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The economic models we used in the past haven’t adjusted for the realities of today, like diminished union power and underemployment.
There are signs our frothy housing market, combined with rising interest rates, could have serious consequences for our economy.
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Fully half of Westpac’s loan book consists of interest-only loans, so why are the banks not more concerned about what could happen next?
Aerial view of residential housing on the Gold Coast.
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While the key economic signs remain strong, new data suggests many Australians are entering into mortgages without having fully grasped the financial consequences.
The US Federal Reserve is unwinding its bond buying program.
AAP
The market welcomed statements from the US Federal Reserve and the RBA, but there isn’t much to be happy about.
Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison likes to remind us of the economic achievements of the past.
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Repeatedly boasting about the past won’t distract from the fact Australia’s economy is looking shaky.
The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort serves as the backdrop for an annual meeting of economic heavyweights.
CJ Gunther/EPA/AAP
The annual meeting of central bankers and economics professors in Wyoming is a chance for some to send a message on the path of monetary policy.
What if we’re just not as predictable as we used to be?
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The slew of numbers across various major economies this week continue to suggest a mixed picture.
Pay rise? Why not, says the RBA governor.
Lukas Coch/AAP
For a whole lot of workers in Australia, cutting a better pay deal is very hard.
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One day doctors could instantly diagnose your illness with a handheld device.
Australia’s central bank has to deal with a Gordian Knot in deciding how to treat interest rates as conditions shift.
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If former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is right, then the unmistakable implication is that the RBA should probably cut rates – perhaps twice – later this year.
Treasurer Scott Morrison called a press conference this week to comment on March-quarter GDP figures.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Treasurer Scott Morrison says Australia will “grow into growth”. Global economic conditions suggest otherwise.
David Gray/Reuters
House prices in Sydney and Melbourne are cooling, housing approvals are up, and everyone’s wondering if Australian banks have been lending too much.
Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison says the budget papers will make a formal distinction between ‘good debt’ and ‘bad debt’.
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In the lead-up to the federal budget, the government has made a number of significant and sometimes surprising policy announcements.
Australia’s central bank says labour market conditions have been weaker than expected.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Wages are sluggish, underemployment seems stubbornly high, and there is a continued push to part-time rather than full-time employment.
APRA chairman Wayne Byres is leading a crackdown on interest-only loans, but it may not be enough to cool some parts of the housing market.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Negative gearing plus inadequate supply plus low wage growth equals financial distress.
The foundations of Australian house prices could shift at any time.
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Australia’s central bank is still trying to walk a delicate tightrope.
The Reserve Bank, under Governor Philip Lowe, this week kept the cash rate at 1.5%.
AAP/Dean Lewins
It is a puzzle as to why businesses are reasonably confident but not willing to invest.
With investor lending taking off again, the regulator could impose tighter constraints on bank lending.
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Investor loans are on the increase again, causing pause for the regulators.
We could soon head into another volatile period.
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Brexit and Trump pave the way for more financial market uncertainty.
US Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s term expires in early 2018. Who will replace her?
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
My Christmas fiscal wish is that in 2017 both sides of politics treat the Australian public like adults.