http://privatebriefing.com.au Personal finance news from Parliament House in Canberra Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:51:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Super benefits to rise as costs are cut Full time jobs coming back House price pressures rise Australia's new housing problems Australians to hit the shops soon:Access Economics Parties bid for new mothers' votes Super funds "miked:" Report PM repeats tax pledge Consumers take heart as good numbers roll in Australian economy chalks up 2.7 per cent growth for ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/12/the-latest-3/ Superannuation fund members will soon start seeing better benefits as technical reforms - now under way - progress. The industry and the government both believe the new systems - and clarifications - contained in the reforms will cut costs and boost benefits. However the Senate could still block one key proposal.  That ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/12/super-benefits-to-rise-as-costs-are-cut/ A Reserve Bank heavy, Philip Lowe, has a fresh way of looking at Australia's job market. "....it is important to remember," he says,"that one of the least productive things a society can do is leave large numbers of people at home who actually want to work." That cue from Mr Lowe, who ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/11/full-time-jobs-are-coming-back/ Australia's housing finance figures might well be ringing alarm bells. The Bureau of Statistics reports that home finance commitments fell steeply in January, both in terms of the number of home building starts financed and the amount lent to help people buy homes. These figures, of course, are still affected by Federal ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/11/house-price-pressures-rise/ Kids staying at home longer? House bursting at the seams? Don't worry.  You are not alone. The Reserve Bank knows of your problems. Indeed, it fears that these trends could push house prices - and rents - even higher Its Assistant Governor, Philip Lowe, spoke at some length about these issues, at a seminar in ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/10/australias-new-housing-problems/ We'll all  be out shopping again soon - this time with our own money. The economists at  Access Economics, who have just published new retail forecasts, are confident about that. Naturally they admit that our spending has been boosted over the past year by stimulus measures, such as tax breaks,  subsidies and ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/10/australians-to-hit-the-shops-soonaccess-economics/ Women's votes have never been more important to Australia's political parties than they will be in the Federal elections due later this year. And the Federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has put in a high bid for them, with a six month paid parental leave scheme, which he has just announced. It would ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/09/parties-bid-for-new-mothers-votes/ Want to get more from your super? If so, you might be wise to look at an industry superannuation fund, instead of one of the commercial funds. A new report, admittedly funded by the industry superannuation network, raises some interesting points. The industry funds, of course, were started by Australia's unions. So you would ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/08/super-funds-milked-report/ The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, says his government will not increase tax, as proportion of national income. Mr Rudd renewed this pledge - first made before the 2007 election - in the wake of speculation that the government will have to increase taxes, to meet rising health costs. However the Prime Minister's ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/05/pm-repeats-tax-pledge/ Consumer confidence is up, despite this week's widely predicted rise in interest rates. And the good economic news keeps rolling. The Roy Morgan organisation reports that consumer confidence rose strongly in the final week of February. It is now 34 points higher than it was in March last year, when Australians were very ... http://privatebriefing.com.au/2010/03/05/consumers-take-heart-as-good-numbers-roll-in/