When the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board voted unanimously to lift the cash rate to 3.85% on Tuesday, the decision was driven by one overriding concern. It wants to stop the rising cost of living from becoming entrenched. For some, like self-funded retirees, the rate rise was good news. Higher interest means their savings…
Renovations have historically been the ultimate test of patience. Anyone who has survived a home remodel knows the specific kind of fatigue that sets in around week three. You are drowning in fabric swatches, your contractor is asking questions you don’t understand, and the budget has already developed a mind of its own. For decades,…
As parents prepare for another school year, there’s one subject that often gets overlooked: money. Financial literacy isn’t just about numbers. It’s about building skills that will shape your child’s future decisions, from buying their first car to planning for retirement. The good news? You don’t need to be a finance expert to teach these…
The cul-de-sac is a suburban trap. It’s virtually useless as a road, doesn’t support public transport, cycling or walking, and doesn’t work well as a play or gathering place. Its literal translation from French is “bottom of a sack” – which sounds a lot less glamorous, you’ll agree. And yet we persist with them. The…
With residential break-ins and vehicle theft on the rise, Australian homeowners, tenants, and investors are reassessing their security needs. A 2024 survey found that 41% of households had taken additional precautions in the past year, and one in five had installed security cameras specifically to deter property crime. While figures vary across the country, and…
Inflation has risen further above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2–3% target. There is now a very real prospect the Reserve Bank will feel it needs to increase interest rates at its meeting next week, with an announcement due on Tuesday afternoon. Inflation rose 3.8% in the year to December, up from 3.4% in the…
Have you ever looked at a messy spreadsheet and felt like you were trying to read tea leaves in a storm? It is 2026, and the era of “gut feeling” management has officially vanished from the Australian landscape. Today, data analytics is the central nervous system of every thriving company, from the high rises of…
An extensive government review of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in 2023 made 51 specific recommendations to enable “an RBA fit for the future”. But the narrow terms of reference confined the review to an economic lens. The failure to investigate the effectiveness of monetary policy setting through a demographic lens has resulted in…
Self-storage is a simple idea with complex execution. The operators who win combine local knowledge, smart design, and disciplined operations. They keep units full, reduce friction for customers, and move faster than competitors when the market shifts. Keep it simple, measure often, and adjust quickly. Know Your Local Demand Every market has its own rhythm….
Australians are retiring with unprecedented levels of wealth. This wealth, which is primarily held in housing, investment properties and superannuation, allows retirees to draw incomes to support their retirement. As Australians have become wealthier, we might expect government spending on social safety nets for older Australians to fall. Instead, we have seen these programs grow…
