Discounts, offers and rewards programs Cost of living is impacting people across Australia, with everything from interest rates to the weekly grocery shop contributing to the strain. While there isn’t one catch-all solution, there are different ways you can tackle the financial squeeze. Reward and discount programs may not seem like you’re saving a huge … Read more
The Australian Government has announced it is introducing new consumer protections for Support at Home participants. These are in addition to protections already in place to ensure reasonable prices and service quality for participants. The government has also announced it will pause the implementation of price caps for Support at Home services. This pause allows … Read more
In the weeks after the Federal Budget’s announcement to change the rules for negative gearing and the reduction to Capital Gains Tax (CGT), headlines continue to spark debate, and a familiar question lingers: what does this mean for my investments? With ongoing global developments layered on top, it can feel as though some form of … Read more
Understand which contributions are before-tax or after-tax and how super and tax rules apply to them. Tax and restrictions on contributions Your superannuation is usually taxed at a lower rate than most income and investments. However, if your contributions exceed thresholds (called ‘caps’) that apply to concessional and non-concessional contributions, the amounts above the caps … Read more
Significant reforms to the Australian superannuation system are about to take effect and could help people boost their super balances in the lead-up to retirement. They are being billed as the biggest changes in decades to the superannuation system in Australia and the reforms may support improved retirement outcomes for Australians. From July 1, 2026, … Read more
Why not all tech stocks are benefiting from the AI boom For Australian investors with a keen interest in markets – and technology shares in particular – the past 12 months haven’t exactly been straightforward. On one hand, U.S. tech stocks are hitting record highs, with headlines dominated by surging chipmakers, massive AI investment, and … Read more
Stay up to date with what’s happened in the Australian economy and markets over the past month. June delivered a mixed picture for the Australian economy as the new financial year begins. Headline inflation eased, but underlying inflationary measures rose to their highest level in almost two years, reinforcing expectations that interest rates may remain higher for longer. Domestic data highlighted … Read more
Two brothers – Paul Issa and Phillip Issa – fronted court in Sydney recently, both facing criminal charges after allegedly accessing the personal banking details of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The younger brother, 21-year-old Paul, was a graduate employee of consulting firm EY and on secondment to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia at the time … Read more
How self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are taxed, what is assessable income, and what are allowable deductions. Tax on income Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) must pay tax on their assessable income. The most common types of assessable income are: assessable contributions net capital gains interest dividends rent. A complying superannuation fund that follows the laws and … Read more
Picking an investment strategy depends on your life stage, income needs and tax factors When considering a strategy for investing in shares, a good question to consider is do you prefer generating steady income, or pursuing long-term growth? Your answer will more than likely determine whether you focus on dividends or growth, two different approaches … Read more
Downsizing at a glance Downsizing your home can reduce the size of your mortgage and ongoing running costs in some situations, but buying and selling costs can add up. Your equity and loan to value ratio (LVR) can affect your next loan options and costs, including whether lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) applies. If you’re 55 … Read more
Spot the warning signs of barter credit tax schemes before they cost you. This tax time, it’s important to steer clear of a tax scheme involving ‘barter credits’ – a form of trade credit used in some business networks. Described in TA 2025/3 Arrangements to improperly access deductions for donations of ‘barter credits’, the tax scheme … Read more
