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6 October 2026
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Australia's 'lazy' balance sheet, Treasury on the $32 billion cost of super, changes to term deposit rules, risk perception in boom times, and a return to the ideals of defined benefit schemes.
Despite the wide-spread perception that Australia’s debt position is unsustainable, it’s low in an historical sense and when compared to national income. We could be making more use of it.
The $32 billion 'cost of superannuation' number has become the most dangerous weapon used by critics of super tax concessions. Treasury says it's not the amount that would be saved.
A recent change to banking regulation has significant implications for term deposits. With 31+ day break or notice clauses becoming more common, a large difference in deposit rates is expected.
With cash investments providing such poor returns, the search for yield has driven up share and property prices, some to unrealistic levels. It has also corrupted our sense of risk which is a dangerous combination.
The FSI’s recommendation that the super industry should re-focus on the achievement of a retirement income, rather than just building a lump sum, is what defined benefit schemes were all about.
Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.
For generations, Australian investors have backed banks, miners and dividends. But has that loyalty come at a cost? A look at the numbers raises an uncomfortable question about where future returns will come from.
A high-profile dividend cut and a prominent fund manager’s apology have reignited a long-running debate. If investors can access similar exposures more cheaply and efficiently elsewhere, what exactly is keeping LICs alive?
The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.
Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.
Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.