Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) Blog
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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”
ANZ today announced it has completed the simplification of its Wealth Australia division with the sale of its life insurance business to Zurich Financial Services Australia. The sale is comprised of two transactions with total proceeds of $2.85 billion, inclusive of $1 billion of upfront reinsurance commission from Zurich. This follows the sale of its … Continue reading “ANZ completes simplification of Wealth Australia”
From The Conversation. It does seem anomalous that the major banks have now become supporters of the royal commission into financial services, given they have been the principal targets. But the alternatives are probably less palatable, particularly if the banks think that all past major issues of misconduct and immoral behaviour have already been brought … Continue reading “Broad mandate for financial services royal commission takes the heat off banks”
From The Conversation. Income inequality has dropped slightly in Australia, largely driven by a fall in incomes for the richest 20% of the population, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Household Income and Wealth. The richest 20% of the population have seen their real disposable incomes (adjusted for the number … Continue reading “Income inequality ticks down as the rich see their incomes fall: ABS”
Household Incomes are growing at the slowest rate for two decades, putting more strain on family budgets who are wrestling with rising costs and bigger mortgages and battling the debt monster. What the implications for home prices, and the broader economy? Welcome the Property Imperative weekly to 19th August 2017, as we look at the … Continue reading “The Debt Monster – The Property Imperative Weekly – 19 Aug 2017”
We had significant reaction to yesterday’s post on the “normal” status of high household debt. So today we take the argument further using data from the RBA Household Balance Sheet series (E1) and the recent ABS data on income growth. The traditional argument trotted out is that household wealth is greater than ever, this despite … Continue reading “Another Perspective On Debt”
From The Conversation. The Commonwealth Bank is facing another scandal as the Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) launches civil proceedings accusing the bank of being complicit in money laundering. This exposes a deeply worrying prospect, that the Australian public are vulnerable to crime and terrorism directly funded through the Australian banking system. AUSTRAC … Continue reading “Allegations against the CBA show the need for a Royal Commission into the banks”
From The Conversation. The government is introducing a raft of changes to the regulation of superannuation in a bid to give consumers more power over their retirement funds. But, in fact, consumers are unlikely to use these new powers and the changes might not improve super fund performance. The headline change introduces annual general meetings … Continue reading “Giving you more say in your super? Not likely with these changes”
From The Conversation. Does the Australian government have the policy, organisational and conceptual capacity to handle the country’s A$6 trillion housing stock? We ask this question in a newly released research report. The answer is critically important to both household opportunity and prosperity, and to the management of our largest national asset. Australians’ wealth is … Continue reading “Who’s responsible? Housing policy mismatched to our $6 trillion asset”
From The New Daily. Despite all its huff and puff on housing, a senior economist has warned voters the government will disappoint on the one reform almost everyone wants. Professor Richard Holden said it would be a “real shame but no surprise” if Tuesday’s federal budget failed to curb tax perks for property investors. “There … Continue reading “Budget 2017: Prepare to be disappointed on housing”