Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) Blog

From underquoting to AML, and from asbestos contamination to energy policy, we cover it all on this weeks rant with our property insider Edwin Almeida. It seems the economics of real estate agents are changing, and creating a challenging environment, as we head into the summer slow down. Yet another reason why some are being … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Now as the AFR reported fines for underquoting in NSW will be increased by five times as the state government cracks down on real estate agents' use of misleading price guides in a hot market where buyers are already scrambling to secure a home. Under tough new rules proposed for the state, agents will have … Continue reading "Gazumping and Underquoting City…"

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, covering commodities and crypto along the way. We got another major dose of uncertainty this week, with doubts about FED rate cuts, Trumps tariff U turns reacting to US affordability issues, rising doubts about … Continue reading "The Bulls Are Getting Airsick, As Reality Bites!"

In this week’s Friday evening chat, journalist Tarric Brooker and I dive into the contentious issues surrounding housing costs in Australia. The latest data tells a sorry story for ordinary Australians, while the political class seem to be driving in a different direction. Tarric’s slides were extra insightful today, and you can see them here: … Continue reading "Australia's Housing Costs Go Ballistic: With Tarric Brooker"

One of the worst decisions the ABS made was to reduce the reporting of new lending trends from monthly to quarterly, delaying of course any reactions from regulators, or commentary from analysts. And today’s quarterly release relating to the September confirms what we had suspected, namely that the number of investment loans in the September … Continue reading "Investor Loans Go Boom!"

Today we dive into the latest analysis from our Household Surveys with a focus on household cash flows, and where financial pressure, as measured by rental and mortgage stress is most extreme, across post code. Whilst some are benefitting from the “wealth effect”, many are being left stranded. Details of our one to one service … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Can Households Balance Their Books? – Insights Into Family Finances …"

Another week, more stupidity across property, as Edwin and I look at the latest news and statistics. We cover the question of mortgage fraud, poor quality construction, and why Edwin believes the Real Estate industry is in for a shock, as reports of underquoting, and slowing sales appear. If you are buying your home in … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Today we examine the difference between the scientific “deductive” method we use in our surveys to examine households and their finances in our surveys and the “induction” method economists tend to use. We walk through results from our latest analysis, ahead of the upcoming live show on Tuesday. Link for that show is here: https://youtu.be/3eDnmurg_G0 … Continue reading "Can Households Balance Their Books? – Insights Into Family Finances …"

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia covering commodities and crypto along the way. Though weirdly, these shows tend to get less views than many of my other productions, for me they are the most important because we dive into what … Continue reading "Rising Global Volatility Drives Markets Lower On Tech Valuation Concerns"

The latest home price data to the end of October revealed further median price rises across the board. Momentum has been building in the rate of housing value growth since the first rate cut in February, pushing the annual pace of growth to 6.1% nationally. The step up in growth rates also coincides with the … Continue reading "Have We Reached Peak Housing Stupidity Yet?"

Hard to believe only now is the main stream media catching up with the real estate agents practice of underquoting, something which Edwin and I have been highlighting for months now, and which is rampant especially in the Sydney market. Underquoting is the illegal practice of setting property price guides well below what the seller … Continue reading "Underquoting Rules…."

This is an edit of a live show as we dive into the latest financial markets action with Damien Klassen, Head of Investments at Walk The World Funds and Nucleus Wealth. Given the US data deficits, the massive AI investments and rising markets, how can investors make sense of the considerable uncertainty, especially given safe … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Investing Now: Navigating Peak Uncertainty With Damien Klassen"

Well, well, the Australian Treasury has a tiger by the tail now, because their exposure draft of the proposals relating to the use of cash appears to have misfired completely. To recap I made a show the other day titled The Empire Strikes Back On The Future Use Of Cash! Despite all the hype the … Continue reading "The Cash Con Objection Last Chance Saloon …"

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, covering commodity and Crypto along the way. Things are, well complicated, following a busy week of US corporate results, with investors concerned about the strength of the artificial intelligence trade and about how aggressively … Continue reading "Fooled: Markets Claw Through Self-Deception To Uncertain Highs!"

In the latest chat with journalist Tarric Brooker, we dive into the migration question, in the light of the latest inflation and employment data and look at recent results from Canada, where migration has been dialled back as a counter factual. We also consider the latest smoke and mirrors on housing, and how politics is … Continue reading "Stagflation: Trick Or Treat? With Tarric Brooker…"

This is an edit of a recent show I recorded with Adam Stokes on his channel, where we did a deep dive into international trade, Albo’s recent US trip and the questions surrounding AUKUS, Rare Earths and Australian Superannuation. We got pretty philosophical!

Australia's core inflation accelerated beyond expectations last quarter, complicating the Reserve Bank's path to further policy easing and prompting money markets to slash bets on a near-term interest-rate cut. The latest data is way off the RBA's August forecast, from 0.6% for the trimmed mean to 1%, and clearly heading in the wrong direction. Heads … Continue reading "SURPRISE! Time To Forget About More Rate Cuts As CPI Jumps?"

Today we dive into the thorny question of First Time Buyers and the recent attempts by Government to stoke the market. With the help of Founder and Principal of Good Deeds Property Buyers Veronica Morgan, we pull apart the current market and consider issues raised from viewer questions. Veronica Morgan is the Founder and Principal … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A Replay: Avoiding Traps For First Time Buyers: With Veronica Morgan"

This week Edwin and I delve into scams, price movements along transport hubs, and explain why people are still wanting to get out of Melbourne, even as rental property supply is dwindling further in Sydney. Meantime the Real Estate industry is spruiking to high heaven, matched only by the massive spread of reports in the … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

One of the critical aspects of our freedoms in Australia is to be able to hold our elected representatives and the machinery of Government and its associated agencies to account. We are facing another battle as Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation is on the brink of significant reform through the Freedom of Information Amendment … Continue reading "Turning Freedom Down Another Notch!"

Well, October is living up to its status as the most volatile month of the year as markets reach new highs, despite signs cockroaches are hiding in the woodwork from rising private credit risks, liquidity concerns, and rising delinquencies especially in US credit cards. The Global MSCI Index reach another high, up 1.78% across the … Continue reading "The Bulls Roar Some More; Despite The Cockroaches Lurking…."

I am joined by Edwin Almeida, our property insider as I walk through a 1:1 session on a really interesting and fast changing suburb. http://www.martinnorth.com/ Details of our one to one service are here: https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/dfa-one-to-one/ Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/ Find more at https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/ where you can subscribe to our research … Continue reading "What's Happening In Ashfield 2131? With Edwin Almeida"

Housing affordability, whether for those seeking to rent or to purchase, is at peak stupidity, driven directly by Government policy. Leading the charge (yes we can of course talk about first time buyer bribes, blocked approvals and developer taxes) is migration. High migration leads to more demand for property, period. The recent March for Australia … Continue reading "The Migration Con Gets Another Leg Up!"

Despite all the hype from the Banks, as at August 2025, the total value of Australian banknotes in circulation was a record $104.094 billion. This is the first time in history that the $104b mark has been eclipsed in Australia. This reflects a recent surge in cash usage, with strong withdrawals and a record amount … Continue reading "The Empire Strikes Back On The Future Use Of Cash!"

This is an edit of our live show as we dive into the latest ructions in crypto with evangelist Adam Stokes. Why is Bitcoin moving as it is, and what are the implications of the emergence of US Government supported stable-coins? https://www.youtube.com/@adamstokes Details of our one to one service are here: https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/dfa-one-to-one/ Go to the … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A Replay: What The F… Just Happened In Crypto? With Adam Stokes"

This week Edwin and I go to town on the gap between the hype and reality in the market, as underscore the risks which ensure from being misled by the former. And we highlight the differences across regions and locations, and the implications for those thinking of buying “further out”. It may not be as … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

There is a long con going on around investment property which few want to discuss. Despite the hype surrounding demand and price rises, analysis of true returns are often very disappointing, and well below current returns from financial markets or gold, at least at the moment. So today using our granular data we examine the … Continue reading "The Property Investment Mirage…."

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, covering commodities and crypto along the way. This past week saw significant gyrations in the market as trade tensions with China, US company results, rising debt risk, more AI investments and crypto mayhem all … Continue reading "When Markets Confuse As Things Fall Apart…"

Today I want to discuss a crisp question: are current AI trends a speculative bubble, or do they represent a lasting change in economic fundamentals? Given that most of the US markets rise has been driven by the rise of a few stocks, centred on AI, this is important, not least because when a bubble … Continue reading "AI: Bubble Or Transformational (Or Both)?"

This is my edit of a monthly show I record with Nuggets News on the latest finance, markets and property news. Things are closing in on peak stupidity, and valuations remain stretched, and in Australia, property looks likely to rise further, despite the prospects of rate cuts receding. We are in bubble territory, and recent … Continue reading "The Pain Game: Economic Update October 2025"

This is an edit of a live show as we go through our latest analysis, and deep dive on households and their finances. We will have the post code engine on line, so you can nominate specific post codes for analysis. Ratios of net disposable income to mortgage and rental payments are still very elevated. … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: How Real Households Are Coping With The Property Pickle, Despite The Hype"

Some important news in today’s show, as Edwin’s audio is returned to pristine condition (yeh), as we pull apart the latest property news. It seems property auctions are still on the nose, rents are rising, and Chalmers backs down over superannuation tax reform. Albo’s holiday came just at the right timer eh? If you are … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Associate Professor John Wright is back to dive further into the root cause of the property market crisis: carry trades. In his earlier show we discussed the philosophy based on his new book. https://youtu.be/fWTsHsGBHzY In this show we go deeper, as John Wright centres on the concept of Carry Trades and the practical implications. When … Continue reading "The Real Estate Carry Trade Is A “Death Star”: With John Wright"

Robbie Barwick, the Research Director at the Australian Citizens Party and I discuss the latest from Estimates, where again it is clear who is pulling the strings, and playing the tunes for the politicians from the major parties. We play some of the essential moments relating to bank branch closures and ASIC, to highlight why … Continue reading "The Banks Have Got The Major Parties By The Throat!"

This is our weekly market update where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, covering commodities and crypto along the way. This was quite a week, again, as markets tested new highs earlier in the week, before being skittled by Trump's latest tariff announcement is reported as retaliatory … Continue reading "Spooked!"

I caught up with journalist Tarric Brooker to explore the latest stupidity across property, economics and politics. When you look at the data, you might wonder if things can get better, or not. From high home prices, to delayed household formation, it seems things are working against us – are we tracking the Japan story … Continue reading "Have We Reached Peak Idiocy Yet? With Tarric Brooker"

Dr Michael Rehm, a senior lecturer in property at the University of Auckland was quoted in the Guardian recently as saying “Buyers and sellers are starting to get the impression that house prices in New Zealand do not always go up. We're finally breaking down that long-held belief.” Which begs the question, will the latest … Continue reading "Kiwis Get a 0.5% Rate Cut; As Economy Stalls And Home Prices Fall!"

Gold reached and briefly surpassed $4,000 per ounce in early October 2025 which traded below $2,000 just two years ago, with returns that now outstrip those for equities this century. Gold has jumped more than 50% this year. This new record is both a market milestone and a signal of deeper macro‑political stress and importantly … Continue reading "Gold Tops The 4K Mountain; So Where Next?"

Markets are shrugging off bad news, and heading for the stars, so will we see a melt-up into the end of the year, or are concerns over the debasement trade, the US close down and the AI mutual investments going to spoil the party? Join Damien Klassen, Head of Investments at Walk The World Funds … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Investing Now: Are The Bulls In Charge? With Damien Klassen"

A big outing this week, following the 1st October First Buyer changes, and the myopic reporting in the MSM. What are the real stories we should be exploring? Edwin and I dive deep into the mire… If you are buying your home in Sydney's contentious market, you do not need to stand alone. This is … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Despite the media hype around the price inflating first home owner incentives, there is a broader story to tell about household finances and the impact unaffordable housing and high rents are having on society. So in this show, we examine the latest media floss, as well as the latest from our household surveys and modelling … Continue reading "How Real Households Are Coping With The Property Pickle; Despite The Hype…"

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, and cover commodities and crypto along the way. Today we ask whether the rising popularity of bitcoin and gold reflects deeper economic anxieties. And with US Government now shut down while market has historically … Continue reading "Enter The Debasement Trade; As Markets Claw Higher; Despite Reality Dawning…"

There was, in my view some significant misdirection contained in the Reserve Bank's recently released Financial Stability Review, released on Thursday, which they say provides a comprehensive assessment of the health and resilience of Australia's financial system.All up they say that Australia's financial system remains well positioned to navigate a period of elevated global uncertainty, … Continue reading "Everything Is Fine Folks; Just Look Over Here! But…."

Judging by all the spruiking, property markets are about to boom, and crowds of first time buyers are crowding in. But actually, the real story is rather different not least because of the real incomes required to service a 95% loan. So today we examine this, and also the regional property question. Although the high-level … Continue reading "Time For Some Home Truths: Maybe?"

Housing affordability is getting worse, home prices continued to trek higher in September, according to the latest data from Cotality. The recent 3 rate cuts have put a rocket on price movements, pumped by high migration demand, investor demand, and from first time buyers, demand there will be pumped further of course as the enhance … Continue reading "Some Home Prices Boom Higher; As Expected: But Words And Figures Differ…"

This is an edit of our live show in which we discussed the RBA decision today, and continued our series about the new First Time Buyer Government scheme to start 1 October. I was joined by Aaron Scott from bRight Agent. There are some important factors to consider, which potentially have significant implications for people … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Avoiding The First Time Property Trap: With bRight"

Another Rant, this week, with a new mike for Edwin as we dive deep into the murky waters of the property market. From off-market deals, to high-rise for oldies, we pick apart the latest news, and underscore an important warning! If you are buying your home in Sydney's contentious market, you do not need to … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Continuing our series on First Time Buyers, we look at the latest data from the Bank of Mum and Dad (or better The Family Bank!), and dig into the other channels though which prospective first time buyers can get assistance, thanks to Federal and State initiatives (which by the way are impossible to cost out, … Continue reading "First Time Buyers In Wonderland!"

This is our weekly market update where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia, and end in Australia, covering commodities and crypto along the way. As artificial intelligence stocks such as Nvidia, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Alphabet push higher and higher, and even tech laggards such as Oracle and Intel suddenly catch … Continue reading "Close To Full Ponzi? Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere; But Will They Pop Or Not?"

Another Friday evening deep dive into the economy, with journalist Tarric Brooker, as we look at the latest trends in real income, the thorny question of the trajectory of interest rates and the future direction of the political discourse around migration and climate change. And yes folks, TB’s audio is now up to snuff! His … Continue reading "Australia's Economy Is Worse Than You Think! With Tarric Brooker"

This is an edit of a special event, ahead of the new First Time Buyer Scheme launching 1st October 2025, as I am joined by the CEO of Alcove Mortgage Brokers, Chris Bates who over the past 11 years, has helped 1,000s of clients navigate the challenge of successfully buying their first home. Purchasing not … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Avoiding The First Time Property Trap: With Chris Bates"