Budgeting stories
Household finances are under growing strain as more Australians dip into savings, cut discretionary spending and lean on credit for essentials.
Cost-of-living pressures are pushing Australians to delay buys, with 80% waiting for major sales events and Prime Day shaping decisions.
In-house teams often miss hidden salary, tooling and efficiency costs that can wipe out the savings from ditching agency retainers.
Households under cost-of-living strain may benefit as Occom's new broadband plans lock in monthly charges for up to 24 months.
Banks can keep customers inside their apps as Visa rolls out chat-based spending insights, card controls and account guidance.
By replacing spreadsheets and manual finance work, the new platform aims to cut months-long implementation times and free staff for higher-value tasks.
Accountancy firms can now send clients password-protected browser reports with drill-down views, reducing reliance on static PDFs and logins.
Retailers under margin pressure can now test staffing and opening-hours decisions before budgets are set, using Logile's new simulator.
Many shoppers could soon face affordability checks at checkout as 59% of BNPL users say they have not heard of the new rules.
Falling confidence is pushing households to trim discretionary purchases, with 65% cutting non-essential spending as essentials stay dear.
Prepaid gaming spending is shifting from launch-day splurges to year-round purchases, with UK gift card use on the marketplace nearly doubling.
Pay-later use for essentials is rising as Canadians face higher grocery bills and turn to discount chains to stretch budgets.
The tie-up could reduce missed repayments for UK workers by directing consolidation loan funds straight to existing creditors through payroll.
The tie-up puts debt and budgeting advice inside a major shopping app, giving UK users an early route to free financial support.
The Florida optical shop lifted revenue by 16% after owner Lea Agramonte used free training to tighten budgets and adopt digital tools.
Rising house prices and borrowing costs are pushing first-time buyers to compare budgets with curated home posts, a survey found.
Trust remains thin for AI-led shopping, with most UK adults saying they would reject systems that handle spending or payment data.
Boards are demanding proof of AI returns, as a survey found just 22% of finance leaders can link spending to business results.
Teenagers at Stamford Bridge are learning budgeting through a football club simulation as FICO begins its first UK financial education push.
Eligible UK savers can now access tax-advantaged investing on Count's platform, as it tackles the advice gap for lower-balance customers.