Chief executive pay has become a powerful symbol of the widening gap between the winners and losers created by globalisation, and boards must put more focus on justifying the bonuses they pay executives amid a backlash against free-market policies.
Where does the time go? This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the onset of the global financial crisis.
House prices are out of control in some Australian capitals. And this week comes a proposal that this should be countered by halting interest rate cuts — a move that would not only fail to solve the problem but also have detrimental impact on the rest of the country, where housing is not booming.
Rising income inequality is the most important underlying trend determining global events, according to the WEF's annual assessment of global risks. For business, the biggest risk is the potential for cyber attacks.
Fresh from a year that delivered major political shocks and proved tougher than expected, Australian business leaders are taking a cautious approach to 2017.
It's the double whammy that worries economists, that Trump's populist pose assigns less value to economic expertise, while also creating the conditions under which it's most likely to be needed.
Here are some excellent and, to some, disheartening, maps of the median house price in Australia's largest and most expensive capital city, Sydney.
Hardware performed strongly in the lead-up to Christmas, attracting lots of shoppers, but electrical and recreational goods struggled.
Economists are hopeful that a reasonable Christmas shopping period will make for a constructive quarter of consumer spending and help stave off fears of a recession, despite "tepid" retail sales growth in November.
Soaring property prices is creating a legion of new 'sophisticated investors' who could be pushed into riskier financial products.
While wealth inequality has fallen across countries, within countries it has increased.
Housing approvals rebounded strongly in November, but the data is unlikely to herald a change in a declining trend from 2016's peaks, economists said.
Construction activity finished the year weak as home building wound down in December.
How much is it worth to save an Australian life? The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet says not more than $4.2 million, on average.
The Reserve Bank is aware it is hurting retirees with lower interest rates. But it's all part of the plan.
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.
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.
2016 was meant to be the year the housing bubble started to seriously deflate.
Against the backdrop of Brexit and the 'Trump bump', another turbulent year is predicted.
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.
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.
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 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.
Human contact is an important part of health and our prosperity.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some economists worry the world economy isn't growing fast enough. It's slowing down and reaching the point of "secular stagnation".
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.
There are huge roadblocks to the convenience economy. And it could affect your small business.
A popular Abbott government initiative could be given more time if the Small Business Minister gets his way.
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