Regional differences and Melbourne's private-school culture

In this Friday Q&A episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, Owen Rask and Gemma Mitchell work through some of the big, messy money decisions many families face but rarely get clear answers on.

This week we unpack how to think about private school costs, who to speak to when planning a major renovation, what happens with kids’ investing accounts as they grow up, and how to weigh up mortgage progress versus super contributions.

Owen and Gemma cover:

• Whether it’s reasonable to feel uneasy about private school fees given they can’t be trialled, refunded, or easily reversed, and how to think about the financial and emotional trade-offs

• Who to speak to when planning a large renovation, what role mortgage brokers, lenders, accountants and financial advisers each play, and how renovation lending actually works in practice

• Whether lenders need building plans before approving finance for a renovation and how reno funding differs from buying or building a new home

• How kids Shareies accounts are taxed if they’re not held in a trust, what changes once a child turns 18, and who is responsible for tax along the way

• Whether it makes sense to redirect extra mortgage repayments into after-tax super contributions and then use the tax refund to top the mortgage back up, including the pros, cons and cash flow considerations

If you enjoyed this episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, make sure you hit follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to unpack in a future Q&A, send it through using the link in the show notes.

Resources for this episode

Podcast- Move or Do a Reno

Podcast- How to Plan a Reno

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