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Updated 27 September 2026
Money news
Rates, inflation, wages and the cost of living, worked out in dollars for your pay.
27 September 2026RBA decision 29 September 2026: what a rate rise means for your pay packetThe big four banks expect a hike on Tuesday. Here is what 0.25% costs on your mortgage, measured in pay.
27 September 2026Tax return deadline 2026: lodge by 2 November and check your refundDoing your own return? The deadline is 31 October, pushed to Monday 2 November this year. Here is how to tell if a refund is coming.
27 September 2026Redundancy payout after tax: how much you actually keep in 2026–27A genuine redundancy is tax free up to $13,598 plus $6,801 for every full year you worked. Most payouts never reach that limit.
27 September 2026Rates could hit a 15-year high. How much can you borrow on your salary?A rise to 4.60% would be the highest cash rate since 2011. We ran the numbers on what each salary can realistically carry.
27 September 2026Inflation is 3.5%. Here is the pay rise you actually need to keep upBecause of tax, a 3.5% raise does not lift your take-home pay by 3.5%. The real number is higher.
27 September 2026Petrol prices: how many hours you work to fill the tankFuel is still pricier than before the Middle East conflict. Here is what a tank costs you in work time.
27 September 2026Minimum wage 2026 after tax: $26.44 an hour in your pocketThe National Minimum Wage rose 4.75% on 1 July. Here is what it pays after tax, weekly, fortnightly and yearly.
27 September 2026$1 an hour more: what a pay rise is actually worth after taxAn extra dollar an hour sounds small. Full time, it is $1,976 a year before tax. Here is what you keep.
27 September 2026Salary sacrifice in 2026: how much tax you really saveThe concessional cap rose to $32,500 on 1 July. We worked out what sacrificing $5,000 does to your pay and your super.
27 September 2026Is the $500 super co-contribution free money? Who gets it in 2026–27Earn under $49,293 and put $1,000 into super, and the government adds up to $500. Here is how it works.
27 September 2026Second job tax: why you get taxed more, and how to avoid a billYour second job withholds more tax on purpose. Claim the tax-free threshold twice and you could owe the ATO instead.
27 September 2026Graduate salary after tax 2026: what your first pay packet looks likeMost grads start with a HELP debt, and repayments kick in at $69,528. Here is what common grad salaries take home.