Category: Payments

The Buy Now Pay Later Credit Card Duck Just Got Shot!

An estimated 7 million “buy now pay later” users will soon see new laws introduced by the federal government that aims to better protect them against financial abuse.

A new Treasury paper released by Financial Service Minister Stephen Jones today suggests buy now pay later players could soon be subject to the same laws as credit card providers, as “unaffordable or inappropriate lending practices are contributing to financial stress and hardship, and other types of consumer harm”.

The paper said there were 7 million active buy now pay later accounts in the 2021-22 financial year resulting in $16 billion in transactions, an increase of almost 37 per cent on the previous financial year.

The Treasury paper makes it clear self-regulation, without some controls, is no longer an option.

It raises a range of issues, noting there’s been reports of “poor complaints handling processes” and that “the lack of hardship assistance for consumers leads to delayed or unsatisfactory remediation”.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Australians must fight in the new Orwellian Horror!

This week Australia’s living God made international headlines by declaring a research project into crypto currencies.

The Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) on a research project to explore use cases for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in Australia.

https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2022/mr-22-23.html

The RBA announce coincides with the announcement by the Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre.

Australians need to ensure that the RBA and the Federal Parliament does not impose totalitarian control through the Central Bank Digital Currency. Australia is headed down a path with little democratic consent and there is a lot of uncertainty were public policy is going in Australia.

There is a possibility that CBDCs will improve economic life in Australia, but there is also a possibility that it may not. The RBA cannot be allowed to alter economic life in Australia without a democratic mandate.

The Prime Minister and Treasurer need to explain why CBDCs are being developed in Australia and what is the public policy case.

The Australian people must ensure that physical cash is never eliminated and that freedom and privacy remains the corner stone of Australia’s payment system and economic life.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

CBDC: Where Are They Taking Us?

If you string together recent statements from entities like the Bank For International Settlements, IMF, Federal Reserve and other non-elected entities a frightening story emerges as Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) are deployed to give Central Banks even greater powers, impose cross-border solutions (some would say a global currency) and remove more freedoms from society.

This is being talked about top-down as it were, without proper local consultation and buy-in. The future they portray is frightening.

To make the point I have pulled together material from a number of relatively difficult texts, but see the summary section in the contents section to cut to the chase.

[CONTENT]

0:00 Start
0:15 Introduction
1:25 BIS Report – Digital Money
6:25 BIS New Public Policy
8:30 IMF Future Of Money
15:00 Federal Reserve on CBDC
19:23 Literary Review on CBDC and Monetary Policy
24:50 Summary and Conclusion

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Housing Policies In The Balance: With Steve Mickenbecker

I discuss the announced housing policies from the two major parties with Steve Mickenbecker from Canstar. Are they worth the paper they are written on?

Steve Mickenbecker is in Canstar’s Group Executive Team, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the Australian financial services industry. As a financial commentator for Canstar, Steve enjoys sharing his expertise across topics such as home loans, superannuation, insurance, mortgages, banking, credit cards, investment, budgeting, money management and more.

https://www.canstar.com.au/team-members/steve-mickenbecker/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Why This Election Should Be About Access To Cash!

The use and availability of cash, and other banking services – especially in Regional Australia is a critical issue, and one which needs to be on the table in the current political campaigning. We know that banks have been withdrawing their services and closing branches, and that this can spell terminal decline for the surrounding area.

So the question is, how to address the decline and give local economies a boost? I am joined by Alexis Garnaut-Miller the Citizens Party Candidate for Cunningham (NSW) and Robbie Barwick Citizens Party Candidate for Victoria.

We discussed the cash ban, the need for a National Bank, and how this can be established via the Post Office Network. And we highlighted the questions to ask the candidates to test out if they understand the importance of the issue and whether they have an established policy.

We also mentioned The Regional, Dale Websters excellent work in tracking the disgusting removal of bank branches. Visit her site too! https://www.theregional.com.au/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Cash is King In New Zealand!

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand says its latest survey underscores the need for deliberate changes to the cash system to keep it resilient and efficient while needed and wanted by New Zealanders.

The latest edition of our finance and property news digest with a distinctively Australian flavour.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Credit Booms: But What Does It Really Tell Us?

My first chat of 2022 with Steve Mickenbecker from Canstar. We discuss the latest credit stats, the property market, interest rates and how to save some money. And Steve’s New Year resolution is a doozy…

Steve Mickenbecker is in Canstar’s Group Executive Team, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the Australian financial services industry. As a financial commentator for Canstar, Steve enjoys sharing his expertise across topics such as home loans, superannuation, insurance, mortgages, banking, credit cards, investment, budgeting, money management and more.

https://www.canstar.com.au/team-members/steve-mickenbecker/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Payments Shakedown On The Cards!

Whether you are a Buy Now Pay Later User, a Cryptocurrency holder, pay by cash or card, there are big changes ahead, as the RBA outlines some of its thinking.

https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2021/mr-21-30.html
https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2021/sp-gov-2021-12-09.html

We look at the implications of Central Bank Digital Currencies, and the possibility that end users will have to pay to use Buy Now Pay Later services in the future.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

The RBA’s Crypto Warning…

The RBA’s head of payments, Tony Richards, said the value of many cryptocurrencies, which have surged to $US2.6 trillion, could crash when central banks decide to assert control over their monetary systems.

He has warned users and investors in fad-fuelled cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin they risk holding speculative assets with “niche” uses that could lose most of their value.

https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2021/sp-so-2021-11-18.html

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

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