The Money Puzzle

The Australian
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Aug 12, 2025 • 27min

Is your home the worst investment you’ll ever make?

If it wasn’t said by a top financial adviser, you might dismiss it as a quote out of context, but  Partners Wealth Group Jack Tossol is not kidding: He says a generation that has ‘sunk everything’ into the family home will miss the chance to have a successful tax-deductible investment plan. It’s a provocative notion, challenging die-hard principles of money management, but with house prices moving higher again...you have to listen. Financial adviser Jack Tossol of Partners Wealth Group joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby,  in this episode. In today’s show, we cover No tax deduction, no income…Is home ownership overrated? Why ‘Rentvesting’ is worth revisiting Are you facing decades of ‘dead money' in your home mortgage? Challenging the ‘retirement sweet spot’    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Aug 10, 2025 • 34min

BONUS: Investing Secrets from $1.5bn Fund Manager Jun Bei Liu

 In this bonus episode of The Money Puzzle, The Australian’s Wealth Editor, Julie-anne Sprague, unpacks what it takes to be a great investor with one of the nation's top stockpickers, Jun Bei Liu. How did Liu learn to invest? What did she learn when things went wrong and what's her advice for everyday investors wanting to build their wealth?Jun Bei Liu of Ten Cap joins Wealth Editor Julie-anne Sprague in this bonus episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Aug 7, 2025 • 28min

The retirement 'sweet spot' is under threat

Inside the advice sector, they call it ‘the sweet spot’: The perfect amount of money to have in super that also guarantees you access to a government pension. With the majority of Australians accessing full or part-time pensions, it’s a big game and the rules have been clear for a long time. But those ‘pension access’ rules may soon be overhauled as the government launches a major tax review this month at the so-called ‘productivity summit. Hugh Robertson of Centaur Financial Services joins Associate Editor - Wealth James Kirby in this episode. In today's show, we cover... The retirement sweet spot for optimising pension access The retirement black spot - just missing out on a pension  Why the pension asset test may soon be tightened Dividend Reinvestment Plans - Not for everyone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Aug 5, 2025 • 35min

Melbourne property rebound… it’s happening

Property investors have watched the Melbourne market sink for a decade. But the tide is turning, early investors are being rewarded as the latest numbers for Victoria show green shoots in the nation’s second biggest city. Stuart Wemyss of the ProSolution Private Clients group joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode. In today's show, we cover: Green shoots for Melbourne as city prices lift  A long way to go, how Victoria did nothing for a decade Property tax - Victoria no worse than interstate rivals The townhouse opportunity in our major cities  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 30, 2025 • 47min

Special edition: How The Australian’s Wealth team invests

In today's special edition to mark the online launch of The Australian's 'Wealth Vertical', wealth editor Julie-anne Sprague joins James Kirby to talk about how an experienced financial journalist sets about investing. Wealth editor Julie-anne Sprague joins Associate Editor-Wealth in this episode. In today's show, we cover: Do the very rich tell us anything useful? Financial advice: Getting it is one thing, using it is another Taking risks when you know how often things go wrong  The way to start your wealth journey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 29, 2025 • 31min

Public school zones are property goldmines...true or false?

So the story goes, you buy inside the 'zone' of a top public school and your property purchase can only be a winner. Well actually... the numbers don't really say that: In fact, as an investor you may do better somewhere else! Eliza Owen, head of research at Cotality Australia, joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode.  In today's show, we cover: Are public school zones hot property or not?  School fees versus property price premiums Underquoting is back with a vengeance Downsizing into apartments  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 24, 2025 • 34min

Buying shares when you should be selling?

The markets are overheating : Records are being made on the ASX while profits are actually falling. As we inch towards the most dangerous time of the year for the share market, you should be rebalancing your investment portfolio. Adviser and family office chair, Dr Doug Turek joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby, in this episode. -----In today's show, we cover: Rebalancing time - whether you like it or not The alternatives to shares...especially gold A very obvious way to avoid the new super tax  Could the AI boom throw up a new Enron?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 22, 2025 • 27min

Why house price forecasts are lifting even without a rate cut

2025 started slowly for house prices - and the absence of a second rate cut mid -year might have cooled sentiment - but economists are now upgrading their forecasts as prices move significantly higher.Bank of Queensland is now calling a 6 per cent price increase for houses across the nation this year and next year. Peter Monckton, chief economist at Bank of Queensland joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode. ----- In today's show, we cover:Property prices get upgraded...but it's only for houses Will apartments catch up this time? The cities set to rebound Why is negative gearing on shares shunned?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 18, 2025 • 25min

Mushroom murders: Inheritance lessons

The extensive wealth of triple murderer Erin Patterson is almost certain to now be the subject of claims from the estates of her victims: The extraordinary story highlights some key changes in the world of wills and inheritance.  In today's show, we cover: Rich from inheritance, Erin Patterson now set to face money claims  The rapidly changing rules for wills and inheritance Why Wills left on iphones will become more common  What you need to know about inheriting super Lawyer and financial adviser Chris Hill of Inherit Australia joins Associate Editor Wealth, James Kirby in this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 15, 2025 • 37min

Buying off the plan property - should you ever?

If buying off the plan property is so long associated with later problems, why do investors ever do it?Today we take a look at the value proposal offered by off the plan property with its discounts, tax breaks and guarantees... In today's show, we cover... The best and worst of off the plan investments Who is offering the guarantee? Buying through Self-Managed Super funds A listener wants to construct their own index fund. James Gerrard of www.financialadviser.com.au joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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