Nest-egg raiders
Ian Andrew and Narelle Gerlach’s dreams of a wealthy and healthy retirement were dashed by an investment plan that cost them their home, health and hopes of being able to quit work. Their plight is a warning for hundreds of thousands of other baby boomers preparing to retire who are asset rich but income poor, thanks to booming property markets and low interest rates.
Fund managers spill the beans on returns
The boss of a $2 billion hedge fund quips with a cryptic smile: “You can’t outperform without underperforming, mate.” But what do we mean by “underperformance”?
Chaos theory in Clive Palmer’s circus
If the sense of anarchy that prevailed in Australia’s upper house this week were to continue there would be every reason to be alarmed at the state of federal politics.
Marais caught between Roc and a hard vote
Having secured majority support of a meeting of Roc Oil shareholders, Allan Gray’s Simon Marais left the Museum of Sydney a disappointed figure on Friday morning.
Credit card surcharge: restaurant rort or fair play?
It’s the little sting at the end of your meal: calculated to get more money out of you and a hot topic among restaurateurs. Should you be charged for the ease of using your credit card? And how much?
Property agents and realestate.com battle for turf
Imagine a world without real estate agents, where technology enables you to sell your home without placing a signboard outside the front of your house, or making a single phone call to a salesperson.
Meet Bob and David, our new libertarian senators
Bob Day and David Leyonhjelm are a rookie crossbench duo with ideas so far to the right of the political spectrum they make some members of the Liberal Party blush.
How Wotif, Expedia struck a $703m buyout
Buyers began circling Wotif as intense competition and soft demand put pressure on the company. Such a focus made the online operator intensely cautious in the months it took to arrive at a deal with Expedia.
Questions over Warren Mundine’s involvement in mining deal
A company part-owned by Warren Mundine, helped broker a contentious deal that gave a mining company access to an Aboriginal sacred site in outback Western Australia.
The value of a buyers’ agent
The trend to downsizing your house is gathering pace and a good buyer’s agent can help with what is often a daunting process.
Mauled by News Corp’s paper tigers
Mark Latham | Most of us head to the movies. But for Australia’s lunar-right political fringe, nothing beats a rollicking conspiracy theory.
What it feels like to have a private plane
Jacquie Hayes | Last week I said I’d prefer to own a helicopter over a private jet. I take it back.
Amcor capital management on horizon, CBA says
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CBA analyst Michael Ward reckons capital management might be on the cards for Amcor.
The short-changed childless among us
Over the past half-century, society has come to accommodate every human type and version of the good life but one.
How chemical experiments kill the oceans
Rising acid levels; algae blooms that poison seafood; an unrelenting army of jellyfish: all terrifying symbols of our environmental neglect.
Young Rich tech star float targets US
Zhenya Tsvetnenko — already worth at least $60 million — is preparing to float his Mpire Media business to strengthen his growth plans.
CBA’s new breed of tech execs
Understanding how technology can improve the business is a cornerstone for the leadership team at Commonwealth Bank.
Why the law won’t stop Uber
Fighting the forces of disruption is a losing battle. Just ask the taxi industry.
Vasectomy heightens prostate cancer risk
Scientists have identified a link between having a vasectomy and developing lethal forms of prostate cancer.
Clive Palmer walks out on 7.30
Clive Palmer has walked out on an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program after he was asked about his legal battle with a Chinese company.
Rear Window goes “Inside the Deal”
It’s costly not to pay attention at lunch. To illustrate, let’s use the example of Lachlan Murdoch, Siobhan McKenna and Hamish McLennan.
Europe counts the value of prostitution
Under new rules all European Union nations must count the vice trade and black-market economy – from heroin to brothel houses – in their gross domestic product figures.
National
CFMEU lawyer clears union, but whistleblower protests
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has been cleared by its own lawyers over allegations at its NSW branch including that a crime figure was given favourable treatment.
- SA Senator Day spent more than $1m on Family First
- The key questions Clive Palmer needs to answer
- Goldminers plan ad offensive aimed at WA premier Colin Barnett
- Australian jobless rate set to rise above the US
- Tony Abbott plays down double-dissolution talk
- Goldman Sachs eyes RBA rate cut as soon as September
- Melbourne Economic Forum aims to open floor for debate
- Booksellers wanting a cheaper price on sending books
- John Brogden to leave FSC
Game of Thrones, counting sheep and the CEO who quit
How much do you know about the carbon chaos in the Senate, the cost of the Olympics and the CEO who suddenly quit?
Opinion
Overvalued dollar reshapes industry
Australia’s US94¢ dollar is a curse. It is depressing our manufacturers and trade-exposed service industries like tourism and aviation.
What to do when you can’t pay rent
For as long as DIY super funds have been investing in direct property, the greatest proportion of money has been committed to commercial real estate.
How to spot a winning stock
Philip Baker | For all its jargon and complex theory, investing is nothing more than making money in a sensible fashion. Those with the highest returns from the right strategy win.
World
US, China sign strategic oil reserves accord
China and the United States have agreed to cooperate on strategic petroleum reserves, China's National Energy Administration said, the first such effort between the world's top two oil consumers.
- Former Macau partner seeks $5b from Las Vegas Sands
- Wells Fargo's results show profit pressure rising
- Apple iPhone a security threat: China state media
- US June budget surplus falls 39pc v year ago
- LeBron James returns to Cleveland
- Rosneft to explore for oil near Cuba: Putin
- China simmers as Japan, Australia get close
- Megawati Sukarnoputri the other winner in Indonesia’s election
German soccer, politics meet again
This is not how many thought the World Cup would end for Germany’s national football team.
Business
Can Andrew Thorburn turn NAB around?
In taking control of National Australia Bank, Andrew Thorburn inherits an institution that has delivered investors much lower returns than its rivals and faces further challenges in the years ahead.
- Simon Marais ‘disappointed’ by Roc Oil vote
- Morgan Stanley outlines FSI report expectations
- CBA names Ian Callinan as chair of investigation panel
- Telstra marketing boss quits suddenly
- India’s budget bodes well for Aussie miners
- Big banks ‘over-supported’
- Glut forces FMG into wider iron ore discounts
- Air New Zealand CFO says better planes have paid off
- Pain drug developer Phosphagenics raises $19.3m
Property agents and realestate.com battle for turf
Imagine a world without real estate agents, where technology enables you to sell your home without placing a signboard outside the front of your house, or making a single phone call to a salesperson.
Technology
Clouds reappear on outlook for desktops, laptops
Improved demand for personal computers after years of declines may not last as emerging markets remain weak and recent corporate upgrades in the United States and Europe may prove fleeting.
- How Wotif, Expedia struck a $703m buyout
- Alibaba’s top execs can name more directors after IPO
- Apple iPhone a security threat: China state media
- Boards fail Asian, gender and tech test
- Microsoft’s Nadella signals cost cutting ahead
- Telstra tops Credit Suisse’s buyback list
- Outsourcing odd jobs pays off as Airtasker expands
- Amazon sued over purchases by kids using mobile apps
Apple seeks new office space in Sydney CBD
In the late 1980s, technology company Apple stuck its Sydney headquarters in the far northern suburb of Frenchs Forest. Today, the tech giant is looking for new office space.
Markets
Negotiating the fast-money minefield
Be very, very wary of any fast money investment scheme. It’s the old saying: “If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.” There are no easy ways to financial security.
- Wall St edges higher on day, posts losses for week
- Wells Fargo's results show profit pressure rising
- Barclays index unit could fetch near $1b: sources
- US, China sign strategic oil reserves accord
- Investors mindful of expected copper market surplus
- Soybean, wheat prices drop on USDA supply forecast
- Portugal's PM seeks to soothe wary investors
- European shares steady on BES bank assurances
- ASX down for week amid growing global caution
Our world-beating futures traders
Behind the glass door of a small two-storey duplex at the end of a residential laneway in Sydney, man and machine combine to take on the global futures markets.
Personal finance
Beat the IPO market at its own game
Amid a global IPO boom, investors can see floats as a do-or-die affair. They either join the dogfight and jostle for scraps in high-quality offers, or avoid them completely.
- Do the sums on the true cost of private schools
- Apartment traps for first-home buyers
- FoFA backflips land us with a contradictory system
- Time to reduce your portfolio’s risk
- How to create a business from nothing but contacts
- Give me choppers (and truffles) any day
- Financial planning’s ‘bad apples’ must go
Downsizing made simple: the value of a buyers’ agent
The trend to downsizing your house is gathering pace – but it’s not for everyone. A good buyer’s agent can help with what is often a daunting process.
Lifestyle
Dandy to dirt bike: Italian menswear machismo
In two cities, discover three characters: the traditionalist, the peacock and the urban warrior.
How Italian cuisine conquered the world
Chef and restaurateur explores the world’s abiding love affair with the food of his native land.
Palazzina hotel reflects beauty of Venice
Created by French designer Philippe Starck, the PalazzinaG is a modern twist on a classic location.
New Maserati model hits the marque
The chance to buy one of Italy’s most famous sporting marques at a lower-than-ever price will be lure enough for many.
Latest TV
Is low market volatility a concern?
The Fed has signalled there is too much complacency in financial markets. Should we be worried about such low volatility?
Investor optimism on Indonesia may not last
Indonesia's inconclusive presidential race means investor favourite Joko Widodo may struggle to institute reforms if handed the victory markets already seem to be betting on.
Clive Palmer storms out of interview
MP Clive Palmer walks out of an interview with ABC's 7.30 program after he is questioned about his legal dispute with CITIC Pacific over iron ore and port issues.
Companies creating content vs traditional ads
Marketing departments are shifting their budgets from traditional ads to creating their own online-driven content - but will consumers swallow it?
