Friday Tidbit

Interest rates are once more heading up. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has adopted a more measured approach, with the cash rate currently around 4.10%. While it may feel like rates have only moved upward, they are cyclical. In 1991, the RBA cash rate was 12%. By December 2001, it had fallen to 4.2%, before

This year has already proved volatile for cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin falling to below US$63,000, its lowest price in five years. In the week leading up to 3 February, the value of Bitcoin fell by about 10% while the second largest crypto, Ethereum, lost about one-fifth of its value. Another popular cryptocurrency, Solana, halved in price.

Early last year, we flagged research that pointed to a probable recession in the United States in 2025. While there was plenty of turmoil last year, particularly after Trump announced stinging global trade tariffs, the economy remained resilient. The lack of follow-through on the proposed tariffs, in combination with a steady labour market and strong

The numbers are in for asset class performance in 2025, and once again, growth assets are the clear winner. Australian and international shares, and Australian property, continue to outperform cash and fixed interest savings. For the calendar year ending 31 December 2025, international shares were the best-performing asset, with a return of 12.5%. For the

While 2025 saw a strong run of monthly gains in property prices and an annual growth of 7.5% year on year (above the decade average of 5.4% per annum), figures slowed in November, with growth of 1% month on month. That’s likely to continue this year, with price growth slowing to around 5%–7%. There are

The new AI movie stars are coming. Tilly Norwood is the precursor to replacing all of us, in all of our employment roles. Or that’s one way things might go. While AI development has been accelerating for several years, it hit its stride in 2025 with the widespread adoption of AI tools such as ChatGPT,

Recent data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis looking at AI contribution to US GDP indicates a sharp rise this year in AI-related economic growth. The figures, a quarter-over-quarter analysis from March 2023 to November 2025, indicate that after a high of approximately 0.75% in December 2023, AI-related contribution has been sitting between 0

A recent article in the AFR raised the money versus happiness debate. We know the well-trodden phrase that money can’t buy happiness, yet it is equally apparent that wealth may help alleviate financial stress and provide a sense of security. In diving into the topic, journalist Lucy Dean references two research papers: a 2010 study

At a time of global instability, market volatility and cost-of-living pressures, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and apprehensive when it comes to our finances. This economic uncertainty may not only impact our current financial position but, it seems, our future financial security. With financial markets consistently in a state of flux, economic uncertainty is natural

While more Australians are choosing electric vehicles (EVs) each year, upfront costs, infrastructure and range capacity have been the primary issues stalling greater consumer uptake. With lowering upfront vehicle costs and a rollout of charging stations across the country – the federal government is accelerating rural charging station construction via its Driving the Nation Fund, while the NSW government has committed $199