Insights

The sharemarket recovered to close the week flat after suffering its biggest daily slump in six weeks on Wednesday.

As Janet Yellen was preparing to effortlessly pass her examination by a US Senate Banking Committee this week, another US Federal Reserve heavyweight was revisiting his roots in this country.

My dad turned 93 this week just as a story broke about the Greek island of Ikaria where people commonly live to well over 100. Our social researcher Louise wonders why anyone would want to get that old if you start to wrinkle from the age of 60. Modern science may well fix that sooner rather than later but the story of my dad and the Greek island has many similarities.

Economists have been trying for hundreds of years to explain how markets work. They have long believed that, even though market economies appear wild and disorderly, there must be some kind of order to it all.

Going guarantor for adult children can seem like the simple solution to helping them onto the property ladder. But it comes with considerable risk.

With home ownership among younger people in decline, where does that leave their prospects for wealth creation?

The dream of owning a home is fading for buyers affected by rising prices and cuts to government incentives, writes Simon Johanson.

Remarks in support of stimulus measures from the next likely chair of the US Federal Reserve have failed to help the Australian dollar.

TAL, Australia's second-biggest life insurer, has posted a slide in half-year profit but expects price rises to contribute to a better performance this half.

Investors are expecting the fight for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter to escalate to the dizzy heights of $9.50 or even $10 a share.

At age 35, Nathan Tinkler was crowned "Australia's youngest ever billionaire". At age 37, his creditors are closing in. Though thanks to a US hedge fund which wants its money back, the big fellow still has some cash left. He is said to have been in New York lately, trying to drum up a bid for Whitehaven, the company which was once his.

ANZ chief executive Mike Smith remains the top paid bank boss in Australia, after higher bonus payments pushed his remuneration to $10.4 million.

Contract miner Macmahon Holdings has pointed to a "challenging year ahead" amid increased competition for new contracts with little optimism of a turnaround.

Rio Tinto may emerge with a bigger slice of Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi project, as funding delays threaten to squeeze other partners' hold on the lucrative copper and gold mine.

Car industry workers will meet federal politicians in Canberra next week to explain their concerns over the future of the industry, as talks between Holden and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union fall silent.

Lifejacket blitz