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Jon Kalkman

How long will my retirement savings last?

Many self-funded retirees will outlive their savings as most men and women now aged 65 will survive at least another 20 years. Compare your spending with how much you earn to see how long your money will last.

Apparently, retirees should learn to SKI

The Retirement Income Review demonstrated limited understanding of the risks faced by self-funded retirees implementing rational human behaviour. Spending to qualify for the age pension is not a solution.

Tax-free super is due to a social contract

The design of superannuation is part of a social contract, and people who do not understand the long-term context are often offended that super funds should be tax-free in retirement. Don't blame Peter Costello.

Hey Mr Bowen, the franking credit is part of my taxable income

The Labor franking credit proposal creates a group of people who count franking credits as taxable income, and another group that doesn't. A basic principle of tax should be horizontal equity between investment structures.

Taxpayers with lowest tax rate are hardest hit

Two studies dive into the numbers to argue that Labor's franking policy will hit low income earners the hardest, because a franking credit is a constant 30% of the taxable income.

What is Labor’s franking impact outside of super and pensions?

Labor’s policy on franking credits denies some taxpayers the benefit of taxes paid on their behalf, but a franking credit is money withheld by the ATO until the shareholder’s tax return is completed, just like a PAYG taxpayer.

Latest Updates

Superannuation

So, we are not spending our super balances. So what!

A Grattan Institute report suggests lifetime annuities as a solution to people not spending their super balances. The issue is whether underspending is the real problem or a sign of more fundamental failings in our retirement system.

Investment strategies

The two best ways to maximise dividend income

People often marvel at Warren Buffett now getting 60 cents in annual dividends on every dollar he invested in Coca-Cola 30 years ago. What’s often overlooked are the secrets to how he achieved this phenomenal result.

Taxation

The fetish for lower taxes has gone too far

Since the time of Reagan and Thatcher, most business leaders and investors have clung to a dogmatic belief that lower taxes bring higher profits and economic growth. The truth, as always, is far more complicated than that.

Superannuation

Meg on SMSFs: Winding up market linked pensions with care

Due to recently-introduced rules, many people with old style pensions, also known as legacy pensions, will look to wind them up this year. The temporary amnesty allowing these pensions to be stopped should be navigated with care.

Property

Why our Torrens title property system hasn't been adopted elsewhere

Far from an outdated relic, Torrens title appears to be the revolutionary, cheap, low-risk way to handle property dealings. Here's a look at why this Australian invention from the 1850s hasn't caught on more widely.

Property

DigiCo REIT and the data centre opportunity

Data centres offer compelling growth prospects. But their potential hasn't gone unnoticed, and the DigiCo appears to be buying properties in a seller’s market, resulting in better opportunities being found elsewhere.

Retirement

The $1.2 trillion sea change facing Australian investors

Over the next decade, three million Australians will shift from accumulating wealth to living off it. Those taking part in the great migration need a sound strategy that delivers sustainable income and protection from market bumps.

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