Karren Vergara is a financial journalist with Financial Standard, covering wealth management, including superannuation, banking and financial planning. She is one of the hosts of the Financial Standard Podcast. Prior to becoming a journalist, Karren was an accountant for more than 10 years. She has a diploma in journalism and Bachelor's degree in business, both from UTS, and was named Financial Journalist of the Year at the 2025 Impact Awards. Connect with Karren Vergara on LinkedIn.
Start-ups, small businesses win CGT reform carveouts
Labor has expanded CGT carveouts after business backlash, shielding 2.7 million small businesses and preserving tax breaks for eligible start-ups.
HSBC fined $35m after customers lose $23m to scams
Customers lost more than $23 million to scammers, many posing as HSBC staff. Now the bank has been fined $35 million in a landmark ASIC case.
Offshore investors pile into Australian private credit
Australia's private credit market is drawing billions from offshore investors, buoyed by strong returns, diversification and global uncertainty.
Inflation hit 3.8% in October – is a rate cut off the table?
Inflation is up 3.8% as electricity costs soared 37%, according to the ABS, so what does this mean for the cash rate?
ANZ fined $240 million for bond trading, retail misconduct
ANZ has copped a whopping $240 million fine for bank-wide "unconscionable conduct" that includes admitting it was guilty of misleading the government over the $14 billion bond scandal.
The super products that failed the latest performance test
This is the third consecutive year that Insignia and AMP have featured on the list since the performance test was introduced.
How does your superannuation balance compare to the average?
The latest Australian Taxation Office data has revealed the average super balances for men and women and across age brackets.
The dodgy dentist who defrauded people of their super
Aussies have been warned after desperate dental patients drained their superannuation balances to pay more than $70,000 for dental care they never received.
Why ASIC is launching a fresh inquiry into the ASX
ASIC has launched another inquiry into what chair Joe Longo says are repeated and serious failures by the ASX.
Unspoken debt: The young migrants paying their parents’ bills
Children from migrant backgrounds are often torn between two worlds - strong financial obligations to family and the sky-high cost of living.
