What info is on my credit report and why does it matter? Your credit report reveals whether you’ve been paying your bills on time and it matters because it could affect your ability to borrow money. If you’ve got a credit card, personal loan, mobile phone plan or utility account, there’s probably a credit reporting agency out there that has a file with your name on it. Credit providers give this information to the credit …
Capitalising on the COVID-19 recovery Australia’s strong economic recovery has certainly been interrupted by lockdowns across the country, but despite this short-term pain, we believe the economic momentum following the re-opening will bode well for commercial real estate and those investors able to find value from both traditional and alternative real estate sectors. It may feel like a surprising statement with many still in lockdown and case numbers stubbornly high, but we believe the time …
Coronavirus continues to cause havoc globally and in Australia – but here are five reasons for optimism Key points The news on coronavirus has been bleak again lately – with rising cases globally & the ongoing NSW lockdown. However, there are five reasons for optimism: lockdowns still work against Delta (eg, in SA & Victoria); vaccines are working; once lockdowns end economic activity rebounds quickly; the threat posed by Delta will keep fiscal & monetary …
Inflation – why it matters for investment markets Key points The shift from high inflation to low inflation has been a key tailwind for investment returns over the last 40 years – in particular it has allowed capital growth in excess of growth in earnings and rents. A long-term stabilisation in inflation around central bank targets which is our base case would remove this tailwind but still allow reasonable returns, whereas a sustained break …
Australian housing finance is booming… but can it continue? What the data is saying According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) , the total value of new loan commitments for housing and within that, the value of owner occupier home loan commitments each reached record highs last month. Some key figures include: 1. The total value of new loan commitments for housing rose 8.6 per cent to $26 billion (seasonally adjusted.) This …
What could a Biden Presidency mean for market outcomes? Market performance in the wake of the US election has been overwhelmingly positive, with Australian and US shares up 11% in November, Japanese shares up 16% and Eurozone shares up 17%. It’s somewhat of an ironic note, given Donald Trump’s fondness to cite stock market strength as indicators of his own economic success, and yet it’s gone up on news of his election loss. There are …
Modern Monetary Theory – can it help with economic problems or is it just another Magic Money Tree? Key points Modern Monetary Theory reminds us that monetary financing of government spending need not be inflationary if there is spare capacity in the economy. But it suffers from a number of problems: it implies there is always some sort of free lunch; it underestimates the costs of large-scale public employment programs; and it underestimates the …
Make your cancelled holiday count If your usual Christmas travel plans have been put on hold by COVID-19, don’t despair. Your holiday savings could turn out to be a cash bonanza for your finances. COVID-19 has played havoc with our love of travel, forcing many to shelve their annual summer holiday for another year. But while you still can’t take that overseas trip you’ve been craving, there are plenty of ways to put your funds …
Modern Monetary Theory – can it help with economic problems or is it just another Magic Money Tree? Key points Modern Monetary Theory reminds us that monetary financing of government spending need not be inflationary if there is spare capacity in the economy. But it suffers from a number of problems: it implies there is always some sort of free lunch; it underestimates the costs of large-scale public employment programs; and it underestimates the difficulties …
Econosights: Global labour markets are worse than they appear Key points Global labour markets have proved resilient during the COVID-19 shock. One of the reasons for this is the utilisation of wage subsidy schemes. These schemes mask stood down or underutilised workers, keeping the unemployment rate artificially lower than it would be otherwise. The labour force participation rate has also plummeted in developed countries which has helped to keep the unemployment rate down. These discouraged …
