By Ed Charles COVER STORY Qualifying is half the battle to be a customer of a private bank, Ed Charles reports THE world of private banking consists of an exclusive club of retail bank clients and an elite club of global private bank clients. The level of personal service you get and what you pay will depend very [...]


They’re just the shot as a gift for travellers or for those who don’t have credit cards, Ed Charles reports THE pre-paid credit and cash-card market is barely nine months old, yet there are already more than six cards on the market, with more predicted to be launched this year. They can be used for internet transactions [...]

The Australian — Wealth: With mortgage providers jostling for business in a highly competitive market, there is a loan to suit almost anybody, reports Ed Charles July 19, 2006 WITH low interest rates and competition among mortgage providers we are able to borrow more money than ever before to buy homes. In some cases it is possible to borrow [...]

From The Australian: EVERY bank wants to sell you a package. The idea is that if, in addition to a home loan, they can sell you transaction accounts, credit cards, insurance and multiple mortgage accounts for investments they can make more money. And hopefully you can make more money too. This is the thinking behind professional packages [...]

There are ways to improve revenue performance, if only CFOs had time to look for them. CFO. 01 May 2006 For the first time since 1987, companies are starting to see annual productivity gains slow. Dr Frank Gelber, chief economist at BIS Shrapnel, said last year that Australian companies have cut back the fat to the point [...]

After Orica’s success, it seems like hybrid capital raisings are driving the whole M&A market this year. CFO. 01 May 2006 The Australian stockmarket is at an all-time high. The mergers and acquisitions business is booming, and the boom is bringing a wave of new capital-raising to the market. But if 2006 is to be known for [...]

From IN THE BLACK May 06 Wherever you are in Australia houses are bloody expensive and have been for some time. State and federal governments have debated the issue and there has even been a Productivity Commission report. According to the Demographia International Housing Survey (using September figures) Sydney is the seventh most expensive city in [...]

Foreign-exchange providers are giving the big banks a run for their money in the quest to help smaller businesses manage their offshore currency risks. CFO 1 April 2006

From the March edition of In The Black. More on the mutual evaluation report on money laundering at FATF. Australia needs to clean up its act on the money laundering front. accountants are being drafted in to assist the cause.

Also published in Crikey! as well as The Sheet. Commonwealth Bank’s stockbroking business Commsec may face a bigger challenge this year to its leadership of the online broking market as competitors Westpac and National Australia Bank market have upgraded online trading platforms. With listed company IWL buying Westpac’s online broking partner JDV last year, National and Westpac now [...]