Finance in Focus Portal
ACCC: Businesses reminded to review their card surcharges and pricing information
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a reminder to businesses to review their card payment surcharges to ensure they are in line with their cost of accepting card payments.
APRA: Consequential reporting changes to ARS 110.0 – Capital Adequacy
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has released a response to submissions on proposed updates to Reporting Standard ARS 110.0 Capital Adequacy (ARS 110).
Building Australia’s Future: Labor’s Commitment to Women
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher has launched Building Australia’s Future: Labor’s Commitment to Women, which includes new practical steps to address financial abuse in Commonwealth systems.
ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence
The latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence data shows consumer confidence has risen 1.3 points last week to 85.5 points, with the four-week moving average growing 0.3 points to 85.5 points.
RBA Bulletin – April Quarter 2025
The Reserve Bank of Australia has published its latest quarterly Bulletin for the April Quarter 2025, which provides a number of key insights into Australia’s economy and financial system.
CommSec State of the States
Commonwealth Bank of Australia has published its latest State of the States report that determines which Australian state or territory economy is performing best by tracking eight key economic indicators and comparing the latest observation with decade averages.
CSA updates market on approach to climate-related and diversity-related disclosure projects
The Canadian Securities Administrators is pausing its work on the development of a new mandatory climate-related disclosure rule and amendments to the existing diversity-related disclosure requirements to support Canadian markets and issuers as they adapt to the recent developments in the US and globally.
34th Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission sworn in
Paul S. Atkins has been sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
In other news
ABS: Taxation Revenue, Australia (22 April 2025)
ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (24 April 2025)
Afterpay: Why Credit Cards Give Gen Z the Ick (23 April 2025)
ASIC fines Chapter Two Holdings for misrepresenting debt management outcomes offered to consumers
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has issued two infringement notices totalling $37,560 to debt management company Chapter Two Holdings Pty Ltd for alleged misleading statements made on its website.
ASIC to launch new portal for Australian financial services licensees
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is launching a new digital portal for licensing on 5 May 2025 to apply for, vary and cancel an Australian financial services (AFS) licence, marking a significant step in its digital transformation.
Labor announces 5 per cent deposits for all first home buyers and build 100,000 homes
Labor have announced a significant election policy, which will give all first home buyers access to 5 per cent deposits and invest $10 billion to build up to 100,000 homes for sale only to first home buyers.
Coalition announces First Home Buyer Mortgage Deductibility Scheme
The Coalition has announced that, if elected to Government, first home buyers will be able to claim a tax deduction on mortgage interest payments for new build homes under a new First Home Buyer Mortgage Deductibility Scheme.
Coalition announces Plan for Small and Family Business
FCA establishes presence in the US and Asia-Pacific
Under its new strategy, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced it is establishing a presence in the United States (US) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) for the first time.
CreditorWatch Business Risk Index – March 2025
CreditorWatch, has released the March results for its Business Risk Index (BRI), revealing that ongoing cost-of-living and cost of doing business pressures continue to drive elevated payment defaults between Australian businesses across a number of key sectors.
RBA Minutes of the Monetary Policy Board Meeting
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has published the minutes of its most recent monetary policy meeting which concluded 1 April 2025, with the Board deciding to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.10 per cent, and the rate on Exchange Settlement balances unchanged at 4.00 per cent.
ACCC releases draft decision proposing to authorise collaborations on sustainable finance initiatives
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation with conditions to allow the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) and industry participants to collaborate on sustainable finance initiatives for five years.
AFIA Webinar: AUSTRAC - Talking Financial Crime
On 10 April, AFIA CEO Diane Tate was joined by AUSTRAC's National Manager, Regulatory Operations, Bradley Brown for a wide-ranging and insightful discussion on the regulator’s latest financial services-related updates.
Allens Insight: Automotive sector outlook
AFIA Associate Member, Allens has published a new Insight, ‘Automotive sector outlook: what's driving recent trends’, which reflects on key issues and trends impacting the sector.