Sun, 20th Jul 2025

In this episode of the Weekly Finance News Wrap, Paige Estritori discusses significant financial events from the week. The risk for investors due to escalating global trade tensions, geopolitical uncertainties, and potential yield curve steepening in the U.S has been highlighted by Schroders. The Reserve Bank of Australia's unexpected monetary policy decision has also sparked discussions about the discrepancy between economic reality and asset prices. Furthermore, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has fined Sky Money Pty Ltd and Smart Financial Capital Pty Ltd $31,300 each for allowing unregistered advisors to provide personal advice. Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in June, ushering speculations of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank to stimulate the economy. Finally, state and federal government budget deficits are at a concerning $52 billion, with net debt surpassing 60% of the GDP, indicating the need for substantial, reformative action.