Latest news with #CommSec
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
US and European markets ‘baulk' at higher rate of tariffs on EU imports
CommSec's Tom Piotrowski discusses how the markets are reacting to the Trump administration's higher rate of tariffs on European imports. 'He [Trump] proposed a higher rate of tariff on European imports, relative to where the markets settled on the thinking,' Mr Piotrowski told Sky News Australia. 'So, a universal tariff in the order of 15 to 20 per cent and that just had the markets baulk a little bit in Europe and the US. 'You saw pretty flat outcomes for Wall Street on Friday.' Presented by CommSec.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Faxes to apps: CommSec's 30 years of shaping investing
Fiona Bennett started trading in 1996, calling "sell, sell" into her phone at a morning tea surrounded by fellow mothers. "Everyone was teasing me afterwards," she told AAP. "Most people, especially all the mums, didn't have any idea about investing." At the time, Ms Bennett's husband was overseas and had asked her to sell the shares on his behalf. But she soon began trading for herself. "I was very popular at dinner parties and everybody wanted tips." she said. Ms Bennett collected information through newspapers and word-of-mouth and her trades were done over the phone and using fax machines. "It was really hard to know and, trust me, I had a few losses," she said. Now 65, she was one of CommSec's earliest customers. The online trading platform, parented by the CBA, is this week celebrating its 30th anniversary, having paved the way for Australian investors. In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, and in 2008, the first to have its own iPhone trading app. The company now facilitates 40,000 trades per day, worth a total of $575 million. It's a far cry from their opening day in 1995, where a total of four trades were put through, worth $75 each. Market analyst Tom Piotrowski started working for CommSec more than 20 years ago, back when the company's team fitted onto a single floor. He has worked through the vast majority of the biggest days on the ASX, entering the company just after the volatile Y2K period, swiftly followed by the Global Financial Crisis, then most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. "I don't know if it was me turning up that translated to this run of bad luck, but it certainly made it interesting to be a participant in communicating these things to audiences," he said. "It's that type of environment that serves as education for people." The periods acted as catalysts for change according to Mr Piotrowski, who has overcome his camera shyness to feature on television, and social media videos providing information to customers. "I'd never appeared in front of a television camera before I worked with CommSec, that was very obvious to anyone who may have seen my early efforts," he said. "Terror is probably a personal feeling that I experienced quite a bit." CommSec services form just one part of the information now readily available to investors across multiple trading websites and apps. Ms Bennett didn't know any other women who traded when she started, but has noticed a shift with the increase in accessibility. The amount of CommSec investors under 40 have more than doubled over the past 10 years, while the percentage of women who invest has almost tripled over the past five years. "All my children trade, my daughter included," Ms Bennett said. "They're all confident enough to do it, they know what they're doing and they can get more information."
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Faxes to apps: CommSec's 30 years of shaping investing
Fiona Bennett started trading in 1996, calling "sell, sell" into her phone at a morning tea surrounded by fellow mothers. "Everyone was teasing me afterwards," she told AAP. "Most people, especially all the mums, didn't have any idea about investing." At the time, Ms Bennett's husband was overseas and had asked her to sell the shares on his behalf. But she soon began trading for herself. "I was very popular at dinner parties and everybody wanted tips." she said. Ms Bennett collected information through newspapers and word-of-mouth and her trades were done over the phone and using fax machines. "It was really hard to know and, trust me, I had a few losses," she said. Now 65, she was one of CommSec's earliest customers. The online trading platform, parented by the CBA, is this week celebrating its 30th anniversary, having paved the way for Australian investors. In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, and in 2008, the first to have its own iPhone trading app. The company now facilitates 40,000 trades per day, worth a total of $575 million. It's a far cry from their opening day in 1995, where a total of four trades were put through, worth $75 each. Market analyst Tom Piotrowski started working for CommSec more than 20 years ago, back when the company's team fitted onto a single floor. He has worked through the vast majority of the biggest days on the ASX, entering the company just after the volatile Y2K period, swiftly followed by the Global Financial Crisis, then most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. "I don't know if it was me turning up that translated to this run of bad luck, but it certainly made it interesting to be a participant in communicating these things to audiences," he said. "It's that type of environment that serves as education for people." The periods acted as catalysts for change according to Mr Piotrowski, who has overcome his camera shyness to feature on television, and social media videos providing information to customers. "I'd never appeared in front of a television camera before I worked with CommSec, that was very obvious to anyone who may have seen my early efforts," he said. "Terror is probably a personal feeling that I experienced quite a bit." CommSec services form just one part of the information now readily available to investors across multiple trading websites and apps. Ms Bennett didn't know any other women who traded when she started, but has noticed a shift with the increase in accessibility. The amount of CommSec investors under 40 have more than doubled over the past 10 years, while the percentage of women who invest has almost tripled over the past five years. "All my children trade, my daughter included," Ms Bennett said. "They're all confident enough to do it, they know what they're doing and they can get more information." Fiona Bennett started trading in 1996, calling "sell, sell" into her phone at a morning tea surrounded by fellow mothers. "Everyone was teasing me afterwards," she told AAP. "Most people, especially all the mums, didn't have any idea about investing." At the time, Ms Bennett's husband was overseas and had asked her to sell the shares on his behalf. But she soon began trading for herself. "I was very popular at dinner parties and everybody wanted tips." she said. Ms Bennett collected information through newspapers and word-of-mouth and her trades were done over the phone and using fax machines. "It was really hard to know and, trust me, I had a few losses," she said. Now 65, she was one of CommSec's earliest customers. The online trading platform, parented by the CBA, is this week celebrating its 30th anniversary, having paved the way for Australian investors. In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, and in 2008, the first to have its own iPhone trading app. The company now facilitates 40,000 trades per day, worth a total of $575 million. It's a far cry from their opening day in 1995, where a total of four trades were put through, worth $75 each. Market analyst Tom Piotrowski started working for CommSec more than 20 years ago, back when the company's team fitted onto a single floor. He has worked through the vast majority of the biggest days on the ASX, entering the company just after the volatile Y2K period, swiftly followed by the Global Financial Crisis, then most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. "I don't know if it was me turning up that translated to this run of bad luck, but it certainly made it interesting to be a participant in communicating these things to audiences," he said. "It's that type of environment that serves as education for people." The periods acted as catalysts for change according to Mr Piotrowski, who has overcome his camera shyness to feature on television, and social media videos providing information to customers. "I'd never appeared in front of a television camera before I worked with CommSec, that was very obvious to anyone who may have seen my early efforts," he said. "Terror is probably a personal feeling that I experienced quite a bit." CommSec services form just one part of the information now readily available to investors across multiple trading websites and apps. Ms Bennett didn't know any other women who traded when she started, but has noticed a shift with the increase in accessibility. The amount of CommSec investors under 40 have more than doubled over the past 10 years, while the percentage of women who invest has almost tripled over the past five years. "All my children trade, my daughter included," Ms Bennett said. "They're all confident enough to do it, they know what they're doing and they can get more information." Fiona Bennett started trading in 1996, calling "sell, sell" into her phone at a morning tea surrounded by fellow mothers. "Everyone was teasing me afterwards," she told AAP. "Most people, especially all the mums, didn't have any idea about investing." At the time, Ms Bennett's husband was overseas and had asked her to sell the shares on his behalf. But she soon began trading for herself. "I was very popular at dinner parties and everybody wanted tips." she said. Ms Bennett collected information through newspapers and word-of-mouth and her trades were done over the phone and using fax machines. "It was really hard to know and, trust me, I had a few losses," she said. Now 65, she was one of CommSec's earliest customers. The online trading platform, parented by the CBA, is this week celebrating its 30th anniversary, having paved the way for Australian investors. In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, and in 2008, the first to have its own iPhone trading app. The company now facilitates 40,000 trades per day, worth a total of $575 million. It's a far cry from their opening day in 1995, where a total of four trades were put through, worth $75 each. Market analyst Tom Piotrowski started working for CommSec more than 20 years ago, back when the company's team fitted onto a single floor. He has worked through the vast majority of the biggest days on the ASX, entering the company just after the volatile Y2K period, swiftly followed by the Global Financial Crisis, then most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. "I don't know if it was me turning up that translated to this run of bad luck, but it certainly made it interesting to be a participant in communicating these things to audiences," he said. "It's that type of environment that serves as education for people." The periods acted as catalysts for change according to Mr Piotrowski, who has overcome his camera shyness to feature on television, and social media videos providing information to customers. "I'd never appeared in front of a television camera before I worked with CommSec, that was very obvious to anyone who may have seen my early efforts," he said. "Terror is probably a personal feeling that I experienced quite a bit." CommSec services form just one part of the information now readily available to investors across multiple trading websites and apps. Ms Bennett didn't know any other women who traded when she started, but has noticed a shift with the increase in accessibility. The amount of CommSec investors under 40 have more than doubled over the past 10 years, while the percentage of women who invest has almost tripled over the past five years. "All my children trade, my daughter included," Ms Bennett said. "They're all confident enough to do it, they know what they're doing and they can get more information." Fiona Bennett started trading in 1996, calling "sell, sell" into her phone at a morning tea surrounded by fellow mothers. "Everyone was teasing me afterwards," she told AAP. "Most people, especially all the mums, didn't have any idea about investing." At the time, Ms Bennett's husband was overseas and had asked her to sell the shares on his behalf. But she soon began trading for herself. "I was very popular at dinner parties and everybody wanted tips." she said. Ms Bennett collected information through newspapers and word-of-mouth and her trades were done over the phone and using fax machines. "It was really hard to know and, trust me, I had a few losses," she said. Now 65, she was one of CommSec's earliest customers. The online trading platform, parented by the CBA, is this week celebrating its 30th anniversary, having paved the way for Australian investors. In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, and in 2008, the first to have its own iPhone trading app. The company now facilitates 40,000 trades per day, worth a total of $575 million. It's a far cry from their opening day in 1995, where a total of four trades were put through, worth $75 each. Market analyst Tom Piotrowski started working for CommSec more than 20 years ago, back when the company's team fitted onto a single floor. He has worked through the vast majority of the biggest days on the ASX, entering the company just after the volatile Y2K period, swiftly followed by the Global Financial Crisis, then most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. "I don't know if it was me turning up that translated to this run of bad luck, but it certainly made it interesting to be a participant in communicating these things to audiences," he said. "It's that type of environment that serves as education for people." The periods acted as catalysts for change according to Mr Piotrowski, who has overcome his camera shyness to feature on television, and social media videos providing information to customers. "I'd never appeared in front of a television camera before I worked with CommSec, that was very obvious to anyone who may have seen my early efforts," he said. "Terror is probably a personal feeling that I experienced quite a bit." CommSec services form just one part of the information now readily available to investors across multiple trading websites and apps. Ms Bennett didn't know any other women who traded when she started, but has noticed a shift with the increase in accessibility. The amount of CommSec investors under 40 have more than doubled over the past 10 years, while the percentage of women who invest has almost tripled over the past five years. "All my children trade, my daughter included," Ms Bennett said. "They're all confident enough to do it, they know what they're doing and they can get more information."
9 News
3 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Young Aussies locked out of housing market turning to $24k investment
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Young micro-investors are sinking their spare cash into shares after being locked out of the property market, leading economist Tom Piotrowski says. Piotrowski said unaffordable property prices have made stock market investments an "attractive" choice for a record number of Australians aged under 40 as home ownership remains painfully out of reach. "The fact that it has become increasingly difficult to establish a foothold [in the property market] has certainly contributed to the fact the ease of investing in the share market by comparison is more attractive," Piotrowski told Piotrowski said unaffordable home prices in Australia have made first-time stock investments an "attractive" choice. (Getty) "You can see a pathway to building your wealth in a more incremental way rather than having to stump up with a very sizable deposit." This month marks 30 years since Commonwealth Bank's online share trading platform CommSec launched in Australia and the economic landscape has undoubtedly changed enormously since 1995. In the mid-'90s, CommSec trades were done slowly by telephone and fax for $75 each and most investors were older, wealthier Australians. Now, Piotrowski said, young people with various incomes are now using their smartphones to trade shares at lunch time hoping to build their "nest egg". And according to figures from Finder, Australians have an average of $24,020 invested in shares. This casual investing may be funded by inheritance or a small amount of disposable income, Piotrowski said. "We're in the midst of one of the largest transitions of wealth from the baby boomer generation to a younger generation," Piotrowski said. According to Finder, Australians have an average of $24,020 invested in shares. (Getty) "Some are fortunate that they might be able to get some help with a leg up to buying their first property because of that wealth transition, others perhaps might not be that lucky. "Investing in the share market is attractive to them from that perspective because they're coming into some money. "They might not quite have enough for a deposit. "From that vantage point, you'd certainly be interested in looking at the share market." The percentage of customers trading on CommSec aged under 40 has surged to 39.8 per cent, compared to just over 25 per cent in 2020. CommBank revealed the rate of women with share holdings has nearly tripled in the past five years. Piotrowski credits this with a rise in online financial literacy since the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading economist Tom Piotrowski. (Supplied) "There are a lot more female content producers now that are interested in the share market, and that's important in terms of creating a commonality with the audience," he said. "It's become far more mainstream than it ever has been and that is directly tied to technology and social media." CommSec's biggest day of trading in 2025 so far was in the wake of Donald Trump's tariff announcements on April 7. But Piotrowski said Trump's influence likely won't have much of a negative impact on investors willing to play the long game and ride the wave. Investors under the age of 40 are turning to CommSec in droves. (Nine) "Yes, things are volatile, but volatility has always been a feature of equity markets," he said. "From time to time, you have seismic events that create big price movements. But it's a cliche. "The thing that protects you against that volatility is that long-term perspective." The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. finance Economy Australia national commonwealth bank money Economics Shares tariffs CONTACT US
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Markets to open on ‘positive footing'
CommSec's Tom Piotrowski says markets will open on a 'positive footing'. 'The ASX 2000 will be up by just under half of one per cent,' Mr Piotrowski told Sky News Australia. 'That's a nice addition to yesterday's gain of almost one per cent.' Presented by CommSec.
