How your super is affected if your marriage or relationship breaks down. Overview If your relationship with your spouse ends, you should be aware of what can happen to the super entitlements of you both. The Family Court and super-splitting laws generally enable super interests (accounts in super funds) or super payments (pensions or annuities) … Read more
Understanding how market maturity is reshaping private risk credit Private credit has moved from the edge of finance to an established component of the below-investment-grade credit markets. What began in the mid‑2000s as a relatively small and specialised form of nonbank lending has grown into a significant source of financing for small and medium‑sized companies, … Read more
You’re scrolling through an online retailer, like Amazon, Shein or eBay, and spot a shirt on sale for $40. You add it to your cart, but at checkout, a $10 shipping fee suddenly appears. Frustrated, you close the tab. But what if that same shirt was priced at $50 with “free” shipping? The likelihood that … Read more
How a salary sacrifice arrangement can be used to make voluntary super contributions. Benefits of salary sacrificing You and your employer can agree on a salary sacrifice arrangement (also known as salary packaging or total remuneration packaging) to exchange part of your salary or wages for benefits of a similar value. You can use a … Read more
Commodities delivered strong headline returns in 2025. Yet, beneath the surface, this rally was quite uneven—precious metals rose by roughly 80%, while the remainder of the Bloomberg Commodity Index underperformed cash by more than 3%. Less than three months into the new year, the commodities rally may be broadening beyond precious metals to energy and … Read more
When you think about building wealth, you may picture investments, property and superannuation. But there’s another critical element: insurance. It’s the silent partner in your financial strategy, quietly working behind the scenes to protect everything you’ve built. Strategic asset allocation is the hallmark of a robust wealth plan, using diverse holdings to build long-term financial … Read more
Discover ways to answer the common question ‘How much do I need to retire?’ Learn about retirement costs How much retirement costs depends on what you want out of retirement, and your individual needs and circumstances. The lifestyle you want may look different to another person’s, so your living costs will be different. For example, … Read more
A volatile geopolitical landscape, rapid technological shifts and evolving energy systems are helping to reshape investment returns. As we settle into 2026, the challenge for investors is in understanding and taking advantage of (or avoiding, if necessary) these global trends. The artificial intelligence boom has taken much of the oxygen in the market. The tech … Read more
There has been a spate of articles and commentary in recently calling on the Australian government to reduce spending. Those calling for government cuts – mostly long-time advocates of smaller government – claim this would lower inflation, and as a consequence, reduce interest rates. In fact, claims that government spending is now a very large … Read more
Background There’s a rise in criminals calling, emailing or messaging people and pretending to be from the bank so that they can steal your money. The scammers ask you for personal or financial information or to transfer funds or to give them a one-time security code over the phone. They often claim to be from … Read more
Capital gains tax is once again the subject of parliamentary debate, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers declining to rule out options for reform. Along with negative gearing, the capital gains tax discount has long been suggested as one cause of Australia’s housing affordability crisis. The tax applies to the capital gain when an asset is held … Read more
If you are trying to get ahead financially, it can sometimes feel harder than it should be. You budget, you plan, and you do your best, yet real progress in paying down debt and building significant savings can feel painfully slow. While managing expenses is important, there is another side of the equation that often … Read more
