News Archive for March 2015

The release of the tax discussion paper which will set out the Government’s priorities on Australia’s future tax system has been welcomed by businesses across Australia.

In the lead up to Privacy Awareness Week from 3-9 May, the National Association for Information Destruction Australia and New Zealand is aiming to educate Aussies on the importance of protecting their personal information.

If you live in NSW, you’ve probably seen the ad campaigns run by Mike Baird and Luke Foley, turning the electoral debate into an electricity showdown.

As part of an ongoing study into consumer behaviour and attitudes towards financial protection, life insurer TAL found that those with mortgages are the highest believers in financial protection (74%), followed by Gen X (73%) and Gen Y (68%).

New research from Mortgage Choice has shown dramatic differences in the level of first-home buyer activity from state to state.

Monthly data from SuperRatings revealed that industry super funds once again outperformed bank-owned funds over both the short and long term. The outperformance ranged from 0.13% over a 1-year period to 1.84% over a 10-year period, with industry super funds generally gaining more ground over the longer term.

While the Easter bunny is currently busy in his burrow weaving baskets and baking countless Easter eggs, soon he will hop across the globe to share his chocolate creations with the world.

With private islands, luxury yachts and super fast jets, being a celeb is tough (what are we kidding, it’s awesome!). But have you ever wondered where these stars would stash their cash if they were just like us?

Who doesn’t love reaching for the takeaway menu for dinner after a long and tiring day? According to CHOICE, we’re ordering takeout for dinner around 2.5 times a week, but unfortunately it often also comes served with a hefty side of fat, salt and sugar.

Aussies aged between 18 and 34 have an increased appetite for life insurance, a recent study by TAL Life Insurance Specialist has shown.

The Australian Bankers’ Association has reported that there is no evidence of a property bubble in the Australian housing market, despite strong growth of house prices spurred on by low interest rates.

Despite Australian businesses entering 2015 with a more optimistic outlook than previous years, Roy Morgan Research’s latest Business Confidence survey showed a significant dip in business confidence over February, down 8% from January.

Planning your Easter vacay and wondering which Aussie hot spot is best for you and your family? Roy Morgan Research has revealed the top domestic destinations that Australian families are most likely to name as somewhere they’d like to take a holiday, with Queensland (46%) claiming the top spot, followed closely by Victoria (45%) and NSW (43%).

Research by ING DIRECT confirms there is wide variation in super fees being paid by the average Australian worker, which can lead to an erosion of up to $192,000 off superannuation savings for retirement.

You've met the love of your life, you've got the ring on your finger, you've shared the big engagement news:

The rise of electronic currency will lead to the phasing out of physical cash in Australia within the next decade, if predictions by a professor from the Australian National University are to be believed.

If you’re an wholesale investor looking for an alternative investment opportunity that isn’t going to break the bank, newly launched property platform Estate Baron, says it has the answer with real estate investments with an initial commitment of only $10,000.

The official cash rate has been slashed once again by 25 basis points to 2.00%, at today’s Reserve Bank of Australia board meeting.

Westpac has been awarded the highest ever consumer customer satisfaction score out of the big four by the Roy Morgan Research for Main Financial Institution (MFI) since tracking commenced in 1996. In January, Westpac’s customer satisfaction was 84.1% - 0.7% above its nearest major bank rival.