

The Money Puzzle
The Australian
Unlock your wealth potential with The Money Puzzle.
Featuring two power-packed episodes each week packed with smart money-making strategies, from superannuation to investing in shares, plus in-depth analysis of property markets.
Get tips from leading experts and practical tools to help build lasting wealth.
Submit your questions at themoneypuzzle@theaustralian.com.au.
Featuring two power-packed episodes each week packed with smart money-making strategies, from superannuation to investing in shares, plus in-depth analysis of property markets.
Get tips from leading experts and practical tools to help build lasting wealth.
Submit your questions at themoneypuzzle@theaustralian.com.au.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 27, 2025 • 27min
Top end tips : Upmarket property unmasked
pmarket property is, well, in a league of its own: Shane Smollen is a specialist in the area…and the creator of some of the most impressive heritage-focussed developments in the country.In today’s episode, we cover…* Quality first - Setting your property ambitions higher* Expect the unexpected - surviving whatever gets in your way* The distinct business of luxury property* Can I live in my SMSF-owned property ?Shane Smollen of the Central Element group joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episodeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 2025 • 31min
Special Edition: Your questions answered on new super tax
Hugh Robertson, a leading advisor from Centaur Financial Services, dives deep into the controversial new super tax affecting high-income earners in Australia. He explains the frustrations around taxing unrealized gains and the lack of inflation indexing. Listeners are advised on alternative investment strategies, including the potential of investment bonds, to mitigate these taxes. The discussion also addresses compliance issues and the implications for future retirees, stirring up critical questions about fairness and transparency in the superannuation system.

May 20, 2025 • 31min
Is property inside super doomed?
Holding residential property inside your super fund has always been demanding - but also lucrative. Higher rates, higher deposits, and a shortage of lenders have always restricted this activity to the most determined investors: Now, the new super tax adds another layer of challenges for property investors. Stuart Wemyss of the Prosolution Private Clients group joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode. In today's show, we cover * Property investment inside super...all too hard?* The threat to borrowing inside super from the Greens* How to negotiate a lower mortgage rate with your bank* Should sharemarket listed property funds be classified as shares or property? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15, 2025 • 36min
Gold: Can it keep going up?
The hottest investment of the year has been one of the oldest known investments... Gold! It's increased at ten times the pace of the wider ASX 200 over the year to date... and that's after years of 20 per cent plus returns.Is it for you..and how might a new investor get started? In today's episode, we cover: Why has the gold price raced higher? The ETF versus bullion debate Can gold keep going up if Trump settles down? A clarification on concessional (pre tax) super contributions Jordan Elesio, general manager of ABC Bullion joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 13, 2025 • 35min
Electric incentives! : How you can optimise the financial incentives for clean energy from the new government
The re-elected Albanese government is offering to effectively cut the price of home batteries for solar by half. That's on top of the generous tax incentives it has already rolled out for electric cars: It's time to cash in on the greening of Australia. In today's show we cover The new federal incentive to cut home battery costs in half How to have a fully tax deductible electric car Renting your home and Capital Gains tax Is the deeming rate now 'deemed' untouchable? James Gerrard of www.financialadviser.com.au joins Associate Editor- Wealth, James Kirby in this episodeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 8, 2025 • 28min
New government : Investment risks and opportunities
The ALP is back with a renewed mandate for government - what does it mean for your portfolio, or your SMSF or your investment property?In the space of the last few days we have got a much clearer picture of what the election result will imply for the active investor.. today we take you through what you must know.Will Hamilton of Hamilton Wealth Partners joins Associate Editor- Wealth James Kirby in this episode we cover...* The risk of new tax changes* The latest on the super 'paper gains' tax * A clear threat to borrowing in SMSFs * Getting to know the new power of 'The Greens'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 6, 2025 • 27min
Why 'rentvesting' doesn't work (for most people most of the time)
It seems like a good idea - rent your home and buy an investment property where you can deduct the mortgage payments against your annual income tax. In fact, it all works...to a point: But this increasingly popular investment strategy does not mean you get to buy your own home...worse still, it may mean the bank won't lend you any more funds. Stuart Wemyss of the Prosolution Private Clients group joins Associate Editor-Wealth, James Kirby in this week's episode as we cover... * The problem with 'rentvesting'* A predictable pick up in house prices * The new government's menu for first-home buyers * How HECs changes will also boost the housing market See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 1, 2025 • 26min
Super tax battle starts now (with Geoff Wilson)
Fund manager Geoff Wilson is at it again...campaigning for investors against poorly designed tax changes...and this time he has a major fight on his hands. Taxing unrealised gains (or paper gains) in super is a shocker, but it's a key policy for the government...and the government is set to be returned after the election. Geoff Wilson of Wilson Asset Management joins James Kirby, Associate Editor-Wealth in this episode ------In today's show, we cover... * The problem with the new super tax...and how it could be fixed * Why Australian interest rates may fall a lot further than the market expects * The case for sticking with US shares * Defensive stocks for the months ahead See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 29, 2025 • 31min
Tax - Are you being abused?
When it comes to tax affairs, it's never easy: Many investors believe they do not get a fair deal: But some people clearly suffer financial abuse (which often begins with how a partner has behaved in the past). Sometimes too, the issues don't fit neatly for a financial adviser or a financial counsellor: That’s where the Tax Clinic, an experiment at UNSW, fills the gap. Ann Kayis-Kumar of the Tax Clinic at UNSW joins Associate Editor - Wealth, James Kirby in this episode. ------In today's episode, we cover How to spot financial abuse Planned legal changes that could make a difference The short straw of being a secondary credit card holder Tax pitfalls and financial literacy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 24, 2025 • 34min
Divorce…your financial guide
You can spend half a lifetime working and investing only to hit a financial earthquake with a divorce. But there are ways to ensure the best possible outcome. Financial adviser Nathan Fradley joins James Kirby, Associate Editor - Wealth in this episode. In today's episode, we cover: What you must know about divorce and money The issue of 'valuations' How crypto accounts are increasingly relevant to settlements How a couple can find the best way to split See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


