Here’s what you need to know today

• The Reserve Bank of Australia will hand down its interest rate decision this afternoon. After last week’s surprising jump in inflation, economists are united in calling that the RBA will keep rates flat at 3.6%. (ABC News)
  
  

• Australian home values rose 1.1% in October, their fastest pace in more than two years. Values were up across every capital city. Over the past 12 months, national home prices rose 6.1%, and the median home value now sitting at a record high of $872,538. (Capital Brief)

  
  

• The Australian National Party has voted to ditch Net Zero from its party platform. Now senior members of the Liberal Party are arguing it should follow suit. Liberal leader Sussan Ley hasn’t taken a position on climate targets, arguing for a policy process first, but may now be forced to take a position. (AFR)

   
  

• Cboe has decided to sell its Australian and Canadian operations. This comes just weeks after ASIC approved Cboe’s application to handle new stock market listings. At the time, Treasurer Jim Chalmers was celebrating the decision as a key step to increase competition with the ASX, now Australia is wondering if competition has taken a step backwards. (AFR)
  
  

• Macquarie Bank has decided to stop mortgage lending to trusts and companies. This comes after a spike in social media content showing Australians how to boost their borrowing capacity using these structures. (Capital Brief)

   

• Optus CEO Stephen Rue faced a grilling in a Senate hearing in Canberra yesterday. In a rare show of bipartisanship, Senators from all sides of politics found something they could agree on: Optus’ conduct was not good enough. (SBS News)
  
  

• The cartel of oil-producing nations, OPEC+, announced it would raise its output by 137,000 barrels per day in December and then would not increase output in the first 3 months of 2026. This comes as oil producers are concerned about an oversupply in the market. (Reuters)

What the…?

Luxury hotel chain, the Ritz-Carlton, is expanding into cruises. The company has been experimenting with the concept since 2022, but has recently announced plans to expand further into the industry.

Unsurprisingly, the Ritz-Carlton cruise comes at a hefty price. Tickets start at $1,000 a night! And to avoid being thought about with other cruise companies, the company is trying to pioneer a new term: Hotel Yachts. We’re not sure that’s going to catch on. (Quartz)

Investing is a lifelong journey

Here’s what you can learn today

How to start financial habit stacking

Community Question: What are some of the tips and tricks you have for your clients when it comes to financial habit stacking?

We put this question to Dylan Pargiter-Green, financial adviser and partner at Bold Wealth.

The most obvious one is savings habits. We will get people to save for the first time sometimes, and they will put money away that they haven't been able to do previously. And probably an even better example of that is Superannuation, and getting people in their 40s or 50s to start contributing extra to Superannuation when they've never done it before, because they think the need for it is 15 or 20 years away.

We start with a goal. For example, we're going to take $100 a fortnight. It's going to come out pre-tax, you won't notice it. And then what you find is they come back to you six months later and they’ve put an extra thousand dollars into superannuation. Then we increase it very incrementally. And the effect that that has on their retirement savings and therefore their income capacity later on is huge.

So in terms of stacking habits, it's starting small, helping people understand the little benefit. And then building. Works for both Superannuation and for normal savings.

Want to speak to Dylan or another of our hand-picked financial advisers? Fill out the form on our website and we’ll put you in touch.

A message from Fidelity

Over the past two decades, Asia has evolved from the world’s manufacturing hub into a dynamic region of innovation, affluence, and ambition. With tech startups booming and a rising middle class reshaping consumption, the next big investment story may already be unfolding.

Just as India was once overlooked, can investors afford to miss the next evolution of Asia?

Issued by FIL Responsible Entity (Australia) Limited, ABN 33 148 059 009, AFSL No. 409340. This is general information only and is not intended to be advice of any kind. Consider the PDS and TMD available at www.fidelity.com.au

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