The Money Puzzle

For renters it’s been tough, for property owners it’s been plain sailing as rents grew in double digits last year. With slowing immigration intake and some easing of wider pressures, rent increases are not going to stay at those high levels. Where do rents go from here? In todays show we cover : The changing outlook for rental growth Why Melbourne and Hobart will struggle to keep pace Brisbane pro...

June 30 this year is a unique tax opportunity for the simple reason your tax bill in FY 2024 is very likely to be higher than FY 2025: That means the deductions are better if you get them sorted in the next two months. In today's show we cover: The outstanding ways to save tax this year Making the most of the looming tax cuts Handbags and guard dogs - some unlikely deduction opportunities Choosing...

What does the property market look like to Gen Z? The generation born after 1997 that takes a one percent vacancy rate as 'normal'; The people who get 100 applicants for a spare bedroom in a shared house. They have a different story but it is a story we all need to know. In today's show we cover: The realities of property investment for Gen Z Exploring the opportunities of being a 'rentvestor'* Us...

The average HECs student debt is now $26,500 and rising rapidly. Once upon an inflation-free time HECs hardly mattered, now it matters a lot. Worse still, the way HECs is managed by the government is antiquated and unfair to former students. Meanwhile, banks use the debt to reduce your borrowing capacity. No wonder there is a push to change the process.  In today's show we cover: Why more than 200...

As the economists continue to push their rate cut forecasts further out, it is now distinctly possible we will not see interest rate cuts this calendar year. What does it mean for the property market and your borrowing plans? In today's show we cover: The reality of higher-for-longer interest rates Will commercial property problems spill over into the residential sector Searching for multi-asset f...

It might be hard to believe but the key numbers for both personal tax and super contributions are going to change again on July 1 2024 - Now is the time to make your plans. In today’s show, we cover: How to position for lower personal tax rates Catching up with planned super contribution changes Investing based on demographics  Do share market index funds offer diversification any longer? Financia...

It's the biggest financial challenge for the new generation - how to get a toehold in the property market.  In today's episode we cover   The first steps towards buying a property Considering the 'rentvest' strategy Should super be available to home buyers Getting to know the '6-year rule' for your home and CGT  John Pidgeon of Solvere Wealth and the This is Money podcast joins Wealth Editor James...

The ASX just hit a new record and the markets are on a roll: So what should investors be looking for? AI-themed technology stocks and - believe it or not - consumer discretionary companies, says fund manager Roger Montgomery.   In today's episode, we cover:  Why is the share market on a bull run? AI hopefuls - Macquarie Technology and Megaport  Consumer favourites - Lovisa Jewellery and ARB  Does...

The promise of the investment property that 'pays for itself' is all too common in the property market and all too difficult to locate in practice. Is positive gearing feasible with high rates and low rental yields?  In today's show we cover: Positive gearing - The fading prospect Bad behaviour among buyers advocates Using Federal and State home buyer grants in tandem When advice lets you down  Re...

In June 2023 we did our first special edition on AI when we introduced the issue and we talked about Nvidia - the AI chipmaker which is up 200 per cent since that time. Today we catch up on AI in mid-2024 with Matt Barrie, the founder and CEO of Freelancer: an executive at the frontline of AI changes. In this episode we cover: Why are investment markets so excited over AI?* Threats and opportuniti...

For a long time it was a golden rule among financial advisers to pay down your mortgage before any other investment consideration. Well, not any longer…for some investors putting money into super should come first. In today’s show we cover… Mortgage payments versus super contributions  Selling a property without using a real estate agent Should you self insure ? Playing house with CGT exemptions a...

The annual Rich 250 has just been released with a whole new crew of debutants pushing the incumbents of previous generations to one side.  In this episode, we cover: The new network of tycoons emerging across Australia The crypto king building the most expensive house...ever...in Australia Two sisters who saved Blundstone boots and made a fortune The Australian with a $2 billion empire in Estonia ...

The Victorian capital is the weakest of the major cities and its apartment market has been a loser for more than a decade. But the soft patch can't last forever: The investment fundamentals for the city are strong and long-term investors could do very well looking a little more closely at the Melbourne market.   In today's show, we cover:  Melbourne apartments - 'Be greedy when others are fearful'...

The Future Fund's consistently strong returns and its big exposure to so-called 'unlisted assets' have captured the interest of many investors. But, until very recently, most investors could not get access to unlisted assets and were restricted to listed securities such as shares and managed funds. Usefully, things are changing - today we take a serious look at unlisted assets.  In this episode we...

This was not supposed to happen: The regions were meant to return to their secondary position in the residential investment market after COVID-19. Instead, over the last three months, prices rose faster than in the cities and the rental vacancy rates remained tight as hell... what gives? In today's show, we cover:  The curious case of the regional property bounceback How the national market is alr...

Not for the first time a single stock has become the proxy for a red-hot theme: AI and Nvidia are now interchangeable - and the specialist chipmaker has become the world’s top stock. Today we look at the AI boom and the first steps every Australian investor should be taking. In today’s show, we cover: The Australian stakeholders inside Nvidia  Playing the AI boom on the ASX Exploring solar power a...

The consensus view is that interest rates have peaked in this cycle. Banks are already snipping their fixed rate mortgage rates (which is good) while also reducing the rate they pay on cash deposits (which is not so good). It's time to find out what's going on in the finance market. In today's show, we cover:  The beginning of lower fixed-rate mortgages Beyond the big four - where to hunt for cash...

Family offices are very much the fashion among the nation’s ultra-wealthy: What are they exactly and what might we learn from how they operate? In today’s show, we cover  The booming business of the family office  Safety in numbers - how the system works  How much do you need to start a family trust? Fund manager performance fees - an explanation  Jacqui Clarke, author and family office adviser jo...

Sydney prices have been soft in early 2024: It's not quite a 'buyer's market' but it is as good a time to find value as we have seen in years. Where are the opportunities in the city and which neighbourhoods should we watch? In today's show we cover:  Taking advantage of a rare lull in the nation's top property market Excitement builds around Sydney's new airport zone Why one-bedroomed apartments...

In redrawing the plan for personal tax cuts while introducing a tax on unrealised gains in super the government has unleashed a whirlwind of speculation: All tax shelters from negative gearing to CGT discounts are now fair game. What to do? In today’s show, we cover   The political brawl on tax and how it affects you Exploring investment bonds and family trusts The looming importance of unrealised...

Most property investors will aspire to have more than one property: Many in the market suggest strategies that allow an investor to accumulate a 'passive income portfolio' over time. But how do you approach this? What are the risks of running multiple properties? And would future tax changes make a difference?  In today's show, we cover : Behind the promise of passive property investment * Do you...

The financial success of singer Taylor Swift is unprecedented: Show business will never be the same again. For millions, she is a champion who outsmarts the music industry at every turn. So is she a role model for younger investors? In today's show we cover... The devilishly clever business brain behind the music How Taylor Swift invests The role of her dad who is a financial advisor ‘Swiftonomics...

It's time to listen to the other side: Some economists believe house prices are heading south in 2024 as interest rate hikes finally hit home and unemployment rises at the same time. In this show we cover: What's behind a forecast drop of 5 per cent in the market? The tremors signaled by new statistics on 'distressed sales' * Is the tradie shortage still a thing?  Why your house is taking longer t...

The surprise changes to the planned tax cuts by the Albanese government will fuel political debate for months: But for the pragmatic investor it's a question of how to respond effectively. In today's show, we cover:  Revisiting tax personal tax strategies If annuities are so good, why are they not popular? Optimising tax with a non-working partner  Is your home part of your investment portfolio? W...

The conditions have been building for a rebound in negative gearing with climbing interest rates and rising rental yields. Now a surprise reversal in tax relief for upper-income earners means the search for tax deductions is about to begin again. In today's show, we cover; the startling figures on mortgage stress, how negative gearing just gets better, the Canberra rent freeze and why the split be...