A slip in house prices is no reason to panic The current slide in Sydney and Melbourne residential property prices will fall far short of a housing bust, according to AMP Capital Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist, Shane Oliver. House prices in Sydney have fallen about 5 per cent this year from last year’s peak, and eased slightly in Melbourne according to Oliver, who adds that both markets may have further softness ahead. “I …
Tariffs, Trump, North Korea and other global political risks in the Year of the Dog Key points Geopolitical issues generate much interest as dinner party conversations but don’t necessarily have a significant impact on markets, apart from a bit of noise. But given a backlash against economic rationalist policies, the falling relative power of the US & the ability of social media to allow us to make our own reality, geopolitical risks are higher than they used to be. Key …
Where’s all the share market volatility coming from? There is quite a lot of talk about volatility coming back to share markets all of a sudden, and with the talk there’s also bit of conjecture about where the volatility originates from. Some say it’s because interest rates and bond yields are beginning to rise; others will point to the end of quantitative easing in the United States and elsewhere for the bumpier ride. The return …
Spread your money, reduce risk Six out of ten Australians own investments outside of the family home and super. That’s good news. The only problem is that many people are still putting all their eggs in one, or just a few, baskets. The latest investor study by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) found 40% of investors admit they don’t have a diversified portfolio. Almost one in two investors think their portfolio is diverse, yet …
What are the benefits of a split home loan? If you can’t decide between a fixed or variable rate, a split rate home loan could provide the best of both worlds. If you’re about to take out a home loan and are looking for some protection against interest rate rises, a fixed rate home loan may sound like the loan for you. On the other hand, if you don’t want to miss out on the benefits of …
The Australian economy – five reasons growth will continue but unlikely to be enough to justify rate Key points The Australian economy grew 2.4% through 2017, good but well below potential given high population growth. There is good reason to expect growth to continue and pick up a bit: the drag from falling mining investment is nearly over, non-mining investment is turning up, public investment is strong, trade should add to growth and profits are …
Time for women to celebrate March 8 marks International Women’s Day – a good time for women to embrace opportunities to achieve financial independence. After more than 30 years in the money business I’ve seen women make great strides with their personal finances. The gender pay gap is narrowing, lenders no longer shun single women when they apply for a home loan, and little by little, women are gaining a larger slice of the superannuation pie. …
Press for progress on International Women’s Day International Women’s Day is a time for celebrating the achievements of women and the progress that’s been made towards gender equality. March 8th is International Women’s Day. It’s a time to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and the progress we’ve made as a society towards gender equality. It’s also a day for acknowledging the work that’s still to be done. This year’s theme …
Understanding different types of retirement pensions We explain the difference between the government’s Age Pension, a transition to retirement pension, and an account-based pension. If you’ve heard the term ‘pension’ being thrown around, you may have picked up that there are many types of pensions available in Australia. We explain the difference between three commonly used pensions, including the government’s Age Pension, a transition to retirement pension, and an account-based (or allocated) pension, so you’re …
Bitcoin – is it really for you? If I could sum up the contents of my junk emails over the last 12 months in a single word it would be: Bitcoin. I can’t tell you how many unsolicited invitations I’ve received to start trading bitcoin – you may have experienced the same thing. This alone is a concern but when heavy hitters like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) start calling out the risks of bitcoin, …
