The Money Puzzle

The legal structure around family trusts in Australia has just survived a double stress test in the courts where the ATO tried to make changes in the personal use of some assets: The case has now been turned away for a second time on appeal and for now the coast is clear. Is a family trust worth exploring?  Can we assume the legal structure widely used by business owners, farmers, and wealthy inve...

With a rental shortage across the major cities, new research has revealed there are more than 600,000 spots across urban Australia where owners could install a residential unit such as a 'granny flat'. At a stroke, such a change would change the dynamics of the market - not to mention the household income of many Australians struggling to come to terms with the reality of the current market. In to...

The government has finally outlined the details of the new super tax and it will hit many more investors than forecast initially. In particular the effective 30 per cent tax on amounts above $3 million will hit middle-income property investors where the bulk of the assumed value of their super fund may be taken up with an investment mortgage. In today’s show we cover; ‘T bill and chill’ - is cash...

This year’s immigration intake means a city the size of Newcastle has effectively arrived looking for accommodation within the nation’s existing housing stock - and it’s the key reason rental incomes are soaring and vacancy rates are close to one per cent. Moreover, there is very little to suggest the scenario of demand greatly outweighing supply will change over the next three years. In today’s s...

Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s moves into renewables and Laurence Escalante’s VGW gaming empire are interesting insights into where some of the wealthiest names in business are seeing the future. Should you follow them? Would you invest? Plus Bruce Mathieson on Endeavour and Alex Waislitz’s foresight on interest rates. In today's show, we also cover:  SMSFs v APRA funds and how CGT impacts your final s...

Victoria is the first Australian state to legislate a levy on revenue generated from short term accommodation platforms such as Airbnb and Stayz. The 7.5 per cent levy will commence from 1 January 2025 as is an attempt to tackle the ongoing rental crisis, which many politicians blame on the rise in popularity of short term letting platforms such as Airbnb. Although Victoria will be the first to im...

Uranium exchange-traded funds have increased 20 percent in value over the past month and are up 50 percent over the past 6 months, making uranium a standout metal commodity for 2023. Given that Australia is not pro-nuclear power, it is easy to forget about uranium in an investment portfolio. However, Australia has around a quarter of the world's uranium deposits and several strong uranium mining,...

How do you successfully manage a property - or a string of properties? There are multiple risks and pitfalls in running a portfolio, but with a little forward planning you can optimise your assets. In today's show we cover; whether to manage property by yourself or with a professional, dealing with a body corporate, assembling a team of professionals, and the secrets of buying interstate. Stuart W...

The Australian publishes its annual Top Financial Advisors list this week - and it's the perfect time to find out how to select a financial adviser. In today's show we cover; how to choose a financial adviser, how much should you expect to pay, is there a way to sidestep rogue operators, and what you should expect from a top-end adviser. Sarah Abood, Chief Executive of the Financial Planners Assoc...

How do you choose a home loan? What's on the menu...and how on earth do you pick the package that is best for you? In today's show we cover; how to get a basic home loan, selecting between fixed and variable, offsets and interest-only, and moving beyond the 'Big Four' banks. Sally Tindall the Research Director at comparison service RateCity joins Wealth Editor James Kirby for this special series e...

In the past share market investors built their portfolios with individual stocks with a bias toward bluechip banking and mining companies. But today with so many low-cost ETFs available, there has been an evolution in professional portfolio construction with a move towards an ETF-based core/satellite approach. The core component targets the average share market return through low-cost ETFs while t...

How do you sell a property? What are the essential moves to make to ensure you get the best deal for your home or investment? The choices have multiplied in recent years: Should you auction? Should you have an ‘expression of interest’ campaign? Do you really need a ‘stylist’?  In today’s show we cover; how to choose a real estate agent, how to choose a method of sale, preparing your property, and...

Qantas is more than just an airline to Australians. But the way shareholders see the airline has diverged considerably from how customers do. That has now cost the airline its previously well-respected CEO, and seen the aviation business lodge plans to change its flight path. In today's show, we also cover; interest rates, what to make of industry funds’ shift to offering indexed investment option...

Buying a property? What are the first steps? What are the pitfalls? It's never easy whether you are buying a first home or adding another asset to your investment portfolio: But there are some basics everyone should know... In today's show, we cover: How to select a property, why private sales are your best option, assessing real estate agent jargon, and the vexed issue of your dollar limit.  Kitt...

The expanded performance tests for super from the government set a new milestone in our investment market: Just about every investor in Australia has super savings and now we can see clearly if it is being managed well or not. Nearly one in ten funds failed: Is your fund one of them? In today's episode, we cover: how to make the best out of the super performance tests, using the my.gov website to...

Active property investors are very often the same people who steer clear of shares and managed funds. At the same time, many advisors are heavily committed to shares and funds with little expertise when it comes to direct property: What to do?  In today's show, we cover: Financial advice for the property investor, the common mistake advisers make in property, investing in Australian property if yo...

Here's the puzzle: Should you depend on shares or cash for income? Well, your risky return from the ASX is represented by an average dividend yield of just over 4 percent. Meanwhile, with a cash term deposit, you can still get a 5 percent rate  - government guaranteed - it just might be the deal of the decade, know it when you see it.  In today's show, we cover: The last of the best of the term de...

As the residential property sector stabilizes, the banks have been playing some games in the lending market - if you are borrowing for a home or an investment you need to know what's going on. In today's episode, we cover: why interest-only borrowers are being punished, how can banks offer more than the RBA for deposits, why home loan borrowers are fixing again and the bias against retirees in the...

The fashion for alternative unlisted investments is getting a reality check as investors can get a risk-free cash rate of more than four per cent. The biggest cloud over the sector, so far, is the redemption refusals popping up at major unlisted property funds. So what does it mean for investors? In today's episode, we cover: the big fat problem with unlisted assets, how to optimising super conces...

Tiny houses are popping up all over Australia yet the movement remains a mystery to many in the property sector. These hybrid mobile dwellings cost around the same as a deposit on an average house. No wonder they are popular among a broad range of investors from first home buyers to holidaymakers: So how does it all work and would it suit you? In today's episode, we cover: the pros, cons and legal...

Life insurance is a big expense and most smart investors save money by purchasing it through their super fund. But the track record of big super funds in getting around to sending through insurance payout is woeful. Worse still, big funds will often ignore your wishes on where they send the money. In today's show, we cover: insurance failings in big super funds, class action payouts, getting to kn...

Residential property isn't the only sector with exceptionally tight vacancy rates. Industrial property - warehouses and factory units at the edge of every city - has become one of the hottest parts of the market. But why has it boomed, and how should everyday investors approach this investment area? In today's show, we cover: how online retail changed the shape of the property market, the reason i...

The excitement around AI has fuelled the 'magnificent seven' tech stocks on Wall Street and underpinned the 20 percent year-to-date return on Wall Street: But which Australian listed stock could be the champion for Australian Investors In today's show, we cover: the AI contenders on the ASX, will CSL recover? The best and worst of Exchange Traded Funds and gearing into shares. Rudi Filapek-Vandyck...

Investing in retail shops or industrial warehousing is a different ball game than buying the house around the corner. Longer leases and higher yields make this area attractive, but it's a lot more work upfront. In today's show, we take a first-time look at this sector and cover: What is the minimum entry point for commercial property? The key concern with commercial tenants, where the bargains are...

It's been a better-than-expected year for the share market - especially on Wall Street.  But where does it go from here? What is the one area of the global market set to catch up with the AI-driven 'magnificent seven' stocks that have underpinned the money made so far in 2023?In today's show, we cover: The global share market rebound, the dangers in chasing alternatives, why banks frown on share m...