Finances

Woman Checking Electricity Bill Turning out the Lights at Home

Inflation monster refusing to be tamed

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.8 percent in the 2025 calendar year, keeping upward pressure on mortgage interest rates following positive employment data last
Read more28 January 2026
Cheerful female students wearing blue school uniforms walking in locker room

Back-to-school spend trend sparks alarm bells

Retailers say early trends in back-school shopping reflect a “worrying pattern” of consumer spending. The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said back-to-school
Read more21 January 2026
Handsome young man opening door looking on what his neighbor is doing.

Households still try to ‘keep up with the Joneses’

The idea of “keeping up with the Joneses” is still deeply embedded in the Australian culture. A new survey, released today by the Salvation Army, found 45 percent of
Read more21 January 2026
Businessman in private jet

Billionaires raking in $67,000 an hour

Australian billionaires collectively lifted their wealth by $28 billion in 2024, according to research released today by Oxfam. The report said Australia’s 47
Read more19 January 2026
China's economy doing better than expected - Newsreel

China’s economy avoids being Trumped

China’s economy appears to have deflected deep damage from President Trump’s tougher tariff policies. The Commonwealth Bank’s just-released China Economic Update
Read more18 January 2026
sunset

Newsreel will be back soon

Newsreel is taking a brief break over Christmas but will be back bigger and better than ever in 2026. Thanks for all of your support in 2025. We have attracted more than
Read more28 November 2025
Aerial shot of housing. | Newsreel

Investment loans hit record numbers and value

The number of new investment loans in Australia has hit a three-year high. New Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed new investment loans rose by 13.6
Read more27 November 2025
Wages graphic. | Newsreel

Annual wage growth steady at 3.4 percent

Annual wage growth was more than 3 percent in the September quarter, with the value of total wages and salaries paid by employers jumping by more than 5 percent,
Read more21 November 2025
Hip Hops Head Brewer Shaun Reeves, Mayor of Sanyo-Onoda, Japan Goji Fujita and City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery

Seaweed and beer the essence of friendship

South-east Queensland seaweed has been used to produce a “friendship” beer strengthening ties between the City of Moreton Bay and the Japanese city of
Read more20 November 2025
Young help

Gen Z losing hope of ever having financial security

More than half of Australia’s Gen Z cohort believe they will never achieve financial security in their lifetime. Results of the 2025 Australian Youth Barometer found
Read more13 November 2025