Super contribution strategies to consider before 30 June 2026 

Super strategies

Not sure your super fund still stacks up? We update our best super fund report every year so you always have the current answer. Get the free report and the four-factor framework we use with clients. Download Here As we approach the end of the financial year, now is a good time to revisit your superannuation contributions before the …

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Our preliminary response to the 2026 Federal Budget

On Thursday, 14 May, we recorded a live YouTube presentation summarising how the proposed tax changes may affect investors, what options may be available, and our current advice. Click here to watch the presentation. Part A: Our view of the tax changes in the budget The main political rhetoric supporting this budget is intergenerational fairness …

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2026 Federal Budget: Big tax changes, but do not panic yet

Federal Budget

The property tax rules have changed. Do not rush your response. Negative gearing, CGT and SMSF borrowing rules are all changing from 1 July 2027. Our free decision tool helps you work out what to do, and just as importantly, what not to do. Download Here Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the 2026-27 Federal Budget …

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The investors who obsess over tax often miss what matters more 

Warning Tax

Paying tax is psychologically painful. Loss aversion means we experience losses about twice as strongly as equivalent gains, and this effect is amplified when we pay expenses. Governments are widely seen as wasteful with public money, and that perception is largely justified. Virtually every taxpayer shares the view that too much of what they contribute is squandered. No one enjoys handing it over.  But …

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The policy risk most property investors are ignoring 

Australian property investors need to accept that policy risk has increased substantially, and that this is a permanent shift. Tighter tenancy laws and higher taxes erode returns, and the only way to offset that is to pursue higher returns through a more proactive investment approach.  Melbourne’s 15-year property reality check   According to Cotality’s Daily Price Index, which began just …

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How we construct an ETF portfolio: Quality first, then price  

ETF Portfolio

There are two sensible ways to build an ETF portfolio.  The first is to use a diversified ETF such as VDAL or DHHF. The second is to construct your own portfolio using several ETFs.   Both can work. The right choice depends on two things: how much money you are investing, and whether you have the knowledge, temperament, and discipline to build a …

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How to deal with investment concentration risk  

Concentration Risk

Concentration risk is something every investor needs to be mindful of. It can materially increase the overall risk of a portfolio and potentially undermine future returns. As retirement draws closer, the focus should arguably shift towards lowering portfolio risk, while still positioning investments to deliver strong long-term returns.  What is concentration risk?  Portfolio concentration occurs when too much of …

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Investing a lump sum into shares: risky or rational? 

lump sum

For most investors, putting a large sum into the share market all at once feels risky, even reckless. That is why many prefer to drip-feed money into the market over time. But is that caution reducing risk, or simply creating a different kind of cost?  My view on this has changed  When investing large sums into share markets, I have generally preferred to …

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Beyond the median: 10 Melbourne property case studies that outperformed…and why 

flat market

According to Cotality, since its daily index began at the start of 2010, Melbourne house values have risen by around 4% p.a., which is only about 1.3% p.a. above inflation.   But of course, not every property has delivered such a mediocre result. That begs the real question: which types of properties have outperformed over this period, and what …

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