Featured Opinion
If money is practically free, why is nobody investing it?
Negative interest rates won’t help when it is clear that there are other reasons entrepreneurs have lost their mojo.
Contributor
Does Morrison have Howard’s heart?
The PM’s reform challenges are harder than those of earlier decades. But he needs John Howard’s moral strength if he is to make a start.
Contributor
Tech and innovation must be at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery
We must shrug off our historical ambivalence towards emerging technology and embrace it as a primary job creation mechanism for the post-pandemic economy.
Contributor
AMP shareholders want more detail on Ares deal
Investors gave a tentative cheer when the wealth manager announced a spin-off its private markets business, but there are still some big questions to be answered.
Columnist
Vaccine means states should see reason on borders
As the vaccine rollout proceeds, so too must the national retreat from eliminationist state or city-wide lockdowns and border closures at the first sign of the virus.
Editorial
China’s reality check on universities
Australian universities have become overly dependent on money from international students, particularly Chinese students. Now that game is up. So what’s the alternative?
Columnist
Reforms to start budget repair should begin at homes
The federal government could make houses more affordable and save millions by cutting grants to state governments that price gouge on residential land sales.
Trade war forces universities to go global
China’s economic coercion of Australian higher education could be severe and sustained. The long-term response must be to find new international student markets in Asia, India and Africa.
More From Today
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Letters of 1 March 2021: Climate deniers face their fate
climate change, Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott, energy, carbon tax, vaccination, lending laws, China, Xi Jinping, RBA
- 10 mins ago
- Opinion
- Coronavirus pandemic
Global vaccination a jab in the dark in some developing economies
Because Asian states have largely done a good job containing COVID-19, they may not face the same immediate pressures for widespread vaccination campaigns.
- 16 mins ago
- Jeremy Youde
- Opinion
- Home loans
FOMO returns to Australian property market
Prospective buyers are turning up in droves to bid at auctions and house prices are rising rapidly. But the Reserve Bank and the Morrison government are not worried – yet.
- 44 mins ago
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- BNPL
New buy now, pay later code puts huge investor value under question
Afterpay has spent years trying to convince regulators to give it a wide berth; the quid pro quo has just arrived via a code of conduct.
- 46 mins ago
- James Eyers
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
NAB chairman: boards must push executives harder
Phil Chronican says bold strategy and investment is needed from companies that want to break away from the pack in a post-pandemic world. Governments can help this in five ways.
- Updated
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Cryptocurrencies
Why I stopped worrying and learned to love crypto
What can you do to protect against the real risk to savings when every country is printing currency as fast as the presses will go?
- Mark Carnegie
- Opinion
- Working from home
The incredible shrinking office in a post-COVID-19 world
The majority of City of London employers concede a full week in the office will be a thing of the past. Not least, this will allow them to save money. Space reductions at banks will be at the steeper end of the scale, reflecting pressure from loan losses and low rates.
- The Lex Column
- Opinion
- Investing
There are two kinds of people in the sharemarket right now
They are people who are in on the joke and people who aren’t, because, during bubbles, selling nonsense is a big part of the investing business.
- Linette Lopez
- Opinion
- Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin cannot replace the banks
So-called ‘fiat’ money derided by bitcoin supporters is usually defined as government-issued currency not backed by an asset like gold. But a lot of fiat money is actually a bunch of loans, regulated by governments but produced by commercial banks.
- Brendan Greeley
- Opinion
- Review
For the posh, Bentley’s new Flying Spur is practically pious
Bentley’s first V8 sedan saves on fuel and emissions while sacrificing neither performance nor prestige. It could just use a bit more pizzazz.
- Hannah Elliott
- Opinion
- Food & drink
How the new McDonald’s chicken sandwich ranks against rivals
The much-heralded offering from the Golden Arches turned out to be our least favourite of the bunch. Here’s why.
- Emily Heil
- Opinion
- Careers
Want to get really rich? Choose the right profession (and property)
First, get into a line of work that’s hard to get into, particularly if the people in that sector are the ones setting the rules for entry. Then invest wisely.
- David Brooks
- Opinion
- Bonds
Bond market’s bull run faces a triple threat
The three key players seem to be pulling in the same direction – selling bonds – and the long-anticipated multi-year bear market for bonds may finally be here.
- Mark Tinker
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The real message bonds are sending on stocks
Rob Almeida says equity markets should be more worried about the tepid growth rates implied by bond markets than the recent sharp jump in yields.
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Buffett’s struggle with self-awareness
In his latest investor missive, Warren Buffett chides investors sucked in by “story” stocks. But the letter plays up to Berkshire Hathaway’s own folksy tale.
- James Thomson
In the face of financial doom, would big be better for universities?
Australia is arguably underserved for diversity and choice in university institutions and offerings. Mergers in the face of a looming financial crisis would do little to solve that problem.
- John Howard
- Opinion
- Family finance
Bank of Mum and Dad – beware the risks
Be sensible about what you promise, especially if there are other children who will expect the same support.
- Michael Hutton
Yesterday
- Opinion
- Indonesia
End the condescension to start new era with Indonesia
Canberra either ignores or needlessly provokes Jakarta. This must stop if our vital near north neighbour is to play a bigger role in countering China in the region.
- James Curran
- Opinion
- Inflation
Return of the bond vigilantes: will inflation fears spoil the post-pandemic party?
The sell-off last week in government bonds reflects concerns an economic boom will reignite inflationary pressures. Central banks, however, are staying the stimulatory course.
- Robin Wigglesworth, Joe Rennison, Eric Platt and Colby Smith
