Episodes

Australians are often told that we don’t like reform. We apparently want better housing affordability, a stronger economy, better healthcare, improved aged care, a simpler tax system and a sustainable budget, but we don’t want to give up anything to get there. But is that really true? In today’s episode…

What if I told you that the average Australian born today will likely live well into the 22nd century? That's not science fiction. That's where the demographic data is pointing right now, and it has enormous implications for how we work, how we invest, how we retire, and how we…

What if the secret to becoming wealthy wasn’t being smarter than everyone else? What if it wasn’t timing the market, picking the next hot suburb, or finding some clever tax loophole? What if the real secret was simply living long enough to let good assets quietly compound in the background?…

Migration has become one of the most emotional and divisive topics in Australia. And that’s understandable. Many Australians are struggling with higher rents, housing shortages, congestion, pressure on services, and a feeling that population growth has run ahead of planning. Interestingly in his recent article in The New Daily, Simon…

Housing affordability is one of the biggest issues in Australia today, but I’m not sure we’re all talking about the same thing when we use that phrase.  For some people, affordability means lower house prices.  For others, it means being able to save a deposit, qualify for a loan, manage repayments, or simply have enough money left over after housing costs to live a decent life.  And there’s another uncomfortable truth: many Australians say they want housing to be more affordable, but they also want the value of their own home or investment property to keep rising.  That tension sits at the heart of today’s discussion, and at the end of today's show, you'll have a better understanding of what all this means to you.  In today’s show, Simon Kuestenmacher and I talk about why housing affordability is far more complex than a simple slogan.  Takeaways   Housing affordability depends on deposits, repayments, and leftover household cash.  Price-to-income ratios miss the impact of interest rates and borrowing buffers. Late first-home buying forces families straight into…

Picture Budget night in Canberra. Every minister walks through the Treasurer's door with a worthy cause and an outstretched hand.   Defence wants submarines. Health wants hospitals. Aged care wants more staff. Housing wants subsidies. Education wants teachers.   Everyone has a reason - and the Treasurer has to find the money.  So where does the money actually come from? For decades, the answer has been the same place: your payslip.  More than half of all federal government revenue comes from personal income tax.  And as Australia ages - as the ratio of workers to retirees keeps shrinking - the pressure on that same narrow tax base…

Australia has been extraordinarily fortunate.  We have iron ore, coal, gas, lithium, critical minerals, agricultural capacity, world-class cities, proximity to Asia and a political system that, for all its faults, is still stable by global standards.  But being lucky and being prepared are not the same thing.  For decades, Australia…

Australia loves a good generational argument.  Boomers had it easy. Millennials can’t get ahead. Gen X has been forgotten. Gen Z has been handed the worst starting point.  But what if that whole debate is too simplistic?  In today’s show, Simon Kuestenmacher talks about the very different money problems each generation will face in the 2030s,…