Search Results for: disposable

Rising Expenses Stopping Aussies from Getting Ahead – ME Bank

Despite improved job conditions and households reporting healthier financial buffers, the overall financial comfort of Australians is not advancing, according to ME’s latest Household Financial Comfort Report. In its latest survey, ME’s Household Financial Comfort Index remained stuck at 5.49 out of 10, with improvements in some measures of financial comfort linked to better employment … Continue reading “Rising Expenses Stopping Aussies from Getting Ahead – ME Bank”

Housing Affordability and Employment – The Property Imperative Weekly 27 Jan 2018

Housing in Australia is severely unaffordable, and despite the growth in jobs, unemployment in some centres is rising. We look at the evidence. Welcome the Property Imperative Weekly to 27th January 2018. Thanks to checking out this week’s edition of our property and finance digest.   Watch the video or read the transcript. Today we start … Continue reading “Housing Affordability and Employment – The Property Imperative Weekly 27 Jan 2018”

Global House Prices Will Rise, but Ideal Conditions to End – Fitch

Globally, national house prices are forecast to rise this year in 19 of 22 markets highlighted by Fitch Ratings in a new report, but growth is expected to slow in most markets and risks are growing as the prospect of gradually rising mortgage rates comes into view this year. Their data on Australia makes interesting … Continue reading “Global House Prices Will Rise, but Ideal Conditions to End – Fitch”

The 200% Club – The Property Imperative Weekly – 20th Jan 2018

Lenders are facing a dilemma, do they chase mortgage lending growth, and embed more risks into their portfolios, or accept the consequences of lower growth and returns as household debt explodes and we join the 200% Club! Welcome to the Property Imperative weekly to 20 January 2018. We offer two versions of the update, the … Continue reading “The 200% Club – The Property Imperative Weekly – 20th Jan 2018”

Aussie Bank Profitability to Come Back Under Pressure

Australian banks’ profit growth is likely to slow in 2018 as global monetary tightening pushes up funding costs, loan-impairment charges rise, and tighter regulation has an impact on business volumes and compliance costs. Fitch Ratings maintains its negative sector outlook to reflect these pressures. Australian banks are more reliant on offshore wholesale funding than global … Continue reading “Aussie Bank Profitability to Come Back Under Pressure”

The UK’s “Open Banking” Initiative Went Live Last Saturday

Open Banking, where customers can elect to share their banking transaction information with third parties went live in the UK. This initiative is designed to lift completion across financial services, and of course in Australia, there are early moves in this direction, though the shape of those here are not yet clear. An issues paper … Continue reading “The UK’s “Open Banking” Initiative Went Live Last Saturday”

The Game Is Up – The Property Imperative Weekly 13 Jan 2018

The game is up. Major changes are rippling through the property market, with continued pressure on many households, so we examine the latest data. Welcome to the Property Imperative weekly to 13 January 2018. Watch the video or read the transcript. In this week’s review of the latest finance and property news, we start with … Continue reading “The Game Is Up – The Property Imperative Weekly 13 Jan 2018”

RBA Charts Tell A Tale Of Household Woe

The latest RBA chart pack, a distillation of data to the end of the year, contains a few gems, which underscore some of the tensions in the consumer sector. First, relative the the ultra-low cash rate, actual mortgage rates are rising – no surprise given the rise in mortgage stress we are registering. Next, home … Continue reading “RBA Charts Tell A Tale Of Household Woe”

US Financial Stability In The Spotlight

The US Financial Stability Oversight Council has published their 2017 Annual Report. Their mandate under the Dodd-Frank Act is to identify risks to the financial stability of the US, promote market discipline and respond to emerging threats. At more than 150 pages, its is a long read, but well worth the effort. Also compare and … Continue reading “US Financial Stability In The Spotlight”

Is Record High Consumer Debt a Boon or Bane?

From The St.Louis Fed on The Economy Blog. Amidst of lot of captivating headlines over the last few months, one may have missed the news that consumer debt has hit an all-time high of 26 percent of disposable income, as seen in the chart below.  In just the past five years, consumer debt (all … Continue reading “Is Record High Consumer Debt a Boon or Bane?”