AAP
Consumer confidence plunges to worst level since 1990s
8 October
Australian households are the most persistently pessimistic they have been since the early-1990s recession, after a fourth Reserve Bank rate rise.Following the RBA’s decision to lift interest rates to the highest level since 2011, confidence among...[Read More]
Card surcharge ban will take time to work through: bank
8 October
Australian businesses will need time to adjust to the new ban on card surcharges as the major banks prepare for a potential merchant fees war.The change, driven by the central bank to give consumers transparency at the till, only came into effect on...[Read More]
Aussies forgoing lifestyle for homes in record numbers
1 October
Australians are willing to cut back their spending in record numbers to afford a property, affirming the ongoing value of home ownership, new data shows.More than 75 per cent of residents were willing to cut their spending back to afford a home, a...[Read More]
Debt concerns: treasurer’s era of cheap-money ending
30 September
Because everyone wants your money, you can charge them more for it.That’s the issue facing governments forced to pay investors more for borrowing cash in the form of bonds.The eye-watering sums being raised by artificial intelligence...[Read More]
Broad support for buying homes with super, poll shows
24 September
Most Australians want to be able to tap into their retirement savings to buy a home, a new poll has found, as parties jostle over how much control people should have over their superannuation. The idea was backed by 60 per cent of the 1583 eligible...[Read More]
Aussie investors using AI to trade in a volatile market
24 September
Mum and dad investors are increasingly using artificial intelligence to inform their stock market decisions in a fast-moving investment environment.Just under half, or 48.6 per cent, now use AI tools when planning where to place their hard-earned...[Read More]
‘Doing what we want’: Labor stands by housing tax moves
17 September
Changes to property tax breaks in the federal budget are working, the housing minister says, as data shows most home vendors are still making massive profits despite a downturn. Clare O’Neil brushed off figures from the Housing Industry...[Read More]
Small-business owners, women worried about golden years
3 September
Almost three million Australians are expected to retire over the next decade, but not everyone is heading toward their golden years with confidence. Many are still thinking about their “number” – the preferred size of their superannuation pot...[Read More]
Kids leaning into AI as literacy levels decline
3 September
A majority of Australian youth lack confidence distinguishing news fact from fiction as they increasingly source information from artificial intelligence.The 2026 News and Young Australians Report, released on Monday, found just 47 per cent of...[Read More]
Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills
2 September
Australian renters are being slugged almost $440 million a year to stay connected to gas, analysis has shown, even though landlords control whether their properties remain on the network.Rewiring Australia released the finding on Friday and called...[Read More]
Fast-evolving online scams fleece millions from Aussies
27 August
Aussies have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to scammers in 2026, with swindle tactics becoming trickier despite a drop in reported activity.Cybercriminals have cheated Australians out of $186.9 million so far in 2026, down from almost $210...[Read More]
Foreign property purchases fall as home buyer ban bites
26 August
Purchases of Australian property by overseas investors have plunged after the government announced a ban on foreigners buying Australian homes.The number of investment approvals fell by more than 22 per cent to 5284 in 2024/25, the Productivity...[Read More]
Retirement savings to be ‘decimated’ under early access
20 August
Workers being able to access their superannuation early would destroy their retirement earnings, the treasurer has warned, following calls by Pauline Hanson. The One Nation leader has called for a relaxation of rules that would allow people to...[Read More]
Tech giants unaware how many children on social media
20 August
Social media companies do not know how many Australian teenagers remain on their platforms months after the introduction of laws banning those under 16.Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and Google on Friday appeared before a Senate inquiry considering...[Read More]
Push on to shake up ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates
19 August
As a kid, Emma Willliams’ favourite dinner was McDonalds.But now a mum-of-two with a backyard full of chickens, she’s desperate for her family to avoid packaged foods and is making it her mission to minimise food waste.“I find it really hard...[Read More]