Finance

Taking a beatingWhat to do with big four bank shares

Buy now, pay later giant Afterpay has rocketed into the list of Australia’s 20 largest companies, but the traditional banks still hold a place in share portfolios. Here’s why.

Anthony Keane

$190m facilityPioneer locks in backer after Carlyle debacle

A long-awaited refinancing deal has now been secured for the debt manager after Carlyle Group pulled the plug amid an acrimonious dispute earlier this year.

Sean Smith

Bank helpScentre seeks $2.7b in hybrid issue amid rent pain

Westfield shopping centres owner Scentre has confirmed it has tapped a number of banks to help shore up its balance sheet to make it through the pandemic.

Daniel Newell

opinion
opinion
Meilin Chew
opinion
How uni grads can get ahead in post-COVID job hunt

Securing your first job as a university graduate is hard enough without a global pandemic thrown in the mix — but there’s one thing you can do to help your chances, writes Meilin Chew.

Meilin ChewFinance News Presenter

ExclusiveDecathlon in deep over potentially deadly toys

Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has waved the white flag in a Federal Court case brought by the ACCC, admitting it sold dangerous pools and basketball equipment. SEE THE ITEMS HERE.

John Rolfe

Jobs flyVirgin Australia wields axe as BA faces oblivion

Virgin Australia is facing “the worst crisis” in its history as its boss announced 250 imminent job cuts with more to come, and British Airways warned the pandemic may ground it permanently.

Merryn Johns and Nathan Vass

ExclusiveCompany charged 97pc interest on dodgy car loans

A national network of used car dealerships broke credit laws by charging as much as 97 per cent interest on loans using a dodgy calculator designed by one of its directors.

John Rolfe

Festive savingsUse our Christmas shopping calculator now to save cash

While Christmas Day celebrations remain up in the air for many, the annual financial strain on households remains. Here’s why this year you should start planning earlier than usual.

Anthony Keane and Patrick Tadros

Tough marketMacquarie warns of profit plunge

The ‘uncertain’ speed of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will hit the group’s bottom line.

Peter Vercoe

Regulation cloudsBooming buy now, pay later lenders on borrowed time

Listed buy-now, pay-later providers such as After Pay, Open Pay and Zip Pay could soon face much stricter consumer controls.

Nick Bruining

SHORT COURSESTaste test a new career

Did you waste years of study only to find you don’t like working in your field? Avoid making the same mistake twice and still find a job you love.

Lauren Ahwan

BAREFOOT INVESTORWhy investment apps are toxic to your wealth and health

Instant trading apps, particularly those aimed at Millenials, turn buying and selling stocks into a game and can have a deadly impact on your finances and your future, writes Barefoot Investor.

Scott Pape

TERRY MCCRANNWhy new bank cards will see you pay more, not less

Two years on from the royal commission it seems the banks have learnt nothing with the release of their latest ‘innovation’ in credit cards. Despite promises of no interest and no annual fees, here’s why you shouldn’t be fooled, writes Terry McCrann.

Terry McCrann

OpinionFour ways to protect your home as prices drop

As more bank bosses predict price pain for Australian real estate, there are a few key points that property owners and investors should remember.

Anthony Keane

ExclusiveSmall business job losses 10 times greater than big business

Latest figures show the great divide between the amount of small business workers who have lost their jobs compared to those working for big companies.

Sophie Elsworth

Inside storyHow Aussie couple torched $3.5m in a year

Sydney couple Fi and Duncan Bendall had dreams of creating the next TikTok. They renewed their vows at Queensland’s exclusive Qualia resort. But their marriage fell apart as they lost $67,000 a week.

Stephen Drill

OPINIONBattle over superannuation rate rise

Australia’s superannuation policy is one of the most debated systems of all time. But should contributions rise to 12 per cent?

Sophie Elsworth and Anthony Keane

Jobs goMacquarie swings the axe in US

The Australian bank’s reductions affected employees in New York and other cities, sources said.

Gillian Tan

Career sacrificeAussies are willing to lose money to stay at home

More than 50 per cent of Australians say they’d consider making the work from home change long-term after COVID-19 restrictions lift. But is it an idea worth taking to the boss?

Melanie Burgess

Stock hitExit costs QBE boss $10m in shares

QBE says Pat Regan has forfeited more than one million share rights after he was forced out of the insurer for “inappropriate workplace communications”.

Sean Smith

Expert tipsHow to keep your small business afloat

COVID-19 has crushed the finances, and dreams, of small business owners across Australia, and experts say a renewed focus on cutting costs can help them recover when the pandemic ends.

Anthony Keane

Racial diversityABC excludes non-Indigenous applicants in job ad

The ABC has been accused of “segmenting our community” by stating that a vacancy for a sought-after producer’s job is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants only.

Sophie Elsworth

OpinionHow to beat expensive COVID-19 spending habits

Data shows many Australians may be wasting money and forming some poor financial habits, but there are easy ways to kick them. Anthony Keane explains how you can do it.

Anthony Keane

Measures extendedInsolvency protections risk creating ‘snowball effect‘

Business leaders have slammed the Government’s extension of insolvency and bankruptcy protections, saying the measures will only “kick the tin down the road”.

Sarah Ison