Economy

ASBFEO welcomes non-banks to government SME scheme
16 April 2020
ASBFEO welcomes non-banks to government SME scheme

The small business ombudsman has welcomed the addition of several non-bank lenders as participants in the government’s SME guarantee scheme.

Vic expands rental relief to residential tenants
16 April 2020
Vic expands rental relief to residential tenants

The Victorian government has announced a $500-million rental relief package, expanding on the national cabinet’s mandatory code to accommodate for residential tenants.

Auction rates continue to take a battering
15 April 2020
housing slump

The “double whammy” of the Easter long weekend and ban on on-site auctions have resulted in the lowest clearance rates since reporting began in 2008.

RBA flags home loan arrears risk due to COVID-19
14 April 2020
RBA flags home loan arrears risk due to COVID-19

Indebted households with only small buffers risk their mortgage loans going into arrears if labour market dislocations continue due to COVID-19, the RBA has said.

Auction activity falls, no sign of let-up
14 April 2020
Auction activity falls, no sign of let-up

The number of home owners taking their property to auction is expected to fall as clearance rates drop and market uncertainty persists.

Why lockdown would have been ‘inconceivable’ in the GFC
14 April 2020
Why lockdown would have been ‘inconceivable’ in the GFC

Leading figures, including a former deputy prime minister, have revealed why the government response to the COVID-19 crisis is so different to that of the GFC.

State government unveils $440 million for rent relief
14 April 2020
State government unveils $440 million for rent relief

The NSW government has indicated that it will be providing $440 million in rent relief, land tax waivers and rebates for landlords and tenants across both residential and commercial ...

Digital wallet use soars amid COVID-19 restrictions
14 April 2020
digital wallet

Digital wallet transactions have hit record numbers amid the coronavirus outbreak as users move away from cash transactions, according to new data.

Big banks downgraded by ratings agencies
9 April 2020
Big banks downgraded by ratings agencies

Expectations of a “significant economic shock” in the first half of 2020 have prompted both Fitch Ratings and S&P to downgrade Australia’s largest banks.

APRA suspends banking licence issuance
8 April 2020
APRA suspends banking licence issuance

The prudential regulator has confirmed that it is temporarily suspending the issuance of new licenses in response to the “economic uncertainty created by COVID-19”.