Interest rate cuts not win-win for all
The Reserve Bank is aware it is hurting retirees with lower interest rates. But it's all part of the plan.
The Economy
'Double whammy' lifts economy beyond recession
Australia recorded its first trade surplus in almost three years as Chinese demand pushed up prices for its two biggest exports, iron ore and coal.
Company tax cuts wrong move, says Costello
Proposed cuts to company tax have come under fire from former federal treasurer Peter Costello for being less effective at boosting the economy than personal tax cuts.
Australia's new five speed property market
2016 was meant to be the year the housing bubble started to seriously deflate.
Why euphoria could turn to a credit crunch in 2017
Against the backdrop of Brexit and the 'Trump bump', another turbulent year is predicted.
Rising populism won't trump trade deals
The pursuit of free trade agreements remains a strong priority of the federal government in the face of a rising populist protectionism, particularly from US President-elect Donald Trump.
Want a bold 2017 prediction? Nothing will change
The lack of easy, costless answers suggests that, come next January, the world will remain in much the same place it is now - a muddle.
Banks should bankroll ASIC, say super funds
The $400 billion industry superannuation sector is pushing for the big banks to bear the "lion's share" of funding the corporate watchdog.
China's bubble squeezing taking its toll
China's manufacturing sector expanded for a fifth month in December, but growth slowed a touch more than expected in a sign that government measures to rein in soaring asset prices are starting to have a knock-on effect on the broader economy.
Face time with strangers can boost economy
Human contact is an important part of health and our prosperity.
Ironing out the productivity wrinkles
Multiply the number of shirts worn in Australia by the time it takes to remove their natural wrinkles, and you pretty much have the national productivity crisis laid out on your ironing board.
Two centuries of economic development courtesy of the Industrial Revolution
One of the small pleasures of my year was watching the deft political manoeuvrings of Thomas Cromwell in the TV miniseries of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.
2016 a wake up call on executive pay
Global investment funds say 2016 should serve as a wake-up call for Australian boards on the issue of executive pay, with some company executives paying themselves too well.
Why we keep buying presents no one needs
Spend much time with economists around this time of year, and you will hear about the dreadful inefficiency of exchanging gifts. But there's a higher logic to the gift economy.
Knowledge, not resources, driving economic growth
Some economists worry the world economy isn't growing fast enough. It's slowing down and reaching the point of "secular stagnation".
The overlooked MYEFO bit that matters most
The fixation with the budget deficit being a few billion one way or the other is arguing about the fleas on the dog – it's economic growth that decides whether the dog is fed or not.
Small business tax debts to be revealed to credit agencies
The taxman will now disclose small business tax debt information to credit reporting agencies under a new measure announced in the federal government's midyear budget update.
RBA balanced weaker jobs, strong housing in decision to hold rates
The RBA balanced "considerable uncertainty" in labour market momentum and resurgent property prices in Sydney and Melbourne in its decision to leave interest rates unchanged.
Sometimes it's just better to stay single
A new OECD paper has looked at how tax systems, including Australia's, effectively discriminate against married women.
The tale of two parliamentary housing inquiries
What an amazing difference 19 months can make for parliamentary inquiries into housing affordability and ownership.
What's a AAA credit rating and why does it matter?
What is this rating, where does it come from and does it matter? Your AAA-rating questions answered.
How ScoMo discovered good and bad debt on the way to MYEFO
Congratulations are in order as ScoMo's epiphany represents a major break with the Abbott/Hockey dogma of all government debt being evil.
$50 the note of choice for criminals: RBA
Phasing out the $100 note may do little to disrupt crime, Reserve Bank paper says.
Credit Suisse tips up to three RBA cuts
Households are overgeared and the RBA might have to cut interest rates up to three times to ward off a dramatic deleveraging event.
Our copyright laws are holding us back, and there's a way out
Imagine a land in which everything was outlawed, except for the things that were specifically allowed. Things would more-or-less work, until you tried something new.
Consumer confidence down, Morrison cautions against alarm
Consumer confidence has dived to its lowest level since April in a "jolt to stability and confidence", plunging into doubt retailers forecasts ten days before Christmas.
Future of the $100 note up for grabs as government targets cash
The Turnbull government is to consider a ban on the $100 note and a crackdown on all but small cash payments as part of an assault on the cash economy to be unveiled in Monday's mid-year budget update.
Australian consumers spooked by poor GDP
A measure of Australia's consumer sentiment slipped to an eight-month low in December after disappointing data on the domestic economy shook confidence in the outlook for the year ahead.
Convert the 'disbelievers': ASX 200 ends 2016 with 15 boards with no women
The year will end with 15 boards in the ASX 200 with no women on it.
'Victims of our own success': NSW's $11b GST hole
By 2019-20, residents in NSW will pay $23.7 billion in GST and get back just $17.8 billion.
Small Business
'We need the hipsters': Asian small business leader
Two business owners who have seen gentrification firsthand explain what it means.
Ten ways to plan - not plod - your way into the new year
Now is the time to get your game plan in place.