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Articles by Fi Bendall
A vitamin a day keeps hearts pumping away!
A vitamin a day keeps hearts pumping away! Dr Ross Walker Tuesday, July 23, 2019 Following on from my article published on this website yesterday (Monday 22 July 2019), let me give you some examples of the studies ignored by most proponents of orthodox medicine: one of the greatest learning and medical institutions in the world, Harvard University in the United States, has been running, for the last 30 years, the Nurses Health Study and the Male Physicians Trial in around 180,000 people.
The myth of winter selling
The myth of winter selling John McGrath Tuesday, July 23, 2019 It’s the biggest myth in property and home owners currently waiting for Spring should really heed this message. Winter is NOT a bad time to sell! In fact, winter is usually an excellent time to sell because the number of competing homes for sale goes down (because people believe the myth!) When you have fewer homes competing with yours for buyers, you’re far more likely to get a strong sale price.
East coast suburbs are hip
East coast suburbs are hip John McGrath Tuesday, July 16, 2019 A new report from CoreLogic and Moody’s Analytics paints a picture of recovery and modest growth for the East Coast capitals in 2020. The report predicts that the Australian property market will trough this quarter following two years of decline, with greater falls in house prices (-11% down from the mid-2017 peak) compared to apartment prices (almost -7% down from the peak).
Good morning, Australia
Good morning, Australia Craig James Monday, July 15, 2019 How’dy USA In US data, the producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.1% (consensus: flat) in June to 1.7% (consensus: 1.6%) in the year. US share markets rose to record highs on Friday. The S&P 500 index closed above the 3,000 point level for the first time. Shares of Dow Inc. led the Dow Jones index higher, rising 4.0%. Shares of Caterpillar (+3.3%) and Intel (+2.7%) also led gains.
The power of the gut
The power of the gut Dr Ross Walker Wednesday, July 10, 2019 With the increasing evidence regarding the importance of the gut microbiome, two more studies were released recently showing the importance of having healthy gut bacteria. Both published in Nature Medicine, the first (from Harvard University) looked at the relationship between specific gut bacteria and allergies. It’s estimated that around 10% of the population are now experiencing some degree of food allergies.
The worst is behind us
The worst is behind us John McGrath Tuesday, July 09, 2019 We’re ending the 2019 financial year on a positive note, with the first month of price growth in both Sydney and Melbourne since their respective peaks in July and November 2017. CoreLogic’s June report indicates a turnaround in Sydney and Melbourne, with home values up +0.1% in Sydney and +0.2% in Melbourne for the month of June.
More evidence for the Brain-Gut connection to Parkinson’s disease
More evidence for the Brain-Gut connection to Parkinson’s disease Dr Ross Walker Wednesday, July 03, 2019 Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence regarding the vital importance of gut health, not only as an indication of well-being, but also as a guardian against a number of other diseases. Two months ago, I wrote an article about the vital importance of the appendix. I detailed a large study of 62 million people in the US.
Has the property market hit the bottom?
Has the property market hit the bottom? John McGrath Tuesday, July 02, 2019 Believe it or not, this is actually an exciting time in the property market. There is change in the air and great opportunity is beginning to present itself. The biggest question buyers have in Sydney and Melbourne today is: “Are we there yet?”. In other words, have we hit the market floor?
You’re much more than my best friend
You’re much more than my best friend Dr Ross Walker Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Over the past decade, there has been mounting evidence that owning pets is extraordinarily good for your health. The stress relieving benefits of dog and cat ownership have been proven beyond doubt with low rates of chronic illnesses having been demonstrated in a number of studies.
Green your home for less
Green your home for less John McGrath Tuesday, June 25, 2019 Soaring electricity prices and climate change are two hot button topics in Australia right now. Political leaders want to be seen to be doing something on both scores through various programs designed to help us pay our power bills and reduce our carbon footprints. The latest offering came in the Victorian State Budget – a $1.3 billion upgrade to their existing Solar Rebate Scheme to help Victorians access cheaper energy.
Good morning, Australia
Good morning, Australia Craig James Monday, June 24, 2019 How’dy USA In US economic data, existing home sales rose by 2.5% in May to a 5.34 million annual rate (forecast 5.25m). The Markit flash manufacturing index eased from 50.5 to 50.1 in June (forecast 50.4) with services down from 50.9 to 50.7 (forecast 51.0). US President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that the US will impose major new sanctions on Iran on Monday.
Top billing: Exercise & the great outdoors
Top billing: Exercise & the great outdoors Dr Ross Walker Wednesday, June 19, 2019 We were designed to wander around a jungle for 30 to 40 years hunting and searching for food sources to keep ourselves nourished to basically stay alive. In our modern world, which is much less harsh, for most of us food is freely available and the hunter-gatherer existence is certainly a thing of the very distant past.
Buying just got easier
Buying just got easier John McGrath Tuesday, June 18, 2019 Buyers in Sydney and Melbourne have enjoyed almost two years of falling prices and many have been waiting until they see a floor in the market. Over the last two weeks, a strong signal that the market has bottomed has appeared after the election result, which coincided with credit easing and talk of two rate reductions. And buyers have marched straight back into the market as a result.
Why did ScoMo win only one seat more than Malcolm Turnbull did in 2016?
Why did ScoMo win only one seat more than Malcolm Turnbull did in 2016? Malcolm Mackerras Thursday, June 13, 2019 On the afternoon of Tuesday 11 June the Australian Electoral Commission removed from its website the list of closely contested House of Representatives seats. The last seat to be removed was Macquarie (NSW), covering the area of the Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers and the Blue Mountains.
5 economic elements impacting property
5 economic elements impacting property John McGrath Wednesday, June 12, 2019 The health of our economy has a direct influence on property, with a multitude of elements impacting people’s confidence to buy, sell and invest. Some elements are always a factor in people’s decision-making – they include interest rates and job security. Other economic issues only arise from time to time, like credit restrictions on loans.
Blame today's rate cut on Trump, Shorten, Abbott, Turnbull, Brexit, Hayne and APRA
Blame today's rate cut on Trump, Shorten, Abbott, Turnbull, Brexit, Hayne and APRA The Reserve Bank’s Governor is poised to cut the cash rate for the first time since August 2016.
Sydney's Metro North West a game changer for The Hills
Sydney's Metro North West a game changer for The Hills John McGrath Tuesday, June 04, 2019 More than 100,000 people lined up to try out the Sydney Metro North West Line on opening day on Sunday, May 26. About 36km long with 13 stations between Tallawong Station at Rouse Hill and the Chatswood Interchange, the ‘turn up and go’ service provides an easier commute to the CBD within 1 hour from Rouse Hill, about 50 minutes from Kellyville and Bella Vista and 45 minutes from Castle Hill.
Donald: stop terrorizing China or the world will grind into recession
Donald: stop terrorizing China or the world will grind into recession The chances of a worldwide recession shortened over the weekend and you can primarily blame one man — yep, it’s Donald Trump. Having to cope with Trump is becoming like the biblical trials of Job, who told Satan: “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away!” Donald has helped stocks go higher with his tax cuts, deregulation and spending, which have pushed up the US budget deficit to over a trillion dollars a year.
Good morning, Australia
Good morning, Australia Craig James Monday, June 03, 2019 How’dy USA In US data, personal income rose by 0.5% in April (forecast +0.3%) with spending up 0.3% (forecast +0.2%). The core personal consumption deflator (inflation measure) rose 0.2% to be up 1.6% on the year, in line with forecasts. The Chicago purchasing managers index rose from 52.6 to 54.2 in May (forecast 53.7). Consumer sentiment rose from 97.2 to 100 in May (forecast 101.5).
It’s a trifecta of positivity
It’s a trifecta of positivity John McGrath Tuesday, May 28, 2019 No changes to negative gearing and Capital Gains Tax (CGT); the strongest indication yet that the RBA will cut interest rates as early as next week; and APRA’s decision to lower the interest rate benchmark used for new loan serviceability tests is a trifecta of positivity for the property market. Credit restrictions have been the biggest challenge in the property market over the past 18 months.
Will ScoMo, APRA and the RBA prove property price pariahs wrong?
Will ScoMo, APRA and the RBA prove property price pariahs wrong? The lines have been drawn on the housing price slump and the optimists are rooting on a bottoming process in train with the RBA, APRA and ScoMo riding to the rescue of the sector and the economy.
Bill messed with too many great Aussie dreams and lost!
Bill messed with too many great Aussie dreams and lost! Overnight US stocks were down, with another Trump trade bomb being thrown at China, with further crackdown on Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Australians who prefer to get richer rather than poorer have had to deal with five significant threats to our stock prices, our super, our jobs, our profits and the value of our homes.
How much will your house go up by?
How much will your house go up by? John McGrath Tuesday, May 21, 2019 The return of the Federal Liberal Government is highly likely to benefit our property market. Not only do we avoid the significant disruption that Labor’s proposed changes to negative gearing and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) would have caused, we get the stability and continuity of national economic policy.
Will history view Morrison as a great PM?
Will history view Morrison as a great PM? Malcolm Mackerras Tuesday, May 21, 2019 With the celebrations of Bob Hawke’s life in full swing, the time has come for me to have my penny’s worth. It takes the form of ranking Australia’s 30 Prime Ministers in order of greatness. The accompanying table is one on which I have been working for 50 years – with continual revisions as readers will see. Take the top left-hand corner of the “great” PMs – ranked in my order of greatness.
Aussies understand: it’s the economy, stupid!
Aussies understand: it’s the economy, stupid! Over the past year, with the election a looming issue for business people and investors I talk to at conferences, I made the point that it looked likely that Bill Shorten would win the election and that his controversial policies (higher wages, negative gearing changes, the halving of the capital gains tax discount, changes to franking credits etc.) would challenge the economy and the stock market.
Rents rise as investors exit
Rents rise as investors exit John McGrath Tuesday, May 14, 2019 There has been a seasonally strong increase in weekly rents across the country this year, with CoreLogic’s first Quarterly Rental Review for 2019 showing rents have gone up in every capital city bar Darwin, as well as many regional areas over the first quarter. National weekly rents rose by 1% between January and March, which was the highest increase in 12 months.
Labor will win but by how much?
Labor will win but by how much? Malcolm Mackerras Tuesday, May 14, 2019 The time has come for me to put numbers on my predictions for this Saturday. As I did with NSW, I begin by predicting the size of the swing to Labor. That means also a prediction of the overall two-party preferred vote. I am predicting the swing to be 1.7%. Such a swing would raise Labor’s share of the two-party preferred vote from 49.6% last time to 51.3% on Saturday.
Who’s the greatest NSW Premier?
Who’s the greatest NSW Premier? Malcolm Mackerras Wednesday, May 08, 2019 Readers of my articles here will know of my style when it comes to elections. It has always been to make clear predictions a week or so out from polling day but then conspicuously to make virtually no comment after the event until all the votes are counted.
Do we really need an interest rate cut today?
Do we really need an interest rate cut today? Yesterday our stock market fell on the back of another Trump tweet that he would slam tariffs on China if they don’t play ball. This morning we learnt that the China-US trade meeting scheduled for Friday is still on. As this wiped out most of the losses for the US stock market overnight, let’s focus on the big issue at hand: will the Reserve Bank cut the cash rate of interest today?
Prices still falling but not as fast
Prices still falling but not as fast John McGrath Tuesday, May 07, 2019 The rate of decline in home values across Australia has slowed this year, with four consecutive months of figures proving a change in market conditions. While the downturn is not yet over and prices are still falling, they’re not falling as fast as before. This is a good indicator that the market might be nearing its floor and we’re through the worst of it.
Why are Canberra property prices rising?
Why are Canberra property prices rising? John McGrath Tuesday, May 07, 2019 The rate of growth in Canberra’s market slowed in FY18 but the city is expecting its fifth consecutive year of price rises in FY19, driven by above average population growth, limited supply of greenfield land for new housing, ongoing job security and the country’s highest wages.
Accountants are saying: “Not happy, Bill, not happy.”
Accountants are saying: “Not happy, Bill, not happy.” Last week I told you former Labor Senator and powerbroker, Graham Richardson, admitted that he thought Bill Shorten’s franking credits policy pertaining to self-funded retirees was “dumb”. He also thinks the negative gearing changes aren’t all that clever. Today I want to highlight another policy that I reckon slots into the “what was he smoking?” category when he thought this was a good idea.
Election Day: 18 May 2019
Election Day: 18 May 2019 Malcolm Mackerras Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Among my fan club is a certain Ted Davis from Tugun in Queensland.
Why don’t we give a f**k about helping small businesses?
Why don’t we give a f**k about helping small businesses? The Coalition has pledged $1 billion to make it easier for 250,000 new small businesses to get started and grow over the next five years. But do we care? Do we think: “Helping businesses grow — you little beauty!” These are the promises we’ll hear today and like all pre-election promises, many of us pretty well ignore all of them until there’s a specific promise that really resonates with us.
Negative gearing is not the biggest issue our property market faces
Negative gearing is not the biggest issue our property market faces Charles Tarbey Tuesday, April 23, 2019 A fallout from the Banking Royal Commission saw banks apply stricter lending requirements that made it difficult for consumers to obtain finance, particularly for investors. Whilst I have the greatest of respect for our banks, their actions mean that equity is no longer king. The criteria for consumers to obtain approval for a loan has become very stringent in the current environment.
Does stress cause heart disease?
Does stress cause heart disease? Dr Ross Walker Thursday, April 18, 2019 For many years there has been conjecture in the medical profession around the place of stress and its relation to a number of diseases. There are still some members of the medical profession who believe that stress has no place in the precipitations or causation of cancer, whereas most people in cardiology do believe there is a clear & robust relationship.
Shorten embarrassed by tampering with our super
Shorten embarrassed by tampering with our super An organization that always seems to be anti-Coalition and pro-Labor has used its respected research capability to point out that Labor’s promise to pump super up to 12% would be a shocker for low income Aussies! The Grattan Institute says bolstering the compulsory super contributions from employers from 9.5% to 12% would result in lower wages and have serious negative implications on Labor’s constituency i.e. low- incomers.
Doing away with mortgage broker commissions is “absolute rubbish”
Doing away with mortgage broker commissions is “absolute rubbish” Andrew Main Wednesday, April 17, 2019 If ever any one individual was going to have a go at Commissioner Ken Hayne’s sceptical conclusions from his Royal Commission into the banks et cetera, it is former ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft.
Australia: Reserve Bank and jobs data ahead of Easter holidays
Australia: Reserve Bank and jobs data ahead of Easter holidays Craig James Friday, April 12, 2019 On Tuesday The week kicks off on Tuesday when the weekly consumer sentiment index is issued from ANZ and Roy Morgan. The survey will be closely monitored in the lead up to the Federal election in May. Also, the Reserve Bank will release minutes of the April 2 monetary policy meeting.
Online privacy: How much do you have and how can you protect it?
With NSA and Ed Snowden making headlines, along with Facebook on the next run of confusing its users on privacy with its full launch of Facebook Graph Search now rolling out (Australian date not announced just yet), just how far can you protect yourself online? The truthful answer is that there is no privacy online. There are some things you can do, however, to protect yourself as much as possible. Facebook basics Facebook shares a lot more information than you think. 1.
Why the big drop in Chinese offshore?
Why the big drop in Chinese offshore? John McGrath Tuesday, March 12, 2019 The latest annual report from the FIRB reveals a marked decline in foreign demand for Australian residential real estate. It fell noticeably last year – in fact, it more than halved from $30 billion worth of approvals in 2016-17 to just $12.5 billion in 2017-18. So why the big drop?
Good morning, Australia!
Good morning, Australia! Craig James Tuesday, March 12, 2019 How’dy USA In US economic data, retail sales rose by 0.2% in January (forecast: flat) while sales excluding autos rose by 0.9% (forecast +0.2%). Consumer inflation expectations fell from 2.97% to 2.79% in February. Business inventories rose by 0.6% as expected in December. US share markets rose on Monday. The key exception was Boeing with shares down 5.3% following Sunday's fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash. Technology stocks led the gains.
Can we weather wage rises in Bill’s world?
Can we weather wage rises in Bill’s world? Prime Minister in waiting Bill Shorten took out some insurance last week promising wage rises, which is bound to ring positive for many Aussie workers who haven’t seen a decent pay rise for donkey’s days. But the question is: how is Bill going to achieve this and could he be setting out to ruin the one really good economic story we have right now — the unbelievably strong jobs market?
There won’t be blood
There won’t be blood The greatest threat that might prevent house price collapse Armageddon scenarios from eventuating, namely a recession, was KO’d by a special report by BIS Oxford Economics.
Should you be vaccinated against influenza?
Should you be vaccinated against influenza? Dr Ross Walker Wednesday, February 27, 2019 We are approaching that time of year when we need to start thinking about getting our flu vaccine. Although influenza in 2018 was nowhere near as vicious as the previous year, there is always the chance of serious complications and occasionally death.
What 20 years in property can do
What 20 years in property can do John McGrath Tuesday, February 26, 2019 There’s a recurring question in real estate… ‘When is the best time to buy property?’ Answer: Twenty years ago. ‘When is the next best time to buy property?’ Answer: Today. Some new data from CoreLogic crystallises this message. Over the past 20 years, national property values have increased by 197.4%. That means a house worth $500,000 back in 1999 is now worth close to $1.5 million today. Just think about that for a minute.
What the Royal Commission report means for buyers
What the Royal Commission report means for buyers John McGrath Tuesday, February 12, 2019 Buyers in the property market have been feeling the effects of the Banking Royal Commission well before the final report was released last week. Greater scrutiny of borrowers’ spending and stricter serviceability and income tests have resulted in in many buyers not being able to borrow as much as they thought, thereby reducing their budgets.
Can Shorten and Bowen have a “come to Jesus” moment?
Can Shorten and Bowen have a “come to Jesus” moment? Over the weekend, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg tweeted about the failure of the Labor Party to give an official reaction to the Hayne Royal Commission recommendations.
A 12-month international calendar of sales and marketing opportunities
Christmas is here, and while it’s the biggest sales period for Australian retailers, there are plenty of other opportunities for festive sales globally. Festivals and celebrations are almost always times when consumers are looking to spend money on loved ones and themselves. So it makes sense to put your business in front of customers looking to buy that perfect gift.
Has Uber Eats shrunk the kitchen?
The Experts Has Uber Eats shrunk the kitchen? John McGrath Tuesday, December 11, 2018 The kitchen is now the design centrepiece of our family homes, while Uber Eats shrinks the kitchens of apartment dwellers. We’re sharing cars, installing moveable walls, creating socialising spaces in residential buildings and swimming in demountable pools. Feature walls are now feature ceilings and curves are replacing straight lines in the shapes of our best architectural abodes.
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