Fear & Greed Q+A

Crypto has rallied strongly, but regulatory uncertainty remains after the US Senate failed to pass the CLARITY Act. So where does Bitcoin fit in portfolios now - and how are the big institutional investors thinking about it? Sean Aylmer speaks with John D’Agostino, Head of Institutional Strategy at Coinbase, about regulation, Bitcoin’s role in portfolio construction, and why he believe...

Australia’s housing shortage is already being constrained by costs, skills shortages and lengthy construction times. Now another enormous investment boom could add to the pressure: data centres. Sean Aylmer speaks with Gareth Spence, Head of Australian Economics at NAB, about the week ahead, including building activity. They also look at the potential for AI infrastructure to compete with ho...

Australia needs more homes. Governments agree on the problem and have set ambitious targets - but the housing pipeline remains under enormous pressure. Sean Aylmer speaks with Mike Zorbas, CEO of the Property Council of Australia, about why Australia isn't building enough homes, the extraordinary tax burden on new housing - which Mike likens to the way cigarettes are taxed - and the impact of chan...

Australians with more than $3 million in super are now facing an additional layer of tax under Division 296. But changes outside super have also altered the calculation for anyone thinking about withdrawing money and investing it elsewhere. Sean Aylmer speaks with Meg Heffron, Managing Director of Heffron, about how Division 296 works, why valuations matter particularly for SMSFs, who needs to sta...

The Reserve Bank has lifted the cash rate to 4.6 per cent, its highest level in 15 years, as it battles stubborn inflation. But with households under growing pressure, house prices weakening and the economy slowing, is Australia now getting dangerously close to recession? Sean Aylmer speaks with Stephen Koukoulas, Managing Director of Market Economics, about whether the RBA has done enough, where...

Oil prices are back above $US100 a barrel as uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz rattles energy and bond markets. But with global inventories already depleted, how much worse could the situation get if a deal between the US and Iran remains out of reach? Sean Aylmer speaks with Vivek Dhar, Head of Commodities and Sustainability Research at Commonwealth Bank, about the risk of Brent crude reachin...

It’s a huge week for the Australian economy, with the Reserve Bank widely expected to lift interest rates by 25 basis points on Tuesday - and fresh inflation data due just 24 hours later. Sean Aylmer speaks with NAB Chief Economist Sally Auld about why inflation is proving stubborn, the risk of further rate rises, and what the latest data is telling us about consumer spending and the outlook...

Big data can reveal an extraordinary amount about us – including whether our spending matches the income we claim to earn. That makes it a powerful tool not just for businesses, but for fighting scams, money laundering and other financial crime. Sean Aylmer speaks with Professor Andreas Chai, Director of Griffith University’s Academy of Excellence in Financial Crime Investigation and C...

AI is rapidly finding its way into accounting firms, helping with everything from research and document reviews to client communications and compliance. But as adoption accelerates, so do the risks - from convincing but incorrect answers to confidential data ending up in the wrong place.  Recorded live at Class Ignite 2026, Sean Aylmer speaks with HUB24’s Jason Entwistle and Dr Evan Mor...

AI has become one of the defining investment stories of this market cycle. But where might investors look if the AI boom comes unstuck? Sean Aylmer speaks with Gaurav Sodhi, Deputy Head of Research at Intelligent Investor, about the case for an “anti-AI” portfolio. They discuss why previous technology booms have ended in euphoria, and why physical-world businesses including Orica, Eage...

More than 100,000 fans packed the MCG for the NFL’s first regular season game in the Asia-Pacific - but for the league, Melbourne was never meant to be a one-off. Sean Aylmer speaks with Charlotte Offord, General Manager of NFL Australia and New Zealand, about the NFL’s strategy for building a long-term fan base in Australia, why it doesn’t see the AFL and NRL as competitors, and...

Global bond markets finally found some relief last week after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates, helping restore confidence that central banks are serious about bringing inflation under control. But with oil prices still high and inflation risks lingering, the pressure hasn’t disappeared. Michael Thompson speaks with economist  Stephen Koukoulas  about why the Fed’...

The humble text message is about to get a major upgrade. RCS messaging promises to bring verified senders, images, video, buttons and two-way conversations into the standard messaging inbox – potentially changing the way businesses communicate with customers. Michael Thompson speaks with Hugh Haley, Senior Director, Partners and Carriers, APAC at Sinch, about why RCS is gaining momentum in A...

Self-managed super funds have hit a new record, with more than 680,000 SMSFs now holding over $1.1 trillion in assets. And it’s not just older Australians making the move: Gen X and Millennials accounted for almost 90 per cent of newly established funds. Recorded live at Class Ignite 2026, Sean Aylmer speaks with Class CEO Tim Steele, SMSF Association CEO Peter Burgess and Heffron Managing D...

The AI boom has triggered enormous investment in data centres and the infrastructure needed to train artificial intelligence. But the next opportunity could be what happens every time we actually use AI – a process known as inferencing. Sean Aylmer speaks with David Keane, co-founder and CEO of ASX-listed SCX.ai, about why he believes Australia needs its own AI inferencing capacity, the priv...

Australia has a strong and resilient financial system. But the regulator responsible for keeping it that way is increasingly focused on what happens when several major risks hit at once — a scenario APRA describes as a “polycrisis”. Sean Aylmer speaks with APRA Chair John Lonsdale about the risks facing banks, insurers and super funds holding more than $10 trillion on behalf of A...

Population and migration are back in focus this week, with new figures set to shed light on one of the biggest economic and political debates in Australia - and the pressure on housing and living standards. Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas  to look at the balance between migration, skills and housing, and what population growth means for the economy on a pe...

The collapse of the Sydney property developer Bathla Group has put private credit - and its risks - firmly in the spotlight. But is the sector facing a crisis, or simply going through a normal investment cycle? Sean Aylmer speaks with Alan Greenstein, CEO and co-founder of Zagga, about his take on the current situation. They discuss what's changed in real estate private credit, why investors are b...

Frequent flyer points were once a fairly simple way for airlines to reward loyal customers. Today they sit at the centre of enormous commercial ecosystems, influencing where we shop, which cards we use and even how much we’re prepared to pay. Sean Aylmer speaks with management consultant and loyalty expert David Moloney, author of Points: Mastering the Game of Frequent Flyers. They talk abou...

Australia is facing what could be an exceptionally intense El Niño, and the consequences could extend well beyond hotter weather and bushfire risk. Food production, electricity supply, insurance, construction and supply chains could all be affected. Sean Aylmer speaks with Dr Graeme Riddell, Climate and Sustainability Consulting Leader, Asia Pacific at Marsh, about how extreme weather flows...

Coal remains one of the world’s biggest energy sources - and with conflict in the Middle East putting energy security back in focus, the debate over its future is becoming more complicated. Sean Aylmer speaks with Michelle Manook, CEO of Future Coal, formerly the World Coal Association, about whether predictions of coal’s decline have been premature. They also look at the potential for...

The headlines have been dominated by inflation, stronger-than-expected economic growth and the prospect of another interest rate hike. But what's the outlook through a business lens? Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas  for a look at five reasons Australian businesses can be more optimistic right now – from rising investment and resilient household spend...

Text messages can be one of the most effective ways for businesses to reach customers - but there’s a fine line between useful communication and something that feels like spam. Michael Thompson speaks with Paul Diamond, Head of SMB Customer Success, APAC at  Sinch , about when businesses should use SMS or WhatsApp, why relevance and timing matter, the rules around consent and opting out...

The Australian economy is holding up better than expected. GDP grew 2.1 per cent over the year to June, consumer spending remains resilient and households are still managing to save - despite three interest rate rises and stubborn inflation. Michael Thompson speaks with AMP Deputy Chief Economist Diana Mousina about what the latest GDP numbers tell us about Australian households, whether econ...

Australian businesses are pouring money into artificial intelligence — but many still don't know whether it's actually paying off. New research from Elastic suggests one in three businesses exceeded their AI budget last financial year, while just 8% are tracking AI's contribution to revenue or cost savings. Sean Aylmer speaks with Jeremy Pell, Country Manager ANZ at Elastic, about why AI spe...