As we head toward the holiday season, many Australian workers are planning their annual leave. It can be a time when our thoughts turn to saying goodbye to the boss for good, and taking up the option of self-employment. Buying into a franchise is a popular alternative to starting a business from scratch but it’s not a guaranteed path to prosperity. 

Australia’s franchise sector turns over annual sales of around $128 billion, and investors have a choice of over 1,000 different franchise options from fast food outlets to pet grooming, juice bars and real estate.

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The November rate cut would have been welcomed by many home owners. But for some, it simply won’t be enough to provide relief from overwhelming mortgage repayments. I came across some interesting research recently that pinpoints the main reasons why people struggle with their home loan, and in some cases the problems could have been avoided.

The 2010 research by RMIT on behalf of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, focused on people whose home had been repossessed. 

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Melbourne Cup winners weren’t the only people cheering at yesterday’s ‘race that stops a nation’.

Home owners also had a reason to celebrate following the Reserve Bank’s announcement to cut interest rates for the first time in more than 2 1/2 years.

Widely anticipated by the majority of economists, the central bank yesterday lowered its cash rate by 25 basis points, down to 4,5 per cent.

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