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Families cutting back on eating out and streaming

Households are cutting back on eating out, entertainment and holidays as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite. National Australia Bank research, released today,

Retiree income scheme is little known and underused

By Katja Hanewald For many Australians, most of their retirement wealth is tied up in their home. A simple, well-designed program to tap into those trillions in home

Job vacancies jump to highest level since 2024

Job vacancies rose in the three months to February to their highest level since November 2024. Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed a 2.7

Junior pay rates phased out for over-18s

By Kerry Brown The Fair Work Commission has handed down a landmark ruling that will phase out “junior” rates of pay for adults aged 18, 19 and 20 in key

RBA to remove card surcharges

The RBA will remove surcharges on debit, prepaid and credit cards on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa card networks from October 1, 2026. The move is expected to save

People flocking to the regions as affordability bites

Brisbane had a net outflow of people to the regions in 2025, with many believed to be chasing jobs and housing affordability. Across Australia, three times more people

Eggs-pensive Easter stressing Australians

Easter will financially stress nearly half of Australians, with most switching to cheaper generic brands, and the average shopper spending $254.48 this year. That’s

Middle East war could lift prices by an extra 5 percent

By George Verikios A drawn-out war in the Middle East could add an extra 5 percent to existing inflation in Australia, our new modelling shows. We looked at the likely

Inflation softens in a calm before the storm

Inflation rose 3.7 percent in the 12 months to February 2026, a slight easing from the 3.8 percent recorded in January. The slight improvement is likely to be a

Queensland business confidence drops again

Business confidence in Queensland is continuing to decline off the back of “persistent” cost increases and challenging operating conditions. The Business Chamber

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