Investing in banks: value, or value trap?
A lengthy period of underperformance, a daily drubbing in the press, and a yield many times that of cash. Is it time for value investors to get back into the banks?
We lost everything: franchisees speak out
Franchisees say the $170 billion sector is "sick" and have accused brands such as Domino's and Retail Food Group of unconscionable conduct.
Crisis in the banks: when the rot set in
The big four banks, operating at a complete remove from the hoi polloi with a desire to 'put a bucket under every drop of money', have once again come a cropper.
Ignoring super 'may cost me $400,000'
Like many others, retirement savings have not been on the radar of former AFR China correspondent Angus Grigg. Now he's realising it's time to take action.
AMP tried to stymie investigation: ASIC
A furious ASIC accused financial service giant AMP of frustrating and delaying the corporate regulator's investigation into its fee-for-no-service scandal.
David Murray must shake up AMP
Former banker David Murray is the right person to lead the turnaround of embattled wealth manager AMP, but it is a mammoth task that could take several years.
AMP blames the lawyer, again
In an effort to avoid criminal consequences, AMP appears to put the blame squarely on the feet of its former group general counsel, Brian Salter.
CBA woes a 'turning point' for all directors
APRA has laid bear the inner workings of the CBA board. The result is a blow to confidence in all directors.
Board directors face angry new world
Directors – used to being re-elected with 95 per cent support – now face one of the toughest AGM seasons on record.
Macquarie CEO says industry must learn governance lessons
Macquarie CEO Nicholas Moore says the financial services industry must learn from a string of governance and cultural failings and "take instruction".
OZ bid for Avanco 'too low'
OZ Mineral's path to acquiring control of Avanco may not be as simple as first thought.
Murray drafted as AMP attacks inquiry
Beleaguered financial services giant AMP has appointed David Murray as chairman in an attempt to defuse an investor revolt that could see directors voted off the board.
US stocks rally, paced by Apple
US stocks logged their biggest advance in almost four weeks after the country's jobless rate hit an 18-year low.
Dudley optimistic about US expansion
New York Fed boss William Dudley said it's too early to judge that the economy had overcome persistently low inflation.
China opens iron ore futures trading
Foreigners can now trade iron ore futures contracts on the Dalian Commodity Exchange.
ASX enjoys best week in over a year
The ASX snapped a five-session winning streak on Friday but managed to post its best weekly advance since March 2017.
Opinion
Cheers to a simple budget
When a government literally starts spruiking cheap beer, you sort of know it's going to be a pretty friendly budget.
They don't make pre-election budgets like they used to
The era of big spending has long gone -- but the conversation around budgets is remarkably little changed.
Decade after we gave a Gonski, there is zero to report
How Australia avoided the fate of Kazakhstan, whose regressive education system put their children's performance miles in front of ours.
Embrace house price falls as a good thing
The property market is on track for a soft landing although it will be a lot worse if the RBA normalises its cash rate back to its "neutral" 3.5 per cent level.
Tax cuts to compensate for flat wages: Morrison
Budget tax cuts will generate economic growth and help compensate for flat wages, Scott Morrison says.
Dual citizenship byelection price tag could top $10m
A High Court ruling on Wednesday could set in train a fresh series of dual citizenship byelections and blow out total costs to more than $10 million.
Gonski's idealism hard to implement
Gonski 2.0 has helpfully identified that 30 per cent of schools are cruising, not improving but offers little in the way of practical solutions, writes Robert Bolton.
WA wants money to implement Gonski
The comment came as ministers left a COAG education meeting on Friday, which accepted the broad scope of the report.
Security seals Parliament's 30th birthday
Construction of a 2.6-metre security fence at the front of federal Parliament has finished in time for the building's 30th birthday on Wednesday.
Giuliani backtracks on Trump payment to porn star
Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has tried to clean up a series of comments he had made about a settlement with Stormy Daniels.
US-China yawning trade divide
President Donald Trump's top economic advisers are returning home from Beijing with little more than glaring proof of how far apart the US and China stand on trade issues.
US jobless rate falls to 3.9pc
US hiring rebounded in April and the unemployment rate dropped below 4 per cent for the first time since 2000, while wage gains cooled.
Trump's unique strength in Kim talks
The US president is stubborn and unpredictable. Just like the North Koreans he must persuade.
China doves and hawks go to war
Former diplomats and prominent academics are among those taking sides, writes Andrew Clark
Personal Finance
Why industry super funds are hard to beat
If you're thinking about switching your super, it's hard to go past the not-for-profit funds. Nine of them were among the top 10 performers to end-March.
Jack Ma's spending spooks investors
Alibaba is projected to post its first profit decline in a year and a half as it spends money to fend off competitors.
Why super salary-sacrifice still works
A reader who works part-time wants to know the best way to keep growing his nest egg, writes John Wasiliev, who answers your questions on superannuation.
EY partner settles complaint over sexual assault
Ernst & Young has reached a settlement with Jessica Casucci, a partner who accused the firm of failing to act when she reported that she was sexually assaulted.
Who really murdered Daphne?
The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia is a story of brutal incompetence that begins with three men and exposes a deadly web of shady businesses and offshore banks.
'The stupidest energy project in the world'
Author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Jeff Goodell says the world is finally waking up to rising sea levels but as he explains over Lunch with the AFR, Australia has some catching up to do.
How fashion psychology became a thing
Businesses are tapping into the expertise of fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen.
Lifestyle
ABBA's return brings out rock snobs
Stand up to 'rockism' and stop feeling guilty about knowing the words to Dancing Queen.
