Personal Finance

10 June 2016

Are Fewer Indian Public Sector Banks Better?

In India’s most recent budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley formally announced that it would slash the number of Indian public sector banks from the current 27 to just 10. Consolidating India’s public sector banks will result in improved efficiency, greater...

9 June 2016

Corporate Venture Capital Programs are on the Rise

Large established firms increasingly rely on external sources for innovation. One way these firms are seeking to foster innovative activity is via corporate venture capital programs. According to the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), established firms invested more than US$4...

9 June 2016

Australia’s Retail Banking may go the Way of the UK

  The idea of separating out the arms of the “Big Four” banks like insurance and superannuation from their core banking business is gaining traction in Australia. It featured in the Greens' banking and finance election policy. However, this is not a new idea;...

27 May 2016

Fintech has Lowered Asia’s Financially Excluded

Due to innovations in financial technology and changes in the enabling environment, the number of financially excluded adults across Asia and the Pacific has dropped to about 1 billion. Increased access to affordable financial services can be a lever for...

26 May 2016

Tax ‘Super Changes’ are Taxing

Any change in taxation invariably raises questions about distribution. Who loses, who wins – and who loses most – will always be an issue. However, such analysis should be applied with care, lest it miss the bigger picture. Any change...

25 May 2016

Economic Violence is Family Violence

  Most women who face economic abuse do not see it as family violence. However, the Victorian Royal Commission on Family Violence connected the two.  Economic abuse has only recently been recognised as part of family violence in Australian law.    ...

23 May 2016

South Africa’s Capitec Beats the Odds

The South African retail banking sector is characterised by high barriers to entry. The sector is concentrated, with four of the largest banks – Standard Bank, Absa, First National Bank and Nedbank – accounting for more than 80% of retail deposits. The South African retail banking...

18 May 2016

Can Company Tax Cuts Really Benefit Australians?

  A long-term plan to cut the company tax rate from 30% to 25% is the centrepiece of the Coalition’s economic plan for jobs and growth. The Coalition maintains the change will boost GDP by more than 1% in the...

13 May 2016

A Student Loan Alternative for Low Earners

Millions of Americans are struggling to pay for college. Nearly 10 million students and their families took out almost US$100 billion in student loans from the federal government in the 2014-15 academic year, pushing outstanding student loan debt to a trillion dollars by...

11 May 2016

Tax is Catchy Word that No One Likes

A tax by any other name is still a cost, as Shakespeare might have said. However, of course, the words we use to describe things can amplify or minimise, and some have greater power than others. A tax by any other...

10 May 2016

Africa’s Lost Billions

  Over the last 50 years, African countries have lost about $1 trillion to illicit financial flows. This equates to around $50 billion a year and is equivalent to all the official development assistance received by the continent over the same period.  ...

9 May 2016

What is a Non-Economic Bank Account Closure?

The four largest banks in South Africa - Absa, First National Bank, Standard Bank and Nedbank - recently announced they would unilaterally close the bank accounts of companies associated with the Gupta family in South Africa. The four largest banks in South Africa - Absa, First National Bank, Standard Bank and Nedbank - recently...

6 May 2016

Let’s Use Wales to Explain Tax Devolution?

  Yet again, the recent Welsh assembly election campaign was primarily about how best to spend public money. However, recent developments mean devolved elections in Wales will soon focus on how best to raise public money, too.     Yet...

6 May 2016

Australia could Tackle Tax Avoidance with Open Data

Imagine if Australia’s economy was as efficient as Silicon Valley is. It is not that absurd an idea and the keys are potentially at the government’s disposal. Imagine if Australia’s economy was as efficient as Silicon Valley is. It is...