As well as the added costs of upgrades and options that the marketing glosses over, people need to consider five other sources of cost blow-outs when building a home.
Antje Fiedler, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Benjamin Fath, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis was hard. But today’s ‘long squeeze’ could be even harder for small business owners, as consumer spending and survival options diminish.
When the Greens tell Labor they’re ready to negotiate, what they usually mean is they’re preparing to make populist demands that can’t or shouldn’t be met.
Governor Michele Bullock might need her flak jacket when she fronts the media next Tuesday after the bank’s two-day board meeting. Following the United States cutting interest rate by half a percentage point.
The relatively large rate cut signals that the Fed is shifting its focus from fighting inflation to supporting the labor market, an economist explains.
Jim Chalmers mightn’t have expected his weekend comment that interest rate rises were “smashing” the Australian economy to set off the reaction it has. it’s been something of a Chalmers mantra.
We should be cautious about the risk of a recession in the US, but we aren’t guaranteed one. At any rate, Australia’s own fortunes are much more tied to the Chinese economy and commodity markets.
How do we know if prices are going up across the whole economy, or just for some products? One solution is to create an index of price changes across the entire economy – but this isn’t perfect.
With inflation finally starting to stabilize in Canada, a new type of consumer has emerged, marked by value consciousness, digital savviness and a preference for experiences over material goods.
Investors, homebuyers and central bankers all have reason to be irritated by the latest data, and inflation isn’t licked just yet. But the numbers also show reason for optimism.