Econosights: How will households respond to higher interest rates? Key points We think that the Reserve Bank of Australia will start to tighten interest rates at the end of 2022 (the RBA themselves think a rate hike will come in 2024 or possibly 2023). The last time the central bank hiked the cash rate was more than a decade ago. Falling interest rates over the past 20 years has led to a large decline …
5 common financial mistakes to avoid during a crisis The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with finances for many households. Fran Hughes CFP®, Head of Financial Solutions at Nexia Perth offers five ways to limit the impact at this challenging time. With Australia recording a spike in the unemployment rate of 6.2% due to the coronavirus, it’s only natural that households feel under enormous financial pressure and face uncertainty about their future. Perhaps …
Making the most of tax savings before 30 June The COVID-19 crisis is turning out to be a tough time for many households. Maximising tax effectiveness is one strategy for being smart with your finances. With the financial impact of COVID-19 being felt by many individuals and families, perhaps you’re looking to lodge your next tax return quickly to benefit from a refund. Before the end of the financial year arrives on 30 June, it’s …
Maybe it’s all the unkept hair around these days, but the 1980s song ‘Money’s too tight to mention’ came to mind recently, as I thought about how companies and households are managing their cashflows in light of the current lockdown. Some of you may know it as the pop song by Simply Red. Actually, it was first released as a blues song in the US in 1982 in the midst of a biting world …
Key points The global fiscal and monetary response to the coronavirus has been mammoth. Global fiscal stimulus is worth over 3% of GDP, interest rates have been slashed to the lower bound, quantitative easing programs have been launched and central banks are providing cheap lending facilities. The latest US stimulus program provides broad support to the economy and injects a fiscal impulse worth 6% of GDP. Fiscal stimulus won’t be enough to keep the economy …
Should the RBA raise rates to prepare households for higher global rates? Key Points The RBA should avoid calls to raise interest rates prematurely just to prepare households for higher global rates. Such a move would be Iike shooting yourself in the foot in order to practice going to the hospital.. Nor should the RBA mess with the inflation target that has served Australia well. We don’t see it doing either and continue to see …
Are Australian households more vulnerable than we think? A lot has been said and written about Australia’s household debt levels and possible implications on the banking system and the economy more broadly. But could Australian households be even more constrained than the headline numbers are suggesting? Michele Bullock, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Assistant Governor, highlights the stresses households will likely be facing well before any rise official interest rate materialises in this speech. Bullock points …
