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…
We’re all familiar with the jolly, white-haired and bearded overweight man who sneaks down chimneys on Christmas Eve delivering presents to children. But where did this come from? With roots in Christianity, the origins of the world’s most beloved gift-giver transcend time, culture and religion. Andrei Porzhezhinskii/Shutterstock St Nicholas It all starts with St…
When buyers or renters walk through a property, their first impression isn’t always shaped by square footage or fittings — it’s shaped by feeling. And few design elements influence that feeling as quietly yet powerfully as lighting. In particular, bedrooms often get overlooked when it comes to lighting upgrades. A space that’s meant to feel…
Christmas can be a very busy and stressful time of year. Between festive gatherings, ticking off what’s left on your yearly to-do list and shopping online for that perfect gift, it can be easy to let your guard down against fraudsters. Australians lost more than A$2 billion to scams in 2024. This year, losses are…
All those thousands of hours that Australians put towards unpaid household work and care – cooking, cleaning and caring for family members – are an essential thread that keeps our economy stitched together. But they’re not recognised in official economic statistics. My new research puts a dollar value on what all this unpaid labour is…
There are several predictable cycles in Australian public opinion, and one of them is the moral panic surrounding immigration. Some readers will remember the immigration panic of the 1990s, which gave rise to Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party. Then the issue fades from the mainstream, only to return sometime later. Why? It turns…
For landlords in Melbourne, security is rarely just a “nice-to-have”. It’s a practical way to protect rental income, minimise disruption and maintain a property’s appeal to long-term tenants. When a break-in occurs, the visible damage is often only part of the cost. There’s the damaged door frame, the cost of an emergency locksmith call-out,…
Australia is becoming increasingly unequal. The story is unmissably generational: young Australians today face a tougher reality than their parents and grandparents. Despite having greater access to education and information, they are more precarious, indebted, insecure and anxious than ever before. This paradox has deep implications for the social fabric of our nation. Financial, educational…
Coffee on the terrace, the sound of the waves, and the wind in your hair don’t just sound good to you but also to investors around the world. “Yes, the sea is nice, but what exactly does that mean for my wallet?” Slowly, we are getting there. The UN Tourism noted that international tourist arrivals…
House hunting can be extremely hard, confusing, and even daunting. There can be a lot to consider: location, quality, cost, space, and, not to mention, housing value that is rising at an incredibly fast pace. With far too much demand and not enough supply, finding your forever home can certainly feel like searching for a…
