Underemployment the key to next rate move
RBA minutes show board members are concerned they may have to cut rates if more Australians aren't able to get the jobs they want.
The Economy
Consumer confidence plunges after budget
Consumer confidence has tumbled following the federal budget to its lowest level in nearly two years.
The five pain points that wrote the budget
Repairing the damage of the Abbott Total Opposition years, will take time. But the budget is a big and quite calculated start.
ATO slated oil giant Chevron, now ramps up hunt for multinationals
The ATO has released new transfer pricing guidance as it chases hundreds of millions of dollars in tax bills from companies using dubious tax schemes.
House prices fall again as loans to investors drop
Home loans to investors have fallen to the lowest level in 10 months.
Win for diversity: 'Davos' of women comes to Australia
Sydney has won a global bid to host the 'Davos of women' after it was backed by leading business and political leaders.
You can't outsource motherhood, but you can share the load
Mother's Day is a time to reflect on the unpaid contribution of mothers and grandmothers to families and communities.
Labor would force ATO to give details of deals it cuts with big business
Labor would require ATO to reveal details of companies the Tax Office cuts deals with as part of plan to recoup $5.4 billion from multinationals.
Lack of wages growth challenges budget surplus prediction
The wages growth needed to deliver the federal budget prediction of a return to surplus is unlikely to materialise, employment law experts and economists have warned.
Bumper crop gives Graincorp a fillip, letting it double its dividend
A bumper grains crop and optimism of another good year ahead helped push GrainCorp shares sharply higher
Trump policies would cause Australian 'horror story', warns top economist
One of Queensland's leading economists outlines the potential impact of the president's protectionist policies on Australia's economy – and it could spell disaster for the country.
Household spending key risk to GDP
The GDP forecasts in the federal budget rest on the spending of Australia's increasingly cash-strapped households.
No end to bracket creep makes average earning Australians worse off
Middle-income Australians to bear brunt of budget's failure on income tax rates and thresholds.
The war against the black economy has only just begun
The government's measures are just the beginning of a long fight to claw back revenue.
Australia's $550 million cost of opposing same-sex marriage
If same-sex couples can't persuade politicians to let them marry, maybe their money will.
Retailers on verge of a 'recession'
There is no sign of respite for the nation's struggling retailers, particularly department stores, as shoppers refuse to spend in the face on an uncertain economy.
RBA's broken record means no rate moves
The Reserve Bank of Australia thinks the economy is on track for solid growth, but the central bank's optimism has been met with a note of caution from some economists.
Get ready for a Sino-American slap in the face
Equity investors across the world are positioned for the nirvana of synchronised and accelerating global expansion led by China and the US.
The banks aren't the risk, consumers are warns RBA
It is not banks turbo-charged by property lending that are the key risk to the economy from any fall in house prices or rising interest rates, rather it is what might happen to consumer spending that worries the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Rising population won't prevent housing slump
A growing population will not be enough to stave off a fall of up to 7 per cent in house prices over the next 18 months warns investment bank Citi.
Lowe used to like rates to calm bubbles
Claudio Borio's work with Philip Lowe 15 years ago may tell us whether the RBA governor will ultimately hike rates to tame a housing bubble.
Victorian budget focuses on business tax relief, jobs creation
Infrastructure spending, payroll tax reform and funding to reskill retrenched manufacturing workers are among jobs measures in the Victorian budget.
Tax ruling against Chevron could lead to more claims by ATO
A recent multi-million dollar tax ruling against oil giant Chevron, if allowed to stand, would have ripple effects across the globe.
Reserve Bank leaves interest rates on hold at 1.5%
"This is a clear indication that rate hikes are a distant prospect," JP Morgan analyst Sally Auld said.
Calls for tax cuts, housing reform pre-budget
Australian company directors are more positive than they've been in six years, but remain worried about inaction on housing affordability and tax reform ahead of the May federal budget.
Housing slowdown a blip or something more?
The big question raised by last month's slowdown in Sydney and Melbourne's housing markets is whether this is a blip on the radar.
Why the RBA is focusing on more than inflation
If the Reserve Bank was still retaining its narrow focus on keeping inflation between 2 and 3 per cent per annum, it would be cutting interest rates at its May meeting on Tuesday.
Pain piles up for taxi licence holders
Millions of dollars pledged to some of Victoria's most financially stricken taxi licence owners looks set to be clawed back by the tax office, after it ruled the hardship payments are taxable income.
Rate hikes further away as US GDP growth disappoints
Friday's weaker-than-expected US GDP figure has firmed forecasts that the US Federal Reserve will not lift interest rates at its May meeting on Thursday morning.
US economic growth slowest in three years
Economists are generally skeptical that growth will reach Trump's goal of 3 to 4 per cent on a sustained basis.
Small Business
Phoenix activity investigation into Ready Flowers and ZFlowers
Online florist Ready Flowers collapsed into liquidation last month but has reappeared as ZFlowers.
'Patience has run out': Banks to bow to pressure on unfair small business contracts
Post budget pressure continues on the big four banks.