Banks have raised “bonus” rates but not the base rates on these types of accounts.

How Australia’s big banks ran into an even bigger fish

Banks have long accused tech companies of free-riding,but lately those warnings have grown louder. Are banks just trying to protect their patch,or do they have a point?

  • Clancy Yeates andDavid Swan

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More than 18 million people are members of the Qantas frequent flyer program.

Our obsession with Qantas frequent flyer points faces a key test

Frequent flyer points are hugely popular and make big money for Qantas. But will people be as keen on racking up points if banks make them harder to earn?

  • Clancy Yeates
The PayPay app icon on a smartphone in Tokyo,

Australians hate surcharges. So why don’t we move to QR codes?

It’s a payment method that has taken off in cash-loving Japan. But here’s why Australians will still pay more to use card.

  • Millie Muroi
The RBA wants to ban credit and debit card surhcarges.

The $900 million fee fight that could hit frequent flyer points

The arcane system that sits beneath credit card loyalty schemes is being put under the microscope by a Reserve Bank plan to ban surcharging.

  • Clancy Yeates
One of the most visible changes for consumers will be the phasing out of cheques by 2030.

The cheque is a dramatic (and dying) way to spend a dollar. We must keep it alive

Cash is king and tapping is convenient,but nothing is more satisfying than paying with a cheque,mate.

  • Thomas Mitchell
How much should the Tooth Fairy pay in 2025?

What’s the going rate for the Tooth Fairy,and should it be adjusted for inflation?

From 10¢ in the ’60s to the generous $20 Josh Frydenberg’s five-year-old received in 2022,Tooth Fairy inflation is real – but that doesn’t make it right.

  • Felicity Caldwell
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No matter how flush you are,or how reliable your repayments,once you hit a certain age it can be tough to get a credit card.

I have $1.6m in super but can’t get a credit card. Am I too old?

No matter how flush you are,or how reliable your repayments,once you hit a certain age it can be tough to get a credit card.

  • Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Car thieves were also rampant in Victoria,with the number of insurance claims rising 70 per cent in 2024.

Australia’s worst regions for car theft revealed

The number of stolen cars in one state has more than doubled in a decade,with insurance premiums likely to rise as a result.

  • Savannah Meacham
Small businesses are being increasingly bogged down by late payments.

Better late than never? The ‘contagion effect’ crippling small businesses

Small businesses employ 5.4 million people and generate a third of Australia’s GDP,but late payments from bigger firms are putting many under financial strain.

  • Cindy Yin
Armaguard’s woes last year highlighted the strain on the cash distribution system.

‘The cost of cash is real’:So who’s really paying to keep it alive?

Moving cash around the country in armoured cars costs money. But unlike digital payments that attract surcharges,these costs aren’t visible to consumers.

  • Clancy Yeates