Rental growth is slowing across Australia, with advertised rents stable as home values continue to rise. According to the latest CoreLogic RP Data quarterly rental review, advertised rentals on a national basis increased by 2.6 percent and combined capital city rentals increased by just 1.8 percent in 2014. With rental growth at its lowest level in over a decade and […]
As the new year kicks into gear, it’s a great time to think about improving your home. Whether you want to maximise profits on an investment property or simply make your home a nicer place to be, there’s more innovative products and ideas out there than ever before. From bedrooms to bathrooms, from bold modern colours to soft natural tones, […]
A placebo is defined as a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment, often given to patients as a control in medical research. This rather clinical definition doesn’t begin to describe the placebo effect, however, a mystery of modern medicine where symptoms improve as a result of taking, well – nothing. With placebos found to work in multiple trials and some […]
Some words made more of an impression than others in 2014. Whether using the ranking systems of Google or analysing lookup rates in online dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster, it’s never been easier to analyse the impact of specific words on global culture. From ‘sociopath’ and ‘misogynistic’ through to ‘OK’ and the word ‘culture’ itself, the biggest words of 2014 offer […]
The Australian dollar continues to tumble, now sitting at its lowest level since June 2010. Influenced by a firming US Dollar, year-end liquidation, technical lows, and negative Reserve Bank sentiment, the local currency finds itself between conflicting forces going into 2015. While forecasts are not all one-way, a growing number of economists see the Aussie falling below 80 US cents […]
David Murray’s Financial System Inquiry (FSI) continues to divide Australia, with everyone from the big banks through to individual home owners potentially affected. In addition to 44 recommendations, the Inquiry has also addressed 13 tax arrangements that it says distort the allocation of funding and risk in the economy. Negative gearing is one arrangement in the firing line, as the […]