By Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation Most families say they would feel comfortable living on an annual household income of just under $80,000 according to new figures from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. However, … [Read more...]
Private health insurance and the illusion of choice
By Karen Willis, University of Sydney and Kirsten Harley, University of Sydney The number of people with health insurance plummeted in the 1990s, but almost half the Australian population now has private hospital insurance and over half have … [Read more...]
Want to win at gambling? Use your head
By Stephen Clarke, Swinburne University of Technology GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA – Some say “punting is a mug’s game”. But is this always true, or can an astute gambler make long-term profits? Certainly not from casino games. Casinos make profits by … [Read more...]
Get rich or die trying: when gambling becomes a problem
By Matthew Rockloff GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA – Why do some people develop gambling addictions while others can dabble for years at the pokies or the track without issue? The Productivity Commission’s 2010 report on gambling estimates more than … [Read more...]
The arts end of superannuation
By Annette Van den Bosch, Monash University Interested in art? Think it may be a good investment for your super? Think again – or at least be very very careful. More than 10 months since Jeremy Cooper’s independent superannuation review … [Read more...]
Explainer: the role of credit ratings agencies
Explainer: the role of credit ratings agencies By Kevin Davis, Australian Centre for Financial Studies Washington lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have passed an agreement hammered out between Republican and Democrat leaders … [Read more...]
Gambling in Australian culture: more than just a day at the races
By Fiona Nicoll GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA – The idea that Australians love to gamble is so firmly established that we rarely pause to question it. This is true whether we picture Chinese and British “diggers” passing time on the goldfields, the … [Read more...]
Beware the pitfalls of the discretionary family trust
By Dale Boccabella The essence of the legal relationship known as a trust is the separation of legal ownership of assets from beneficial ownership of those assets. The trustee is the legal owner and beneficiaries are beneficial owners. Because of … [Read more...]
Cut off from banks, 15% of Australians vulnerable to loan sharks
By Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation Around 15.6% of Australian adults have limited or no access to basic financial services like a transaction account, a credit card or insurance, putting them at risk of predatory lending, a new study has … [Read more...]