend

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show development of new housing slowing for the third month in a row, which could impact Australia's future housing affordability.

Super trustees in breach of transparency requirements

To ensure compliance with transparency requirements around super fund websites, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has intervened in relation to 21 of Australia’s superannuation trustees.

Small businesses to start phasing out surcharges

Getting charged extra at the checkout when you pay with your plastic should largely become a thing of the past by the end of the year, with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) preparing to enforce new laws on credit card surcharges by small businesses.

Final stage of super review now underway

The federal government is briefly shifting its attention from Australia’s banking systems to its superannuation providers, commencing the final stages of a review into the efficiency and competitiveness of the superannuation system.

Statements heard at competition inquiry

The initial stages of the Productivity Commission inquiry into competition in Australia’s financial system are now underway, with regulatory and industry bodies making statements to a roundtable hearing held in Melbourne yesterday.