Spring is here, bringing longer days and an opportunity to venture outdoors and enjoy the warmer months ahead.
A higher-than-expected jump in inflation figures may prompt the RBA keep interest rates on hold at this month’s meeting. Headline CPI climbed to 2.8%, up from 1.9%. The trimmed mean, the RBA’s preferred gauge of underlying inflation, also rose to 2.7% in July from 2.1% in June.
Markets responded cautiously, though the S&P/ASX 200 still edged higher for the month and notching another all-time high. The rally was driven by mining and banking stocks.
The unemployment dipped slightly to 4.2% in July and business confidence is upbeat. The number of Australian businesses rose by 2.5% over the past financial year to more than 2.7 million. Total wages and salaries increased 5.9 per cent year-on-year. The momentum appears to be lifting consumer sentiment with the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index posting a solid gain 5.7% in August, a 3.5 year high.
As Aussie dollar finished the month at US65c and continues to be shaped by global factors.
In the US, the S&P 500 hit records highs, led by tech giants, as investors weighed tariff impacts and speculated on future rate cuts.
Strategies for an unexpected retirement
The best time to start planning for retirement is yesterday.
But the second-best time? Today.
About two-thirds of Australians retire earlier than they anticipated because of unexpected events such as job loss or redundancy, they need to care for a family member, have a sudden illness or injury, problems at work or a partner’s decision to retire.
“Protecting what matters most
We plan for holidays, home renovations, and retirement but we’re less likely to plan for the unexpected. Life insurance is one quiet but powerful way to protect the people you love from financial stress if something happens to you.
Whether you’re raising a family, supporting a partner, or building a business, life insurance helps ensure that your legacy includes stability rather than uncertainty. It can be a powerful tool for your family’s financial resilience.
From bad reputation to dream destination
When you start researching for a trip overseas it’s easy to be swayed by what can be a lingering bad reputation of a region or country. The landscape of travel is constantly shifting and what may once have been a no-go zone can now be a dream destination – and vice versa.
Some of today’s most compelling places to visit were once dismissed as too dangerous, politically unstable, or simply unattractive. Thanks to urban renewal, political shifts, and the sheer resilience of local communities, these destinations have reinvented themselves and now welcome travellers with open arms.
