Breakfast briefing: The two top dogs show more signs of limping

China reveals some worrying slowdown data and inability to transition; US reveals spreading economic weaknesses; others expand at pace; UST 10yr at 4.70%; gold stable; oil prices firmer; AU$1 = 70.9 USc;

Why most homeowners don’t need to lose sleep over negative equity

Curtin professor Steven Rowley says homeowners need not worry about recent house price falls if you purchased to live in a house - demographics and structural market imbalances will see you right

Today's changes to interest

Here are the changes the main banks have made to retail interest rates on Monday, August 17, 2026

What should be done about Asia's undervalued currencies?

Jeffrey Frankel advises the US not to squander what remains of its influence by demanding foreign-exchange interventions

New home loans fall in the June quarter

Finally there is some light in the battle to make housing affordable again. The new Budget rules have quelled residential investor animal spirits that were chasing capital gains and tax advantages

China’s high-tech consumers crave simplicity

Mark Tanner sees Chinese consumers seeking out 'simple happiness'. They want complexity in the background. Or they want a meaningful challenge where the effort is worth it

A dovish hold

The RBA has left its cash rate target at 4.35% as widely expected. But is has raised expectations that hikes could come soon if inflation does not retreat in the way they want, but only if market conditions don't move first as they need

Consumers left in the dark about rising car insurance premiums, ASIC warns

ASIC claims car insurance premiums are 'surging' and insurers are opaque about the reasons when communicating with customers. They are baffled why consumers aren't switching even though 'negotiating works'

The world economy is swerving, and the destination is unknown

Mohamed El-Erian notes that the entire global economic system is undergoing a transformation with no clear endpoint

Planning for a baby: preparing your money for a new chapter

Lynda Moore wants you to talk about money before your baby comes, but be prepared to change as your life changes, creating enough financial flexibility to give yourself choices

Buckle up for some short-term housing turbulence

The housing market might be entering a short-term 'air pocket' but greater turbulence does not imply a crash, says Westpac's chief economist

Making waves

A second wave of high inflation cannot be ruled out, says the World Gold Council. But it does not imply a major gold rally on its own. That depends on how real rates, the US dollar, growth expectations, Asian investor demand and central banks respond

The EOFY spending splurge 11% higher this year

Household deposits in banks fell substantially in June as customers rearranged their tax affairs en masse, continuing a trend that started in 2023

The rising price of a cheap renminbi

Gene Frieda explains why any strategy for reducing global imbalances must account for China's exchange-rate management

ANZ is recovering, NAB is failing, and Macbank is still outperforming

June home loan activity was tough for NAB and Westpac, but Macquarie kept its momentum even as Commbank recovered some owner-occupier share. ANZ saw strength in lending to residential investors

CPI rose 3.8% in the year to June 2026

Although housing costs rose as rebates ended, overall inflation eased from 4.0% in May to 3.8% in June, shifted lower by lower fuel costs

A 6% rate for savers arrives

ING the first to crack the 6% offer level for savers in this business cycle