Can we compare Irish living standards with those in the UK and EU?Smart Money: Different ways of measuring financial wellbeing across different timeframes mean comparing like with like is anything but straightforwardThu Jun 29 2023 - 11:29
Nexus of big firms, advisers and the IDA wields huge power over Irish policyReliance on a handful of firms has inverted Ireland’s traditional relationship between government and industry. Sinn Féin in power would have to maintain that dynamicSun Jun 11 2023 - 05:00
Cliff Taylor: When is a budget tax cut not really a tax cut at all? Governments love to say they’re reducing the tax burden, but often they’re just dealing with the impact of inflationThu Jun 08 2023 - 11:36
Inflation is going to fall faster than you thinkHousehold energy bills remain high but once they start to fall, they will fall fastSun Jun 04 2023 - 05:15
How to buy your first home in Ireland: The three hurdles to overcomeDespite the challenges, many succeed. More than 14,000 mortgages were drawn down in the second half of last yearSat Jun 03 2023 - 06:00
Want to work remotely from overseas for a few months? Here’s why it is not so easyCliff Taylor: There are legal and tax complications for both employer and employee.Thu Jun 01 2023 - 12:51
Cliff Taylor: This is why the Fine Gael tax plan has started such a rowMove is aimed squarely at the top 25%. Fianna Fáil may look to spread the gains a bit more widelySun May 28 2023 - 06:00
Fine Gael throwing a €1,000 tax cut into the mix started a row ... but it may not be far off what happensSmart Money: Indexing for inflation and preparing ground ahead of a General Election means €1,000 tax package figure per middle income earner might not be too far fetchedThu May 25 2023 - 12:16
Better future for the young should be priority for surplus, not lining pockets of well-off older votersA better future for younger people must be the priority, not lining pockets of better-off older votersSun May 21 2023 - 05:00
Cliff Taylor: Are Irish house prices set to fall further, in common with many European markets?Property prices have been falling over the last three months, but some parts of the market are performing very differently from others, making predictions trickyThu May 18 2023 - 11:36
Ignore the political theatre. Prices are not coming down any time soonThe inflation surge may be slowly easing, but the cost of living crisis lives onSun May 14 2023 - 06:33
Cliff Taylor: With big budget surpluses, why are we being warned that we will have to pay more tax? Smart Money: Economically, taxes on immobile assets like property are seen to be more efficient than income taxesThu May 11 2023 - 12:56
Windfall tax receipts will not be enough to cover cost of ageing populationMinisters told PRSI increases needed to help bridge the gapWed May 10 2023 - 05:00
How to spend the €65bn budget surplus: Four options from safe to riskyAnalysis: Arguments for prudence will be balanced by the Cabinet with immediate needs of the economy and short-term political popularityTue May 09 2023 - 11:35
Cliff Taylor: Meet John and Mary, the 40-somethings caught in the mortgage squeezeNow that their homes have just about recovered to the price they paid for them, they are being hit by the sharpest interest rate rise in recent historySun May 07 2023 - 05:00
ECB rates move poses some tricky questions for GovernmentCliff Taylor: Lagarde told politicians to reduce cost-of-living supports to households and so, cut demand and lower inflationary pressuresThu May 04 2023 - 18:01
Interest rate rises: Are you one of the borrowers being hammered?Cliff Taylor: Those on tracker mortgages are the most exposed as they are tied to the ECB rateThu May 04 2023 - 11:13
Cliff Taylor: Sinn Féin will soon have to stick or twist on plans to tax the richThe political calculation the party has to make is how its tax plans will play with the middle groundSat Apr 29 2023 - 05:00
Why do interest rates keep rising no matter what problems it causes for households?Cliff Taylor: Raising rates is the ECB’s primary weapon in the fight against inflationThu Apr 27 2023 - 12:15
Cliff Taylor: Will the new housing plan work and will it lower prices?Having argued for incentives, builders must now deliverTue Apr 25 2023 - 16:50
Q&A: Will housing plan to remove development levies benefit homebuyers?The contributions are paid to local authorities by developers when they build residential or commercial buildingsTue Apr 25 2023 - 10:24
Cliff Taylor: Having ‘struck oil’, Ireland faces big decisions about what to do with all this moneyThis week’s budget surplus forecast changes everything. At a time when other countries are scrambling for cash, Ireland is swimming in itSun Apr 23 2023 - 06:00
How should the State’s €16 billion surplus be spent? Here are 16 ideas Cliff Taylor: From cutting taxes to funding health, how will the Government disburse the forecast surplus in public finances?Thu Apr 20 2023 - 12:21
Cliff Taylor: A generation is stuck living at home due to the long-term housing shortageIreland’s housing crisis took many years to emerge and unfortunately it will many more to fixSat Apr 08 2023 - 05:00
Is the current rate of inflation way lower than we think?Households have been hit hard by prices way above last year's levels - but research suggests that the annual figures could be overestimating what is happening at the momentThu Apr 06 2023 - 11:01
New corporation tax rules: Will they make Ireland richer or poorer?Q&A with Cliff Taylor: Multinationals with Irish headquarters and the biggest Irish companies will face significant new reporting requirement – and higher tax billsMon Apr 03 2023 - 14:49
Cliff Taylor: Ireland has lots of cash, but must get better at spending itEveryone agrees that the State will spend a bag of money addressing housing and health. But what comes next?Sun Apr 02 2023 - 05:00
Corporation tax receipts: Why it may not be all bad news for IrelandSmart Money: There is a lot at stake for the State in the uncertainty surrounding the international path of the taxThu Mar 30 2023 - 12:00
Ireland set to avoid implementing 15% headline corporate tax rateGovernment considering a top-up tax for companies with turnover in excess of €750m, aiming to ensure that they pay minimum effective rate of 15% on earnings hereTue Mar 28 2023 - 05:00
The price of a mistake by the ECB in raising rates would be highCliff Taylor: Communication to the market from central banks and governments is now vital, as are actions to deal with any problems that emergeFri Mar 24 2023 - 16:18
Why Irish households may not see lower energy bills any time soon even as ESB doubles its profitsEnergy company's record profits may not feed through to customers quicklyThu Mar 23 2023 - 11:35
Banking crisis: What it means for interest ratesCliff Taylor: Will cost of mortgages continue to climb?Mon Mar 20 2023 - 15:54
We are seeing echoes now of the run-up to the 2008 crashSilicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse have sent tremors around the world, but experts believe European banks can weather the stormSun Mar 19 2023 - 06:00
What is really causing landlords to leave the Irish rental market?Cliff Taylor: Government needs to decide what kind of rental market it wantsThu Mar 16 2023 - 12:04
Cliff Taylor: Is Ireland really committed to private rental - or is it all about home ownership?Houses are just being shuffled between two under-supplied markets: rental and home ownershipSat Mar 11 2023 - 00:01
Congestion charges are looming for Irish motorists. Here’s how they work elsewhereSmart Money: A political row is approaching as Ministers try to find a way to get motorists out of their carsThu Mar 09 2023 - 10:42
Why AIB didn’t treat ordinary borrowers the way it treated DJ Carey Banks never trumpet debt writedowns to smaller borrowers, because then everyone will want oneSat Mar 04 2023 - 05:00
Why is it so difficult to find a second-hand house on the Irish market?Smart Money: Latest data shows supply of second-hand properties for sale is hugely constrained across the StateThu Mar 02 2023 - 11:51
Cliff Taylor: Interest rates are likely to go a lot higher than we had expectedECB’s hawkish approach, spurred on by the likelihood that euro zone will avoid recession, is a huge blow for anyone with a mortgageSat Feb 25 2023 - 00:00
Digital euro: What you need to know about the plan that could revolutionise how we pay for everythingThe ECB must navigate the controversial world of digital currency, with concerns about privacy certain to be writ largeThu Feb 23 2023 - 10:50
Cliff Taylor: We are witnessing the first skirmishes in a new war for resources in IrelandWe are all going to face higher tax bills – even if our politicians aren’t keen on telling usSun Feb 19 2023 - 05:00
Cost-of-living package: will you be better off after the big announcement?Debates are under way on VAT on fuel, energy supports and what cash to direct at households, with implications for your pocketThu Feb 16 2023 - 12:00
Why can’t Ireland build enough houses? Because builders are busy with suburban renovationsRenovations are more economically viable for builders but they are making it increasingly hard to build new homesSat Feb 11 2023 - 00:00
Is mortgage interest relief really on the way back for Irish borrowers?Smart Money: Rising interest rates are punishing borrowers and Ministers are under pressure to actThu Feb 09 2023 - 10:45
Leprechaun economics: Ireland’s international status as a tax haven is no longer a debateActivities of multinationals that distort national economic data now key factor in how people internationally look at Irish economyFri Feb 03 2023 - 13:50
Cliff Taylor: The big question on interest rate hikes is how much will they damage the economy?The average rate on a tracker mortgage will now rise to over 4 per centThu Feb 02 2023 - 15:40
We are starting to see the shape of the post-Covid city centreHybrid working has led to much quieter office districts and the suburbs are exerting a greater pullThu Feb 02 2023 - 12:23
How high could interest rates go? Fasten your seat-beltsThe outlook is improving but interest rates look set to rise several more times before the summerSat Jan 28 2023 - 00:00
The real reasons why women get paid less than menSmart Money: Male and female graduates get roughly the same pay when they enter the workforce, but not for longThu Jan 26 2023 - 10:50
Cliff Taylor: A big financial gap is opening up in the State’s housing plansThe money is out there but it’s vital that it be directed into the right kind of investment and not into wheezes such as ill-considered tax breaksSat Jan 14 2023 - 05:00
