Precious metal thunder

The World Gold Council sees the sharp rises in precious metal prices as quite divergent. Silver and platinum are responding to short supply, while gold to risk. Gold may be more resilient in the long term as politics skews the economic cycle

Weekend briefing: Metals prices push on up

US data weakish across the board; Japan household spending rises; China inflation stays low; Indian loan growth rises; EU retail rises; huge new trade bloc formed; UST 10yr at 4.18%; gold zooms, oil firms; AU$1 = 66.8 USc

Despite new tariffs on beef, China is far from closing the door on trade with Australia

Less than a quarter of beef exports to China will be vulnerable to their new higher tariffs. James Laurenceson explains both exporters and Chinese importers have many ways to make this hit less onerous than it seems

Exports slip in November

While overall export levels are maintaining their high levels, exports of ores & minerals are falling, fuel exports are falling faster, and coal exports are diving. Saving the day is the rural sector - and gold

Macquarie monsters up the household deposit growth

The latest APRA data shows Macquarie winning the battle for household deposits bigly, grabbing share faster even as the overall sector growth slows

America's post-Trump China strategy

Stephen Roach thinks effective diplomacy will be impossible so long as the current US president is in office

The real existential threat facing Europe

Nouriel Roubini warns that Europe faces a future of relative economic backwardness as global competition intensifies

What if we taxed what people spend, not what they earn?

Thinking outside the box: Marcelo Santos suggests replacing the progressive income tax with a progressive consumption tax could bring a range of extra benefits, especially if multi-year averaging was adopted too

Will US Dollar dominance survive digital money?

Silvia Sgherri thinks the US needs to help build an open, interoperable, standards-based monetary order for the 21st century

Four hidden financial habits that strengthen relationships

Lynda Moore finds a subtler side to money in relationships, the unspoken habits, the little interactions, and the ways we emotionally connect (or disconnect) around finances. If nurtured, these can strengthen your relationship and reduce money stress

Rogue hegemons are sabotaging the global economy

Arvind Subramanian explains how both the United States and China are making life harder for developing countries

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interest.com.au needs an experienced, business or economics journalist to cover the Australian economy

Regulators act on risk management deficiencies at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank

APRA says is is worried about significant gaps in the risk management at Bendigo Bank that need to be addressed urgently. It has imposed additional risk capital until they are resolved

More banks move to stay in touch with Macbank

Two more banks have raised term deposit rates as they come under competitive pressure. They have starkly different approaches to the challenge

Fixed home loan rates are on the move - up

Westpac is the latest, and largest bank to raised fixed mortgage rates and by as much as +35 bps. They follow a slew of challenger banks. Despite that a fixed rate loan retains some clear advantages

Commbank tries to stay in touch

Our largest bank is front-footing Macquarie's household deposit challenge with yet another hike in their term deposit rate offers

Competition for one year term deposits is heating up

Even though most of the top ten banks have raised their interest rate offers, and two more have now just done so, most are struggling to defend the raid on household deposits by Macbank