In this issue:
November is here and as always it opened with the race that stops a nation. But the Melbourne Cup will be eclipsed by an even bigger race today, and that’s the home stretch to the long awaited US Presidential election.
While US politics overshadowed global financial markets in October, there was plenty of economic data at home for the markets to digest. The first surprise was the deterioration in the labour market, with an increase in part-time jobs only partly replacing the loss of 53,000 full-time jobs in September. Even so, unemployment is still at a 3-year low of 5.6 per cent. The softer job market may partly explain a dip in consumer confidence. The ANZ/Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating fell 3.6 per cent in the week to October 23, although it’s still above the average since 2014. Inflation also took a surprise turn in the September quarter, up a higher than expected 0.7 per cent. This took the annual rate of inflation from a 17-year low of 1 per cent to 1.3 per cent. While this is still below the Reserve Bank’s 2-3 per cent target band, it could reduce the likelihood of another rate cut any time soon. The main reason for a cut would be the stubbornly strong Aussie dollar, which finished the month around US76c.
Aged care changes and the family home
Decisions around aged care are always difficult and emotional. From the start of next year they are likely to get even more complex, with both the Age Pension and aged care sectors set for another shake-up. Currently, many people entering aged care choose to keep their former home a… Read more
Saving for retirement: the big picture
Australians are constantly being told they are not saving enough for their retirement. The argument goes that unless you have enough saved in superannuation you will be forced to rely on the Age Pension. But this is not the whole story. Super is undoubtedly the most tax-effective ve… Read more
Rise of the robots
‘Forty or fifty years ago, we were all convinced that robots would be the norm right now. It wasn’t just futurists picturing a time when robots would outnumber humans. Plus the mere idea of robots was (and is) pretty attractive. Mums and dads dreamed of having their own Rosie to d… Read more
