News & Articles, Demographics
Super payments set to outstrip contributions
AUSTRALIA'S superannuation system is facing a funding crunch that could see payments to retirees outstrip contributions by workers, according to a study.
SMSF lending laws become clearer
Changes to the law around lending to self-managed super funds (SMSFs) has injected new life into the use of super money for property investment.
Australians still living on borrowed dimes
A NEW era of financial conservatism sweeping Australia has failed to stop our ballooning credit card balances, which have climbed 16 per cent in the past three years.
Image improves, but funds still viewed as not-so-super
SENTIMENT towards superannuation funds has improved for the first time since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008 but more than half of working Australians still distrust their super fund.
Aussies in danger of outliving super funds
SUPERANNUATION pensions are becoming the new "investment frontier" as more Australians switch their super fund over to pension mode.
Australia will be home to 11.8m households by 2031
THE number of Australian households will increase to 11.8 million by 2031 - up four million from 7.8 million in 2006, according to housing projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Caloundra South a growth hotspot
CALOUNDRA South has pushed and shoved its way ahead of Sunshine Coast counterparts to become one of the fastest growing areas in the state.
Australia will be home to 11.8m households by 2031
THE number of Australian households will increase to 11.8 million by 2031 - up four million from 7.8 million in 2006, according to housing projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Three new "model cities" for southeast Queensland
THE Queensland Government has announced three brand new cities will be built in the state's southeast from the ground up to take pressure off population growth.
Australia's rampant population growth to ease
After racking up record population growth over the past two years, Australia's population boom is set to slow considerably in 2010/11 and 2011/12 according to a new study.
WA, Queensland dominate Australia's biggest construction boom
The largest construction projects are flowing into Western Australia and Queensland and away from NSW and Victoria, a new report has revealed.
Top 10 mistakes to avoid in a will
UP to half of Australians don't have a will, leaving their family exposed to a long, stressful paperwork nightmare. Even with a will, however, there is still a high chance that assets and personal items can end up in the wrong hands. Mistakes and misunderstandings about how to word a will are common practice.
Australians living in prosperous times, says CommSec
AUSTRALIANS have never had it so good, to coin a phrase.
Investor confidence eases, worries over super access
JUST over half of Australians are worried that the Federal Government may change laws surrounding access to their superannuation funds, a new survey has found.
Bankrolling a baby a daunting task
BANKROLLING a baby is one of the most daunting financial tasks many people will face, but buying prams, cots and cradles are just a tiny part of the overall cost.
Financial Crisis isn't over yet - expert warns
Australia cannot continue to rely on its place in Asia to dodge the fall-out from the global financial crisis, a leading foreign regulator has warned.
Brace for Australia's housing boom
Despite concern of worsening housing affordability brought by rising interest rates and soaring property prices, Australia's property investors could expect the current upswing to culminate into a boom within two years according to a new report.
FIRST-HOME buyers leapt to the highest level on record during last year, with 191,000 Australians taking their first step on the property ladder.
Brisbane voted the best place to invest in
After underperforming during the past 12 months, many property investors believe Brisbane now offers the best investment opportunities according to a survey conducted by PRDnationwide.
Median land price, sales volume soar
The cost of residential land continues to rise nationally; with a new report showing the median price of raw land jumped 5.7% to $181,158 in the September 2009 quarter.
Costs of buying land to build on rising
THE dream of building a home has become dearer for Australians as land prices have risen to a new high, a survey says.
Up-graders to dominate in 2010
Up-graders will be a force to be reckoned with in 2010, according to the LJ Hooker/BIS Shrapnel Residential Property Index.
Housing confidence back to ''boom'' days
The GFC is now a 'distant memory for most Australians' according to the latest MFAA/ Bankwest Home Finance Index.
Consumer confidence is 33.6% higher than one year ago, according the Westpac-Melbourne consumer sentiment index.
Insurance can help cover your bet on the house
WITH three interest rate rises behind us and more forecast for later this year, more homeowners are considering insurance to help them meet their repayments if they fall into financial difficulty.
Double digit growth for housing in 2009
Australian home values have delivered double digit growth in 2009, according to figures from RP Data.
Queensland residents want to cap population growth
RESULTS from a Galaxy poll suggest that 60 per cent of Queenslanders want the Government to take steps to limit the state's southeast population growth explosion.
“Huge wall of capital” to flow into Australian real estate
Asia-Pacific investors look set to flock to Australia’s property market following South Korea’s National Pension Service’s decision to buy a prominant Sydney office building.
Quality brokers to capitalise on leaner industry
The impending National Consumer Credit Code will drive more business to quality brokers, one of CBA’s most senior executives has claimed.
Rising costs as inflation dragon awakens
In its latest board minutes, the Reserve Bank has warned about the prospect of rising prices, and we should be heeding that advice.
Australia set for population explosion
Commenting on the figures, treasury secretary Ken Henry existing population centres would see the most significant rises.
Swift economic recovery likely: Commsec
According to Craig James, chief economist at Commsec, it's not so much a question of whether the economy is recovering – rather the real question is what shape the recovery will take.
Businesses hamstrung by tight lending
The potential for private businesses to grow is there but the funding is not, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Unemployment to peak at 6.8pc: Access Economics
Australia’s unemployment rate is expected to reach 6.8 per cent in mid-2010, a far cry from the 9 per cent predicted by some analysts earlier this year.
Coastal markets to enjoy future growth
Now is the best time for potential property buyers to grab a coastal bargain, according to RP Data’s research director Tim Lawless.
Where to now for first-time buyers?
INTEREST rate rises have been widely tipped to push many first-home buyers out of the real estate market, but they may prove more resilient than expected.
Consumer sentiment continues solid upwards run
Westpac's chief economist Bill Evans said in the last tightening cycle sentiment only started to respond adversely when the standard variable mortgage rate exceeded 6.55 per cent.
The Australian Bankers' Association is reminding consumers that deposits up to $1m are guaranteed across all banks, not just the majors.
Investors set to flood market: survey
Almost 90 per cent of investors will purchase property in the next two years, a survey from PRDnationwide has found.
Glenn Stevens says economic outlook good
RESERVE Bank (RBA) Governor, Glenn Stevens, says Australia's medium term prospects are good, rates will rise and that he is glad he did not have to cut rates to zero per cent.
Population boom to cause critical supply shortage
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that Australia's population grew by 2.1% to 21,779,000 in the 12 months ending 31 March. This level of growth has not been seen since the 1960s.
Australian population to hit 35 million in 2049
THE Australian population will explode to 35 million people in a generation, and we will be younger than previously thought.
Households withdrew $4 bn from banks amid GFC panic
HOUSEHOLDS are still hoarding $4 billion in cash that was pulled out of the banks in September and October last year, during what the Reserve Bank has revealed was a panic run.
Swan declares era of cheap money is over
"We have to price risk appropriately," he said today on the first anniversary of the onset of the global financial crisis.
Finance commitments down; investor interest up
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed a slowdown in the rate of growth of finance commitments.
Extra income comes with a sting
Census statistics show families with two full-time working parents and two dependent children under the age of 24 feel that they need more than $110,000 a year to survive, and they are willing to sacrifice family time, holidays and relaxation to achieve their goals.
Global economy has improved: RBA
Economic conditions in the global economy have improved in the past few months, Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, says.
Global economy has improved: RBA
"Things abroad hardly look rosy but they look distinctly better than they did a few months ago," Mr Stevens told a House of Representatives Economic Committee hearing in Sydney today.
Australia tops ranking for buffering recession
It's official: Australia is the best place to weather out the current global downturn.
Migration cuts unlikely to impact dwelling shortage
Government plans to decrease migrant intake are expected to ease the tight rental market but dwelling supply is unlikely to swell as a result of years of underbuilding across the country.
Greed is a spent force, say researchers
IF THERE were any lingering doubts that Gordon Gekko* and all that he stood for was dead, the latest consumer research confirms it.
Taking a step into property investing
PROPERTY investing is becoming more popular as interest rates tumble, the share market remains in the doldrums and returns from cash deposits head towards zero.
How the rich differ from the rest
WHAT is "rich"? Ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers.
MORE than half of small property investors are losing out on potentially thousands of dollars each year because they are failing to accurately claim depreciation on their assets.
Steps to insuring against life's downturns
PERSONAL insurance can seem daunting to think about, with strange words, mountains of paperwork, medical tests and probing personal questions all conspiring to deter people.