John Beveridge
John is a highly experienced business journalist and formerly chief business writer for the Herald Sun. He has covered Federal politics in Canberra, was Los Angeles Bureau chief for News Limited and was also chief of staff for the Herald Sun. He has covered a wide range of small and large cap ASX stocks and has a special interest in mining, technology and biotech.
Diverging Rates Pushing Up Aussie Dollar
At last the long-anticipated diverging interest rate outlook between Australia and the US is a reality and we can begin to see the effects it is already having.
A Helping Hand in Getting on the Property Ladder
The latest government housing market program that you may not have heard about is known as "help to buy" and it works by the government directly taking a stake of up to 40% in the property you buy.
Weekly Wrap: ASX Climbs on Santa Rally as Miners and Gold Stocks Lead Gains
The Santa rally arrived in earnest on the Australian stock exchange as the share market rose the most in almost three weeks on Friday. A continuing rise in gold stocks and strong gains in miners happened as investors jumped aboard the US interest cuts train, hoping that it was creating a rising market tide that would lift all boats.
More Government Makes Houses Less Affordable
A report from property data firm Cotality shows the extent of the damage over a period in which governments at all levels made rash and so far largely unfulfilled promises about dramatically increasing housing supply.
The Key to Retiring with Confidence
How much do you really need to retire? It is a question that puzzles many, and yet the answer reminds as elusive as ever.
Weekly Wrap: Market Higher For A Second Week
Australian shares were up slightly for a second week on Friday with investors hoping for an interest rate cut in the US, even as the chances of a local cut have evaporated. With the US Fed and the local Reserve Bank both meeting this week to decide on official interest rates, there are still strong hopes the US will cut rate even though still strong Australian inflation have greatly reduced the chances of any cut here.
Why There Is a Ceasefire in the Bank Wars—For Now
The ceasefire between the banks in the war for deposits is still holding at this stage but it may not be long before we see it break out in earnest, after the revelation that Macquarie Bank now has more than $200 billion in retail and business deposits.
Self-Managed Super Woes
While there are many lessons to be learned from the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian funds that swallowed more than $1 billion of Australian’s superannuation money, key among them is the use of SMSFs.
Weekly Wrap: Australia and the US diverge over interest rates
The past week has been quite a significant one as it became clear that the US and Australia were diverging in a significant way. Here in Australia the ongoing upward trend in inflation made it clear that there is now little hope of an interest rate cut.
Australia Exporting Money for a Change
It's still the case that we are sending plenty of iron ore, beef, and wheat overseas; but, perhaps surprisingly, we are now sending plenty of investment dollars overseas as well.
How to Avoid a Costly Super Mistake
One of the costliest and most common problems with superannuation is failing to appreciate the difference between the accumulation and pension phases for your account.
Weekly wrap: Harsh day on ASX wipes off $40 billion
Another bruising day on the Australian share market on Friday saw it shed almost $40 billion and sink to a six-month low as hopes for US rate cuts once again diminished. The ASX 200 dropped by 136.20 points, or 1.6%, to 8416.50 points as AI worries in the US transferred directly to our market.
Want to Play Games with Your Super Fund?
What would help you to engage more with your superannuation fund? Would a rash of emails do the trick, some good retirement calculators on the website or perhaps direct contact from an actual person asking if you need advice about your super?
Banking Competition Ramping Up As Big Four Falter
It may have escaped your notice, but there is a quiet war going on in Australia’s banking system, growing signs that the old order is slowly passing away and competition is hotting up.
Wrap: Four months of gains wiped out in $37 billion rout
A combination of increasing doubts about interest rate cuts, worries about AI overvaluation and a share crunch on Wall Street combined to strip four months of growth off the Australian share market.
Good News and Bad News About Aussie Superannuation
When it comes to Australia’s $4.3 trillion superannuation system, there are some things going particularly well, and others not so well.
How to Snag an ASX Bargain
One of the best ways to score a bargain when shopping is to trawl through the bargain bins and sales items to find something of good quality selling much cheaper than normal. Take Australian Foundation Investment Company (ASX: AFI), for example.
Weekly Wrap: Is this the end of rate cuts? ASX tumbles as banks slide
Some heavy losses in the banking sector saw the Australian share market record its second consecutive weekly loss as the prospect of no further interest rate falls began to sink in. With the Reserve Bank deciding to hold the cash rate steady during the week the ASX 200 index dropped 58.6 points, or 0.7% on Friday to 8769.7 points. It was an uneven and concentrated fall with six out of the 11 sectors remaining in positive territory but the index still fell 1% for the week.
Death Taxes Do Happen in Australia
The old saying used to be that there's nothing certain about life than death and taxes, and things get really interesting and somewhat complex when you combine the two in the form of death taxes.
The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Dividends
There used to be an investment rule that if you wanted to invest for dividends, Australia was the place to do it.