Why is Australian housing so expensive and what can be done to improve housing affordability? | AMP Capital

Why is Australian housing so expensive and what can be done to improve housing affordability?   Key Points The key drivers of poor housing affordability and high household debt levels in Australia have been low rates and poor housing supply. Macro prudential controls to slow home lending now look imminent. But this is just a cyclical measure. More fundamental measures to improve housing affordability need to focus on boosting housing supply and decentralising away from …

Five reasons why the Australian dollar is likely to resume its upswing over the next 12 months | AMP Capital

Five reasons why the Australian dollar is likely to resume its upswing over the next 12 months   Key Points Since its February high of around $US0.80 the $A the $A has fallen on the back of global growth concerns, a slowdown in China and the Delta outbreak in Australia. However, there is good reason to expect the $A to resume its rising trend: sentiment towards the $A is negative; global growth is likely to …

Why saving is behaving

Why saving is behaving Did you know there are 293 ways to make change for a US dollar, but only 50 for an Australian dollar? Cashiers in America must have jumped for joy when debit cards became the rage. Is your bank taking you for a ride? We all have our own methods of saving money. Some are strict―people who set a budget for the week and won’t buy a fourth glass of shiraz if …

Why people choose the wrong credit card

Why people choose the wrong credit card Now we have a bit more proof that these warnings from consumer advocates were spot on. As banks face pressure to live up to claims they “put customers first”, the Reserve Bank released research finding almost two out of three Australian cardholders receive no “net monetary benefit” from having a credit card. When you think about it, that’s a surprisingly high proportion of customers who are no better …

Under 40 and broke: Why young people need financial advice more than ever

Under 40 and broke: Why young people need financial advice more than ever With increasing debt and falling home ownership among the under 40s, their financial prospects are less than rosy.  If this trend is set to continue, young people are going to be needing financial advice more than ever to help them make the best choices for a secure future. There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about how much better off …

Why the $A is likely to fall further and shorting it is good protection against things going wrong globally

Why the $A is likely to fall further and shorting it is good protection against things going wrong globally Key points The downtrend in the $A from 2011 likely has more to go. The $A is near fair value, but the increasing negative interest rate gap to the US & a messy outlook for commodities suggest a fall to $US0.70 by year end. Given the downside risks for the $A and that being short the …

Why rates aren’t going up in Australia Here’s 4 reasons why:

Why rates aren’t going up in Australia Here’s 4 reasons why: It wasn’t so long ago that everyone was wondering when rates were going to rise. Now it’s looking like we will be waiting for a while before the Reserve Bank of Australia puts up official rates. We don’t expect the RBA to raise rates until 2020. How is this so, you may ask, given inflationary fears are playing some havoc with stock markets, particularly …

Why buying too many items on sale could be costing you a mint

Why buying too many items on sale could be costing you a mint Are you rushing out to buy things you need, or could really be going without? We’ve all done it—seen something on sale (particularly over the Christmas/New Year trading period) and without a second thought, jumped to the conclusion—great discount, I must have it straight away. If it’s an item that has been on your list for a while, you might save some …

Why it pays to contribute to your partner’s super

Why it pays to contribute to your partner’s super If your other half is a stay-at-home parent, working part-time or out of work, adding to their super could benefit you both financially. If your spouse (husband, wife, de facto or same-sex partner) is a low-income earner or not working at the moment, chances are they’re accumulating little or no super at all to fund their retirement. The good news is, if you want to help …

Why passive investing now won’t deliver all your goals

Why passive investing now won’t deliver all your goals Passive investment funds used to be a relatively obscure part of the market. But with their popularity soaring in recent years, many investors might now be sceptical about paying for active investment. Market performance over recent years would reinforce that scepticism. Holding a passive mix of mainstream assets has performed very well over the last 5 years. For example, an investor who suffers a permanent 25% …