Talk Investing Podcast

The ATO is waving a big flag at tax time, and it’s not just about rental property deductions and work-related expenses anymore. We dig into the areas that trip up real people: capital gains tax on shares, the fast-growing crypto tax footprint, and why “surely they won’t know” is no longer a strategy when data matching is this strong. If you’ve bought, sold, swapped, or simply forgotten what you di...

Interest rates don’t jump from near zero to around 4% without consequences and when they do, investors start asking the same urgent question: what breaks first? We talk through the shockwaves from the Silicon Valley Bank deposit run and why governments move fast to protect confidence in the banking system. Then we bring it back home to Australia, where our banks are more tightly regulated and bett...

Retirement doesn’t sneak up all at once, then politely wait for you to be ready. One day you realise your “someday” plan needs actual numbers, and that’s where a retirement plan audit earns its keep. We walk through how we go from a retirement vision to a realistic retirement budget, then work backwards to check if you’re on track, using practical tools like the ASFA Retirement Standard and the re...

You can feel “close to retirement” and still have no clear idea whether your plan holds up. We put a spotlight on the big gaps people miss by running a Retirement Plan Audit, a simple checklist that turns vague intention into practical steps you can action today. We start where the pressure usually sits: debt. If a home loan or other non-deductible debt stretches into retirement, it can quietly dr...

The hardest part of helping your parents with money is not the numbers, it’s the emotion. When someone who has “always handled it” starts to drown in paperwork, forget logins, or avoid conversations, stepping in can feel like taking away independence. We unpack how to start that chat with empathy, how to involve the right people, and how to make support feel like relief rather than control. We get...

A policy tweak can sound tidy on a press conference podium, then get very messy the moment it hits real portfolios. The proposed $3 million superannuation tax change is a perfect example: lifting the concessional tax rate to 30% might look targeted, but the way “earnings” are measured raises a bigger issue for SMSFs and anyone holding property or other illiquid assets. If the calculation captures...

Prices keep climbing, the news feels shaky, and yet pay rises and growth do not seem to be keeping up. That uncomfortable mix has a name: stagflation. We sit down with our superannuation specialist Marco Melado to unpack what stagflation means in real life, why it can trigger job insecurity and cautious spending, and how that cycle can weigh on the broader economy. From there, we get practical abo...

Your super balance drops in a fortnight and suddenly every headline feels louder. We sit with that gut-level anxiety and break down what’s actually happening when markets wobble, whether it’s conflict-driven fear, tech disruption, or the messy overlap of both. Then we slow the whole thing down and rebuild the decision-making from first principles: markets fall sometimes, recoveries can arrive quic...

$700,000 to retire comfortably as a couple? For plenty of Australians that number sounds either reassuring or impossible, and the truth depends on the assumptions hiding underneath it. We break down the ASFA Retirement Standard and translate it into the everyday costs retirees actually face, from groceries and utilities to cars, holidays, and the difference between a modest retirement and a comfor...

In this follow-up episode, Marco Mellado continues the conversation around superannuation risks, failed investments, and the hidden dangers that can impact retirement savings. He explores what happens when things go wrong, who is responsible, and the key steps investors can take to better understand their super and protect their financial future. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this episode, Marco Mellado breaks down superannuation risks, investment collapses, and the red flags investors need to watch for. Learn how to identify misleading advice, protect your retirement savings, and make smarter super decisions. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

A rate cut can feel like a simple story: cheaper mortgages, happy households, end of problem. But if you’re trying to live off savings, build an income portfolio, or decide whether shares are “too expensive”, the real story is messier and far more useful. We’re joined by share market specialist Remo Greco to unpack what a likely Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate cut actually means, and why the m...

July can feel like a clean slate, but your superannuation does not reset itself. We walk through the practical steps we use to get your super “house” in order for the new financial year, starting with concessional contributions: the employer 12% Super Guarantee, salary sacrifice, and personal deductible contributions. We explain why these are taxed at 15% inside super, how the concessional cap wor...

Think you’ve got until 30 June to sort your super? That assumption catches people every year. We sit down with superannuation specialist Marco Mulato to map out the end of financial year moves that matter, the deadlines your super fund might enforce, and the simple admin steps that can decide whether you actually get the tax deduction you were counting on. We walk through concessional contribution...

Falling interest rates sound like good news, until you look at your term deposit and realise the return has already slid. We unpack what is hot and what is not as the economic narrative shifts, with share markets near all time highs and the finance industry racing to launch “income” products designed to catch your attention. Our focus is simple: how to avoid being bullied into action when the smar...

In this episode, Remo Greco discusses the relationship between interest rates and share markets, explaining how changes in interest rates can impact investment performance, market sentiment, and economic conditions. He shares valuable insights to help investors better understand market movements and make more informed investment decisions. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this episode, Remo Greco discusses the recent turmoil affecting Australian markets, what’s driving investor uncertainty, and what it could mean for the future of investing. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this episode, Marco Mellado discusses whether your super is really in danger and what investors need to understand about protecting their retirement savings. He explores the impact of market volatility, common concerns surrounding superannuation, and the strategies that can help investors stay focused on their long-term financial goals. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Your super balance drops, the headlines scream “trade war”, and suddenly every choice feels like it carries a penalty. We get it. That’s why we slow the noise down and explain what’s actually driving the share market swings, from Trump tariffs and uncertainty to the way investors price worst-case outcomes when there’s no clear playbook. We also unpack why markets were already a bit fragile after a...

In this episode, Remo Greco explores whether the ASX is shrinking, what’s driving changes in the Australian market, and what it means for investors. A look at the future of the ASX and the impact on investment decisions. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Chemist Warehouse feels like a simple retail story until you look at the structure behind it and the way it’s entered the sharemarket through Sigma. We walk through what Sigma actually does, why most of us haven’t heard of it, and how a “merger” can effectively operate as a reverse takeover when a much larger private business takes centre stage. If you’ve been watching the headlines and wondering...

Retirement planning rarely begins with a spreadsheet. It begins with a sinking feeling when you check your super and wonder if you’ve missed the window. We slow that panic down and start where it actually matters: getting clear on what retirement looks like for you in Australia, not as a vague dream, but as a real year of choices about travel, work, social life, cars, and whether downsizing is on...

A flashy ad, a “free comparison”, a confident voice on the phone and suddenly your superannuation is heading into a self-managed super fund you never planned to run. That’s the real-world pattern behind recent AFCA decisions allowing some Australians to recover retirement savings after being steered into SMSFs through inappropriate financial advice. Lisa Leong is joined by superannuation specialis...

Is it possible to retire comfortably while still paying off a mortgage? In this episode, financial educator Marco Mellado explores one of the most common retirement questions facing Australians today: should you pay off your mortgage before retiring, or can you retire with debt and still achieve financial security? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

A dentist offering “interest-free” payments sounds like a win, until the deal includes a caveat on your home. We unpack a real listener question about funding a major dental bill while living on a retirement income stream, and why the safest choice is not always the one that chases the best return in super. Along the way, we talk about short time horizons, market falls, and how quickly a clever pl...