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17 June 2026
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With the focus on the cash rate of 0.85%, investors may overlook that fixed rate bonds are far ahead in the game. The question for high-quality bond investors is whether to go fixed or floating for the best returns.
Historically low bonds rates have boosted asset prices, but rates are likely to keep rising from this point. While this will cause pain over the next few years, it's a positive longer term as higher rates mean higher returns.
When bond rates are low, the search for yield by investors and lower discount rates inflates other asset prices. However, there are far more factors affecting share prices than just bond yields.
It is widely believed that rising bond yields should be bad for share prices. But is this true in real life? The relationship between government bond yields and the price of shares is more complex than it first seems.
* With our close focus on cash rates, it's easy to overlook longer term rates rising. Rates are up about 0.6% since June 2012, creating capital losses on long duration portfolios.
Marketed as a fix for inequality and housing affordability, the latest budget instead delivers a tangle of tax changes that leave everyday Australians worse off.
Australia may not levy formal death duties, but a growing web of tax measures is quietly shaping what wealth passes between generations. Now, the 2026 budget adds another layer.
The debate over the budget is increasingly shaped by frustration and perceptions of unfairness, rather than clear-eyed assessment of policy outcomes.
Inflation doesn’t just raise today’s bills - it quietly increases the amount needed to retire, while simultaneously making it harder to save. Three steps to take before June 30th to improve retirement outcomes.
Inheritance tax implications in Australia may surprise some, as poor estate planning without proper wills or trusts can lead to costly tax bills and delays for beneficiaries.
A return to indexation of capital gains would be a fairer way to compensate households for the effects of inflation than the current discount. Importantly, it opens the door to future, broader reforms to stop the taxation of inflation.