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9 October 2025
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The intergenerational wealth transfer, largely driven by a housing boom, exacerbates economic inequality, stifles productivity, and impedes social mobility. Solutions lie in addressing the housing problem, not taxing wealth.
Few people understand how valuable the 'anti-detriment' benefit was, which means there is little focus on how the Budget will collect $350 million from you in only two years. Imagine if they announced new death duties.
An article in November 2013 suggesting death duties be considered as a public finance tool attracted some strong criticism, and in the context of the need to fund ever-increasing deficits, the author defends his views.
When the government is struggling to fund its budget deficit, it is naive to ignore a potential untapped and equitable revenue source while more complex taxes, such as those aimed at superannuation, are dreamed up.
LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.
Younger Australians think they’ll need $100k a year in retirement - nearly double what current retirees spend. Expectations are rising fast, but are they realistic or just another case of lifestyle inflation?
This week, I got the news that my mother has dementia. It came shortly after my father received the same diagnosis. This is a meditation on getting old and my regrets in not getting my parents’ affairs in order sooner.
Retirement can be daunting for Australians facing financial uncertainty. Understand your goals, longevity challenges, inflation impacts, market risks, and components of retirement income with these crucial charts.
Five mega trends point to risks of a more inflation prone and lower growth environment. This, along with rich market valuations, should constrain medium term superannuation returns to around 5% per annum.
Australia's superannuation system faces a 'Rubicon' moment, a turning point where the focus is shifting from accumulation phase to retirement readiness, but unfortunately, many funds are not rising to the challenge.