Revenue

New taxman plans to scrutinise Apple, Google operations

Clancy Yeates The taxman will put the Australian operations of multinationals including Google and Apple under the microscope as part of an investigation of complex schemes used by global companies to minimise tax.

Branches

Bank thinks small to cut costs

Clancy Yeates NAB will aim to cut the average size of its bank branches by a quarter as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Penny-pinching NAB reshuffles execs

Clancy Yeates National Australia Bank plans to save about $800 million a year from new changes to its business that include a major reshuffle of its senior managers.

Class Actions

NZ takes on big four in class action over charges

Clancy Yeates Australia's big four banks are accused of gouging millions in unfair fees from New Zealand customers.

Banks

NZ customers take on big four over fees

Clancy Yeates Australia’s big four banks will face New Zealand's largest ever class action after being accused of gouging hundreds of millions of dollars in unfair fees.

Investments

Online accounts fudging 'high' interest rates

Clancy Yeates Those investing in 'high interest' online savings accounts may not be getting the rate they are led to believe.

Comments 1

'Stars aligned' for McKeon with AMP

Clancy Yeates Simon McKeon, a philanthropist and investment banker, will add a directorship of financial services giant AMP to his long list of commitments across the business and community sectors.

Banks

Westpac jobs to stay for now: Kelly

Clancy Yeates Westpac chief says bank won't replace any more local staff with workers in lower-cost countries this year.

Lenders find it tougher going in Asian markets

Clancy Yeates Two of the biggest foreign banks in Asia have underlined the tests facing lenders in the region, as profits are constrained by slower growth and stiff competition.

Superannuation

Big bounce in discretionary super payments

Clancy Yeates Households lifted their voluntary superannuation contributions for the first time in a year.

Rates

Reserve holds fire as earlier cuts kick in

Clancy Yeates, Glenda Kwek and Peter Martin The Reserve Bank has left the door open to interest rate cuts if the economy weakens.

RBA stays its hand - for now

Clancy Yeates, Glenda Kwek, Peter Martin The Reserve Bank has left the door open to interest rate cuts if the economy weakens, saying the tame outlook for inflation would not stand in the way of further moves to stimulate activity.

Share rally

Bounce in voluntary super contributions

Clancy Yeates Households lifted their voluntary superannuation contributions for the first time in more than a year during the December quarter, new analysis has found.

Insurance

Genworth delays float plan after big payouts

Clancy Yeates Mortgage insurer unlikely to proceed with plans to list its Australian arm until late this year.

Mortgage rates

Customers fall behind in big bank priorities: former RBA boss

Clancy Yeates Former RBA governor Bernie Fraser says big banks have room to cut their mortgage rates.

Banks 'have wrong aims'

Clancy Yeates Former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser says the big banks have room to cut their home loan rates but are failing to do so because they put their shareholders' interests ahead of customers.

Job cuts help Perpetual boost profits

Clancy Yeates Cost-cutting drive coupled with global sharemarket rally improves Perpetual's bottom line.

Household savings still outpacing borrowing

Clancy Yeates Households have poured $57 billion into deposit accounts in the past year.

Cost cuts pay off for Perpetual

Clancy Yeates The share market rally and cost cuts have lifted Perpetual’s second-half profits, but the fund manager has yet to experience a major rise in inflows.

More to be done on managing risk: APRA

Clancy Yeates and Philip Wen Several banks have already satisfied upcoming rules that will force lenders to hold more liquid assets, the regulator says.