Record fall in credit card debt

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If the Reserve Bank cuts interest rates again, would the impact be positive on the economy? It is an interesting question and one that the Reserve Bank probably didn’t think... Read more continue reading

The US fiscal cliff

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The attached edition of Oliver’s Insights looks at the deal to avert the US fiscal cliff along with its debt ceiling and broader economic outlook. The key points are as follows: The... Read more continue reading

Property beats cash

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In the past, buying and selling property was considered an attractive way to make money. The theory was that home prices would rise around 8 per cent a year, almost... Read more continue reading

The year in review, the year ahead

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CommSec has been heartened by developments in recent months and is hopeful of further settling of global economic conditions and improvement in confidence levels at home and abroad. The deal on the so-called... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update

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America sees the release of key December 2012 data on retail sales and housing starts.  American consumer spending has been reasonably solid considering the recent political turmoil over budget tightening... Read more continue reading

RBA: Softening employment justifies rate cut

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The latest Reserve Bank Board minutes suggests that the decision to cut interest rates in December was largely due to the softening in labour market conditions and confirmation of the... Read more continue reading

The Big Issues for 2013

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For the best part of the past decade, CommSec has produced “The Big Issues” report – a report that has sought to highlight issues that are expected to influence on... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update

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The past week saw most share markets rise with Chinese shares up 4.3%, European shares up 1% and Australian shares up 0.7%, but fiscal cliff worries weighed on US shares... Read more continue reading

Oliver’s Insights – Review of 2012, outlook for 2013

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This edition of Oliver’s Insights provides a review of key developments of relevance for investors in 2012 and the outlook for 2013. The key points are as follows: While 2012... Read more continue reading

The Santa Claus effect

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Is there a Santa Claus effect? CommSec has always been sceptical about research showing whether there is a ‘right’ time to be buying shares. But we decided to re-visit the... Read more continue reading