February 2009
You are browsing the archive for February 2009.
Find Ten for Wealth
As I recently rode around a nearby lake with my daughter I noticed a Find Thirty logo painted on the pavement. The Find Thirty campaign encourages us to complete 30 minutes of physical activity each day as an investment in our physical health. Imagine the possibilities if we also found thirty minutes for wealth? Imagine [...]
RBA rate cuts an ineffective stimulus
“Figures from the Big Four banks show that fewer than 5 per cent of mortgage borrowers have opted to reduce repayments as interest rates continue to slide.” (As reported on News.com.au here or here) What that means is that the massive rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia over the past four months have [...]
How long markets have taken to recover
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Statement on Monetary Policy (released 6th February 2009) included the following graph of the largest falls in Australian equities (aka shares). As the RBA note in their report “Historical experience indicates that, following large falls, it can take between three and six years for the share market to recoup losses”. [...]
First Home Buyers: Don’t Rush In
Many in the media are saying that the latest interest rate cut makes property more affordable for first home buyers. I disagree. Let us remember this is the lowest interest rate in over 30 years. Rates are artificially low to stimulate the economy short term. This is not normal or even an average. So it [...]
Ensure your employer paid your super last month
In a presentation last Thursday night, Australian Taxation Office (ATO) second commissioner Jennie Granger said that of the 2,200 employers selected and visited since July 2008, around 1,045 had not met their superannuation guarantee obligations. (Reported here.) With many small businesses struggling with cash flow at the moment it can be very tempting for them [...]
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