A TOP economist and the Federal Opposition have urged the Reserve Bank to cut the cash interest rate by at least 0.25 percentage points to avoid recession.
1. Super is the most tax effective investment structure in Australia today. Superannuation monies are tax free after age 60. That’s right, tax free. Can’t do better.
AUD/USD – Short term trend DOWN, Long term trend DOWN
The AUD/USD falls further as risk selling on fears of a deeper slowing of the global economy gather momentum.
As we close out 2011 and reflect on the year that was, the only thing that appears predictable in our current economic environment is unpredictability. Part of the reason for this is that it is near impossible to read the minds of policy makers, but attempting to do so, see to occupy an inmsordinate amount of the time of financial commentators and economists. Every week we are sent analyses of the interest rate environment by bank economists and it is interesting to look back at these memo’s to see how quickly prevailing view of interest rate movements can change at the proverbial drop of a hat.
Since legislation changed in September of 2007 enabling Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF’s) to borrow for the purpose of acquiring property, this form of investing in property has slowly grown in popularity.
While most people focus solely or predominantly on rates and fees when deciding on the appropriate loan, there are many other factors that should be considered and too often aren’t. For more sophisticated investors, including those with several properties, high income borrowers and those investing in commercial properties, this is even more so. Below are some of the more important factors in choosing a loan that are often ignored at the detriment of the borrower:
Mortgage brokers are reporting a spike in borrowers switching to fixed-rate loans. With interest rates being so low, and possible further cuts to come, borrowers are looking to snap up the low rates on their loans for fixed terms while they can get it.
There are fresh hopes Australia’s recently hard-hit export and manufacturing industries might get relief with the recent slide in the Aussie dollar, and further falls predicted.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy began implementing the new planning zones for Victorian Councils this week.
Today’s jobless figures have revealed a higher than expected unemployment rate.
