The Money Puzzle

Perhaps you cannot afford a first property, but if you combined with a mate it might be possible. In today's podcast, a question from a 21-year-old listener who wants to buy in partnership with a friend gets the thumbs up. In fact, the government has recently moved to make it easier for mates to buy together by allowing 'joint' applications for the popular First Home Guarantee Scheme. In today's e...

Big super funds and high net worth investors are ever more keen on 'alternative investments' but are they for you? One of the nation's top female financial advisers certainly does not think so.  In today's episode we cover: sticking with a financial plan through thick and thin, the fact that the very rich can risk a lot on alternatives - but can you? Why defined benefit pension funds are 'gold'  a...

The reckoning for office property values has finally arrived in the Australian market, a long time after they first hit the US - where listed values are now rebounding. As the first reports of ‘limited redemptions’ at office-based unlisted property trusts hit the local sector, investors might reasonably expect this downturn in valuations will pass - indeed the funds might be catching up on formali...

For a short while it looked like the leviathans of the Australian super industry were facing a new breed of challengers. Start-up youth-focused super funds such as Spaceship rattled the sector with ‘green’ style products, social media marketing, and clear support from a younger demographic. But the challengers have faded - they could not match the performance or services offered by big super. Will...

You might have thought that the endless escalation of mortgage rates would finish the notion of a suburb where buying was cheaper than renting. Not so. There are at least 40 suburbs around the nation that are both cheap and offer strong prospects for the home owner or investor.  Terry Ryder of the Hotspotting group is Wealth Editor, James Kirby's  guest in this episode. Submit your questions on al...

This year was meant to be all about ‘value’ on the share market: Rising rates were expected to hose down the demand for tech-focused growth stocks and boring old value stocks were meant to shine. It didn't happen.  ‘Because’, says top adviser Charlie Viola, ‘ the whole debate is rubbish, good companies make good investments that’s all there is to it, ‘  Sounds simple. Moreover, it sounds true. We...

The residential market in 2023 is most unusual - prices are rising while interest rates are increasing; Up to a third of buyers don't need a mortgage and...nobody wants to do any renovation work! The blow-out in building costs, supply difficulties and sluggish response times from some local councils have combined to create a market where the perfect property is perfectly ready to inhabit, But for...

The new financial year begins on July 1 and a range of key 'caps'  come into play. But the outstanding item of personal tax news is that you can have an extra $200,000 in super tax-free: Yes, if you are fortunate enough to be in the upper band of super investors then the amount you can have in super where the is no tax on earnings is moving up from $1.7m to $1.9m: Who said inflation is bad news fo...

You might think higher rates keep buyers away from the property market but a remarkable 25 percent of purchasers buy outright - with no mortgage! It’s a remarkable statistic and offers an insight into a unique feature of today’s real estate market: Aging downsizers combined with freshly made fortunes from offshore underpin a considerable amount of the demand in the residential sector. Michael Matu...

The excitement around artificial intelligence has propelled the US sharemarket this year. That’s why returns stateside are three times better than the ASX over recent months. So what’s going on with AI and what does it mean for you? We cover the investment opportunity of AI, whether this is going to be a dot.com boom, when to expect the first AI billionaires and how healthcare and financial advice...

The biggest factor ‘new’ factor in the property sector is the remarkable change we will see from the arrival of 400,000 people into a market population growth had been close to zero. But will the demand lift that comes from a population burst be enough to counter a consumer slowdown or even a full- blown recession? Tim Toohey, strategist and chief economist at Yarra Capital is Wealth Editor James...

Leave the investment to me, darling! It’s still a refrain in household finances and letting one person handle all money matters is the single biggest mistake couple make, says author Jacqui Clarke. As an advisor to some of Australia’s wealthiest families, Clarke knows a thing or two about how individuals can lose when it comes to family fortunes:  In today’s episode she spells out the life lessons...

They don't make it easy, but any investor can directly enter the property investment market using their super. In fact, any investor with a Self Managed Super Fund can borrow to buy investment property as part of a wider diversified portfolio. Gemma Dale, Director of SMSF and investor behaviour at NAB Trade is Wealth Editor, James Kirby's guest in this episode. Submit your questions on all things...

In this week's show, we talk about whether the Australian share market is likely to finish the year in the black. We also discuss ways that investors can jump on the electric vehicle boom by investing in certain stocks and ETFs. And with interest rates rising for the 12th time in 14 months, is it time to take money out of super to pay down your home loan? We also look at the new 30 percent super t...

What's the temperature in the market at the moment? How are the Saturday mornings for the buyers, sellers and even the auctioneers? With clearance rates lifting, are we being misled or is caution the smart money? Jarrod McCabe from Wakelin Property Advisory joins Wealth Editor James Kirby's guest in this episode. Submit your questions on all things property, business and finance here - themoneypuz...

We're talking about how to tackle inflation as an active investor. We also deal with a question on discounted Listed Investment Companies which - believe it or not - leads us towards the Taylor Swift school of investing.  It turns out Taylor takes tips from her ex-Merrill Lynch stockbroker dad, Scott - and she seeks out discounted closed-end mutual funds. The ASX version of this investment is disc...

Investors pay a higher mortgage rate than home loan borrowers. However, this was not always the case – and there is now a solid argument to suggest that investors should pay less. In reality, the repayment statistics for investors are better than the same numbers for homeowners – but investors get no reward for their better performance. Cameron Kusher, Executive Director - Economics, at REA Group...

As the sharemarket drifts, investors are looking to ‘alternatives’ for returns: One of the most dependable alternative income investments is ‘secured mortgages’ where you get a high rate of return underpinned by property projects: This week we fish in a new income stream that is worth exploring for the everyday investor. We also cover: Artificial Intelligence - who will be the losers? Investing in...

The capacity to borrow will be the big difference in the next upward cycle of residential real estate prices. Property investors might be familiar with the challenges around locating and managing a successful property, but an entire generation of investors has never faced operating in a high-interest rate environment. Stuart Wemyss of the ProSolution group is Wealth Editor James Kirby's guest on t...

As housing affordability bites hard and the rent crisis continues, many landlords are as frustrated as their tenants with the long-term realities of the property market: Could it work better and what would it take to move the dial?  In this episode we discuss the case for wholistic tax reform,  Dr Monique Ryan's mortgage, how the Teals are working on a new tax blueprint, super changes and whether...

The Albanese government's first 'May Budget' elevates the risk of higher inflation and higher rates - it also signals further strong returns for miners and building stocks.  In this week's episode, we cover the hits and misses of Budget 2023,  the outlook for your super, whether family trusts are in the gun and the next building boom  Will Hamilton of Hamilton Wealth Partners is Wealth Editor Jame...

Self Managed Super Funds are often associated with the very wealthy who have millions to spend, but new figures show the median amount for new SMSFs is $260,000.  In this week's episode, we cover the advantages of an SMSF,  why the sector isn't growing very fast, explore SMSFs to include the whole family and the latest planned changes in super.  Meg Heffron of Heffron SMSF Solutions is Wealth Edit...

Value investor Roger Montgomery is associated with blue chip companies, but that does not mean he looks exclusively at 'large caps': In fact, Montgomery says the small-cap selection on the ASX is emerging from the pandemic ready to beat all rivals.  We cover - a green light for small caps, the dangers of 'over contributing' to super, why the ASX is reasonable value just now and whether we should w...

Impact investing, where investors actively create ethical outcomes, has been growing steadily but the Albanese government's 'reconvening' of a task force on the issue is set to create a breakthrough. It's a great area... but can you make money from it? Today we're getting to know impact investing, learning how 'Goodstart Childcare' changed Australia, finding out who might invest here and why? and...

Would you be better at a hotly contested auction than a buyer's advocate? How do they work and what do they charge? In today's show we cover how buyer's advocates operate and whether paying a fee or commission is better, we discuss whether local councils be dropping rates by now. And the debate over banning foreign buyers.  Kitty Parker, buyer's advocate at Kitty and Miles Ltd is Wealth Editor Jam...