Whether it’s a TV, a computer, or a smartphone, we spend more time in front of screens than ever before. While enhanced communication, improved entertainment, and better access to information are some of the advantages associated with digital technology, recent studies suggest there is a price we pay for too much “screen time”. Increased “screen time” is often linked with […]
The housing market in Australia has suffered from a lack of confidence in recent months, despite strong fundamentals and rising long-term consumer sentiment. In encouraging news for the sector, however, mortgage enquiries jumped in the June quarter, in what could be the first sign of renewal. Mortgage enquiries jumped by 6.9 percent in June, a significant reversal of the negative […]
The Reserve Bank cut interest rates by 25-basis points earlier in the month to an historic low of 2.5 percent. Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens said weak economic growth was behind the decision, with long term forecasts not being met by the latest figures. Interestingly, this is the first time the RBA has changed the rate during an election campaign, […]
Household demographics in Australia and New Zealand continue to evolve, as the traditional nuclear family loses its dominant position. Couples without children is about to replace couples with children as the most common household demographic in Australia, with childless or empty-nest couples already the dominant group in New Zealand. While the size of modern households has largely been on the […]
Is the midlife crisis a real and definable syndrome, or nothing more than a modern myth used to excuse questionable behaviour? While age-based transitions occur throughout adult life, according to some experts, the midlife crisis is over-generalised and poorly understood. While lots of people do make life-changing decisions during their 40s and 50s, the term ‘midlife crisis’ was only coined […]
Medical costs can be very expensive, especially for dental work, cosmetic procedures, and certain forms of elective surgery. The high cost of healthcare throughout the western world has helped to create a burgeoning medical tourism industry, with some of the most popular destinations right on our doorstep in Southeast Asia. From extensive dental surgery through to cosmetic procedures and orthopaedic […]