Scott Phillips Profile picture
Feb 7 6 tweets 2 min read
Look, the tabloid responses are easy. And no-one likes the pain caused by rate rises. But here's the thing:

1. Inflation, left to spiral, will destroy our standard of living.

2. Higher rates, temporarily, beat higher prices, permanently

3. Of course it's painful.

1/n
4. It's also unfair that the burden falls where it does

5. The RBA has few other options: either high inflation or high rates

6. The choice is easy (see 1. and 2. above)

2/n
7. 'Avoiding pain' for households is a seductive idea, but it's a non-starter -- the pain is either higher prices or higher rates. There's no Door #3.

8. Parliaments can do more. They should do more. But in the meantime, the RBA has no other options.

3/n
9. The time for Parliament to do more was last year, and 5 years ago and 10 years ago. The second best time is now (but they'll squib it, mostly due to politics).

10. The RBA has clearly told us what they'll do, and why. But we keep spending. Don't blame the RBA

4/n
11. The final rate rise, whenever it comes, will be one (or more) too many, almost by definition. That's just life. Perfection doesn't exist.

12. The best thing for the economy is for the Opposition (of whatever stripe) to join a unity ticket for better economic policy

5/n
13. Pigs might fly.

That's it. That's the lot.

But remember, the RBA can choose higher prices or higher rates. There's no magic alternative universe.

6/6

#rba #interestrates #ausbiz

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More from @TMFScottP

Feb 6
Truly dystopian.

A 35 year mortgage.

Let that sink in.

When I bought my first unit, the max length was 25 years.

A 40% increase in duration in a couple of decades.

And a huge additional interest burden.

Exhibit #3522 in 'Housing policy in Australia is broken'

#ausbiz
Making housing *more affordable* by adding 5 years and $115k in repayments would do Orwell proud.

So you can:

- Raid Super
- Extend your mortgage
- Get money from the government (which pushes prices up)
- Let the government own some of your house

That, apparently, is 'policy'.
Once upon a time, 'rent money is dead money' was defensible: if you borrowed to buy a house, you'd eventually own it.

But imagine a 35yo taking out a 35 year mortgage?

Even if they never moved or refinanced, they'd retire with mortgage debt.

Bloody hell...

#auspol #ausbiz
Read 4 tweets
Sep 6, 2022
The rates conversation is - should be - complex.

Some thoughts, in an interest rate 🧵

#ausbiz #rates #RBA

1/n
There's a decent 'chart crime' - or at least a meaningful misdemeanour - on the AFR's homepage this morning:

2/n
It's rectified in the article:

BUT... that's not even close to the full picture:

(source: afr.com/policy/economy…)

3/n
Read 19 tweets
Aug 17, 2022
Today is Vietnam Veterans Day,

We remember those who served, suffered and died; those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who bore the physical scars of their service, and those who returned, but never really left.

Welcome Home.

Lest We Forget.

Why today?

Australians commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, on this day in 1966.
Why 'returned but never really left'?

The Vietnam War was the first time (in no small part thanks to John Schumann's wonderful 'I Was Only 19') that post traumatic stress disorder was truly understood and accepted by the wider community.

Emotional scars often run deep and long
Read 4 tweets
May 19, 2022
Today's editorials in the @smh and @FinancialReview come to different conclusions, but with the same frustration that neither party has any stated policy ambition.

This, from the SMH, captures it nicely.

#auspol #ausbiz

1/n
@smh @FinancialReview We have the toughest economic outlook in decades (COVID was a surprise), and neither party has a serious plan to lift productivity or to drive economic growth.

Neither party has a serious plan that goes far enough on climate.

2/n
Neither party has anything like a plan to repair the government balance sheet, or address the structural imbalance in our national budget.

Neither party has made a strong case for why they should be in power, relying on our dislike or mistrust of the other.

3/n
Read 7 tweets
May 8, 2022
For all of the problems of democratic capitalism - and there are plenty -- don't miss the forest for the trees.

Don't get sucked into the false binary choice between neoliberalism or socialism.

Capitalism works.

It needs to be well (better!) regulated but it works.

#ausbiz
The for-and-against arguments centre on extreme views:

"It's better than socialism"

Or

"It's not working properly"

Newsflash: Both are true.

But throwing out the baby with the bathwater would be a crazy outcome.

Argue for a better system. Improve the system.
But don't fall for the idea that it's not a very, very good system for distributing resources and improving our standard of living.

Not even close to perfect.

Needs lots of work.

But don't be sucked into the either/or conversation.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 5, 2022
The cost of living is rising and will continue to do so as interest rates rise in the not-too-distant future.

So here are some ways to save, if you're interested (no pun intended).

A 🧵

#personalfinance #saving #money #CostOfLiving
Get a better interest rate.

Seriously, #getabetterrate

Almost by definition, given the hundreds of loan products available, you're paying too much.

Your bank doesn't deserve your loyalty and you could save thousands.

Do your research. Then call them. Today.
Check your phone and internet plans.

Prices keep coming down for a given amount of data.

So you can probably save money by shopping around.

And if you're not using as much data as you thought, you might be able to downsize.
Read 10 tweets

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