Education

Jobs and wages affect much more than household incomes. For fund managers, labour-market conditions can offer clues about consumer demand,Businesscosts, inflation, company profitability and the direction of interest rates.

Your twenties can feel like the wrong time to think about investing. Income may still be developing, expenses can be unpredictable and major financial goals may seem years away.

• Net worth can reveal more aboutWealthprogress than income or short-termInvestmentreturns alone.

• Regular check-ups help keep financial decisions connected with changing goals and circumstances.

• An early, modest step can sometimes have more impact than a much larger step taken years later.

Pepper Money (ASX:PPM) delivered higherEarningsin the first half of FY26, supported by increased lending volumes, a larger asset base and an improvement in net interest margin.

Australian Finance Group (ASX:AFG) reported a significant increase in FY26 profitability, with net profit after tax rising 39% to $49 million. Underlying NPATA increased 33% to $54 million, reflectingEarningsgrowth across both the Distribution and Manufacturing segments.