Insights

Most buyers in golf course developments are not avid golfers, but they are prepared to pay a 30% premium for the lifestyle the estates offer. Mark Armstrong and Fiona Marsden headed for the greens to see whether golf property makes sense.

The youthful boss of the fast-growing ABC Learning Centres says he has about 16% of the privatised Australian childcare market, and plans to lift that to about 25%. And, he told Eureka Report editor James Kirby, after this week's takeover of a US childcare group his growth plans now extend beyond Australia.

Property editor Mark Armstrong answers subscribers' queries emailed to questionmark@eurekareport.com.au. This week: factoring in the price of improvements; capital gains tax; setting a selling price; and company share apartments.

Softer labour figures have sent some tremors through the markets in recent days. Unemployment clearly began to rise in September and October but, as Commonwealth Bank's equities economist Andrew Mitchell suggests, it's only the second fall in 14 months.

Telstra chief Sol Trujillo has set the company a big challenge with this week's release of a five-year recovery plan. But the company has the best dividend yield in the market and a re-energised management team, leading Mike Mangan to believe its future is looking bright.

Kingsley Aikins is one of the world's most successful philanthropy executives and he believes in investing rather than giving to charitable causes, writes associate editor Michael Pascoe. On video, Aikins talks about how to ensure your philanthropic investments make a difference.

Profit growth is unlikely to continue at its pace of the past few years, but it is expected to remain strong. There are no signs of a sharp downturn in revenue growth or that wages are likely to surge. All good news for share markets, says Shane Oliver.

Bad news at BlueScope Steel has raised eyebrows among resource investors, but Charlie Aitken says tough conditions at one local stock does not mean negative news for the wider market - Instead it's time to upgrade.

National Australia Bank chief John Stewart wants to extend the bank's distribution channels by having mortgage brokers become financial planners. On video, he tells Michael Pascoe why wealth management figures largely in the bank's future.

Westpac, headed by David Morgan, was the most profitable of the big four banks last financial year. But investors could be forgiven for being confused by the figures the banks release. Banking writer Ian Rogers says return on equity is what really matters.

Property editor Mark Armstrong answers subscribers’ property queries sent to questionmark@eurekareport.com.au. This week: how each city is actually many markets; inner-city vs. outer suburbs; why land value matters; and is it worth buying cheaper and renovating?