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Graham

Sydney most expensive for a 'cheap date'

* Deutsche Bank issues a semi-annual 'cheap date' index, and the world's two most expensive cities are Sydney and Melbourne.

Minister's speeches and announcements

* Major announcements and speeches by the Minister in charge of superannuation, Bill Shorten, can be accessed on his website.

Government caps tax exemption on pension earnings

Here's the full Media Release of today's changes to superannuation, including capping the tax-free earnings from assets supporting a pension at $100,000 a year. The reforms will affect individuals with more than $2 million in super assets, or about 16,000 people in 2014-15. A concessional tax rate of 15 per cent will apply to earnings above $100,000.

Treasury paper on distribution of benefits

* The Treasury paper on distribution of super and pension benefits suggests the equity issue is only with the top 5% of income earners, and contributions tax for them is about to increase.

Surprising cost for an ad to appear on a Google search

* Google Adwords works by charging for advertisements to appear on the first page next to searches. 'Self managed super fund' costs $19 a click, but 'financial advice' only $4.75.

Latest Updates

Planning

Does your will qualify for the discretionary testamentary trust exemption?

Treasury has confirmed the exemption many families were hoping for. But buried in the fine print are two conditions that could leave some wills on the wrong side of the exemption, despite years of careful planning.

Lithium's latest drop and what it means for ASX investors

Lithium's latest sell-off has punished ASX miners as prices remain hostage to shifting expectations. The key challenge is navigating a market prone to extreme volatility despite a strong case for the long-term demand outlook.

Investment strategies

CGT reform and fund turnover: who really feels the impact?

The implications of CGT reform are far and wide. As the 50% discount gives way to inflation indexation, turnover and return profiles may become critical drivers of after-tax performance. Some strategies face a far greater hit.

Superannuation

Super was built for a very different Australia

Our retirement system was built around assumptions that no longer hold. Lower homeownership, longer lifespans and changing expectations are exposing cracks that policymakers and super funds need to address.

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 4 months in

Many people spend years planning financially for retirement but little time preparing for what comes next. Four months in, here are the surprising lessons I've learnt on finding purpose, social connection and healthy habits.

Investment strategies

After the Budget, Australia needs its own definition of quality

As tax reforms reshape investment incentives, investors should rethink what quality investing means in the uniquely concentrated Australian market, where traditional frameworks may not translate as effectively.

Datacenters are the new shale oil

Why are tech giants pouring billions into datacentres when the economics look questionable? The most dangerous words in investing may be: "everyone else is doing it". Today's AI boom has striking parallels with the shale bust.

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