Dollars and Making Sense

Michelle Griffiths joins us again to discuss what's happening with Family Trusts.  The news has been gloom & doom, however the fiscal landscape has been changing in this space for the past 10 years, and those changes are not restricted to just the current centre-left government, previous conservative governments have been making changes, and with that in mind, the usefulness of these vehic...

Turns out the word "independent" is highly contenuous and the regulator has strict designs on what can and can't be said when we as professionals decide to call something, or ourselves "independent".  Michelle Griffiths from TAG Financial returns to our microphone to work through these definitions and understand the difference between independent advice and hollistic advice...

We welcome back Andrew Inwood, CEO of CoreData - a leading research and strategy consulting company in financial services with global reach in 7 offices worldwide.  This week we venture back into what HNWI (high net worth individuals) are doing with their money.  Why?  Simple really, CoreData's research clearing tells us the rich/ultra rich are about 90 days ahead of the investing curve, so un...

Following on from the very popular interview with Nathan Hood at the Australian Shareholders Association on Investing with Artificial Intelligence, of course we had to do part 2!!  There are many skeptics out there and I am being converted now as a user of some of these engines.  We follow up my chat with Nathan, framing a question correctly, just like in real life, AI gives a solid reply, and we&...

First things 1st - what is a reversionary pension?  Glad you asked and we're glad we have Stuart Sheary, subject matter expert from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ) along to explain the pros and cons of having a pension in place and what it means to beneficiaries of the pension.  As we all meet our maker, the type of pension in place will have a marked...

Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangements (LRBA) are a popular tool for SMSF Trustees to invest in property, however new tax changes have recently been legislated from 10 Aug 2026.  So what exactly does this mean?  We welcome Stuart Sheary from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ) back to the show to help explain what the changes to borrowing rules mean for SMSF...

Liz Moran, editor of Fixed Income News Australia ( www.fina.com.au ) joins us after a 3 year hiatus to rediscover government bonds.  Why?  There is panic in the bond markets at this time, and understanding why will also help all investors and citizens alike as to why they have such fundamental sway and impact to our everyday lives.  Ranging from petrol prices to mortgage costs and even your end of...

Jen Richardson, financial counselor, accountant and former financial planner revisits us to work through some cost of living issues.  Crisis? What crisis, we ask - there are many things we aren't able to control, but information is power.  Jen provides some great primers into how to get on top of, and control your finances rather than your finances control you.  Tune in to find out that every...

Thinking of bringing in Mum and/or into your home via a Granny Flat arrangement?  We welcome back Justin Bott from Services Australia to explain the old truism that "the devil is in the detail".  Having had first hand experience as a FIS officer, Justin has a wealth of experience to bring to our show about anyone considering entering into a granny flat arrangement.  It can be incredibly...

How to teach your kids about money before the habits stick - great opening from our Financial counselor - Jen Richardson, joining us from her accounting practise in the Hunter Valley in NSW.  From an early age, instilling sound life habits around money and managing finances is important.  It doesn't always mean our kids have to be spreadsheet experts in kindergarten, however a grasp of underst...

Into the new financial year and if you haven't noticed yet, there have been changes afoot, not only in your take home pay, but if you're receiving a government payment, there are changes there as well.  We welcome back Juston Bott, media information officer from Services Australia (CentreLink) to explain what the changes mean to those receiving the age pension, but also for those who have...

We welcome back Jen Robinson, an accountant by trade and an experienced Financial Counselor from the Hunter region of NSW.  This week we visit the troublesome topic of debt, how we get into it, and most importantly how to get out of debt.  We cover off "good debt" and "bad debt", and what kind of headspace these discussions can sometimes destructively take up in our brains.  Im...

This week, ASA membership manager, Nathan Hood joins us discussing what's near and dear to his heart, using AI when investing.  There are many skeptics out there, (me included), and this discussion is a sobering and realistic view of what AI can really achieve without overstating or promising beyond what is reasonable.  Prompt engineering is a consultant's term - however in my chat with Na...

While Australia's superannuation retirement system is the envy of many countries around the world, so many Australians are still not aware of what is available as standard offerings within their super funds.  Today we explore the various components of Life Insurance cover within superannuation funds, and what's under the hood.  This includes death cover, terminal illness, temporary or perm...

A troubling subject that has been swept under the carpet for too long.  This week, Lina Saliba, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer from MetLife Australia joins us to discuss a recent study of the financial and health impact of menopause and perimenopause on Australian women.  The study involving over 1000 Australian women provides some sobering results about a much hidden issue with women, and...

Understanding retirement age is rather important. Is it 60, 65 or 67? or none of the above? Justin Bott from Services Australia joins us to discuss some interesting considerations when deciding on when to retire. Money is just a small part of the equation, albeit important! We need to consider aspiration, health, finances, super, retirement aims, and what to do with the nest egg you've been pl...

Justin Bott, media information officer from Services Australia is back with us and covering off information that is brand new to me and possibly many others out there.  There is a budgeting and cash management tool available for all Services Australia payments recipients called Centrepay  https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/centrepay  - tune in to find out how this free service provides recipient...

Kirk Wilson, subject matter expert from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ) joins us to work through the myriad of changes introduced in this year's Federal budget surrounding Capital Gains Tax (CGT).  Bringing down some of the most dramatic changes in tax law pertaining to capital gains and housing policy in probably 25 years.  Kirk provides an interestin...

Rachel Waterhouse, CEO of the ASA was last on the show in 2023.  Much has happened since then, and it has been too long since we've caught up with what's happened in that time.  Shareholder advocacy, community investor groups, ongoing financial education are all part of the ASA delivers to its members.  Rachel rejoins us to refresh this information and also catch up on new online initiativ...

Jen Richardson is a Newcastle based accountant, former financial planner who has a passion for educating those who need help in money, budgeting and finance.  Now being an accountant doesn't always mean you know a lot about making money.  Jen explains some of the poorest money managers she's ever met were accountants!!  This show, we're discussing the ongoing dilemma of the gap in supe...

We continue our series on timing your superannuation contributions with Stuart Sheary from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ).  This week we pick up on last week's theme and continue to discuss reversionary pensions, contribution strategies and ensuring you don't pay any more tax than you need to.  This includes Div 296 and Div 293 considerations and...

Stuart Sheary from the Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia ( www.ifpa.com.au ) joins us for part 1 of a 2 part series on how to develop a contribution strategy for your concessional and non-concessional contributions for your super, and why timings these contributions will become increasingly important.  Why? Because indexation and higher inflation is raising limits for your balance...

Natasha Panagis, superannuation expert for IFPA ( www.ifpa.com.au ) joins me this week to work through an expansive show in the second part covering the major changes happening in our superannuation system.  Part 2 will cover changes in SMSF compliance, changes in contribution caps for CCs and NCCs, and Payday Super changes, updates in how we get our workers better off with super guarantees being...

Michelle Griffiths, a CPA and a FP rolled into one, a rare gem, and we're pleased to have her on the show discussing some nuance around the new Div296 legislation coming into play from 1 July 2026.  Natasha and Stuart from IFPA have explained the facts, now we have a different perspective from Michelle on timing.  To do nothing sometimes is the best strategy - if you know what the strategy sho...

Stuart Sheary, subject matter expert from IFPA (Institute of Financial Professionals of Australia) joins us as we start navigating through some major changes in our superannuation system.  Much vaunted since compulsory super came in 30+ years ago, it can get increasingly complex.  Determining who can and can't be paid a death benefit and what tax may apply is a subject of many assumptions and...