The Money Puzzle
Episodes
Budget fallout: Before you do anything, do this
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Budget will be a landmark moment for investors if it all goes through parliament as planned. Investors need to know what happened but also...
How to tackle the Budget’s property investment clampdown
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Property investors are trying to piece together the cumulative effect of the bad news in the Budget.How much will the combined CGT changes and negativ...
Budget Special edition: What you need to do
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The 2026 Budget has introduced the biggest tax changes seen in decades: Every investor in Australia will be affected by the measures. Here's what you ...
ETFs...What's next? (with Vanguard CEO Daniel Shrimski)
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australian investors have fully embraced Exchange Traded Funds. Now, as the gap between managed funds and index funds narrows, investors want to know ...
Beyond property: Why it's time to widen your investment horizon
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Investment property and high-dividend-paying shares are about to get a tax hit in the Budget: So, it's the perfect time to look wider for the act...
Who really gets hit with higher rates?
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Interest rate hikes are just not the same anymore: Once upon a time, they hit the mortgage belt, that fictionalised housing strip in the outer suburbs...
After the oil shock: Who's really making money?
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Iran crisis oil shock is creating winners and losers in the sharemarket, but it may not be playing out as you expect. Yes QANT...
You're biased! - The six signs of investment bias that hold you back
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Once you get on top of the basics, then investing should get a lot easier. But the hidden factors that make a difference between winning and losing in...
Private credit - How bad is this going to get?
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The private credit boom is having a shake-out: But not before many Australian investors - and big super funds - placed a lot of money into what has be...
What you should be paying on your borrowings (and getting on your cash)
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The upside of higher interest rates is that you might get more on your money in the bank. But it turns out that anyone who uses a 'bonus' account (whi...
Your top tax hacks for FY 2026
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You've only got a few months to go before the end of the financial year: It's time to plan your tax returns...and yes, this year - with soaring transp...
Why residential rental income is about to move higher (again)
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It was not supposed to happen this year: Vacancy rates were meant to rise in 2026 and income was expected to flatten…not at all. Property ...
Separately Managed Accounts: Advisers love them, but should you?
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SMAs are booming inside the financial advice sector: But if they are so terrific, then why is regulator ASIC asking so many probing questions around f...
Where investors will hunt in the looming property downturn
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You can’t have a run of interest rate hikes and expect property to shoot out the lights. The chances are we are going to see a price slowdown in...
Bringing it all back home - Why the oil shock is turning investors back to the ASX
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What are investors doing in reaction to the shocking turn in markets during the first three months of 2026? One of the first moves is a distinct...
How wealthy investors are dealing with the Iran crisis
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to get advice from today's guest, Ben James of Escala Partners, you need to have at least $5m in your investment portfolio. In other words...
'Pump and dump' warning for interstate property investors
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Buyer's agents armed with rubber-stamp qualifications are herding investors into overpriced regional hot spots just in time for a looming wave of...
The typical traits of the Rich 250 in 2026
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What do the super-rich have in common? The everyday investor might never be a dealmaker, but they can learn a lot from the discipline, focus and confi...
Rates up, so should you fix your mortgage now?
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cash rates are now more than 4 per cent and your mortgage is around 6 per cent: What's more, it looks very much like the hiking cycle is far from over...
Chris Judd on his new game: stock picking
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Former AFL star Chris Judd has become a fund manager specialising in 'small cap' stocks: No surprise, he's got some clear views on the share market an...
Rentvesting - A better way to make it work
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"Rentvesting' is increasingly popular where wannabe home owners move first to buy a rental property and later to use their accumulated equity to buy '...
Iran crisis special: what you need to know
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
These are very early days in the Iran war and the impact on share markets is far from clear. But already we can see there is upward pressure on i...
Negative gearing… who needs it anyway?
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Though 80,000 investors own more than two negatively geared properties, the reaction to news that the government is planning to ‘cap’ the ...
Private credit - the boom boils over
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Everyday investors have been heavily sold private credit funds as an alternative investment and now the reality of this opaque, often illiquid market ...
Property investors fret over CGT but rate rises may stall soon
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are we looking the wrong way? As property investors fret over likely lifts in Capital Gains Tax, the bigger issue for long term investors is interest ...
Inheritance tax: Has something changed?
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
More investors are coming to realise that inherited super is taxed at 17 per cent, but the government has stirred a hornet's nest in adding a de facto...
Should you put your extra dollars in super or the family home
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At the very core of wealth building is the dilemma of setting up your super or making sure you own a home; The long-term returns on both investment ch...
Inflation is eating your investment returns...what to do?
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Interest rates are moving higher again as the RBA renews its battle with inflation: It's time to think seriously about inflation-proofing your investm...
How to become a property investor for $300,000
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
'You can't get into the property investment market for less than $1m' is something you may hear regularly...but is it true? High-profile investor Nath...
Why you must take more risk for longer than you think
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you are with a big super fund - or run your own SMSF - the outstanding risk for your long-term return is whether your portfolio is appro...
Gold... is this the pullback you've been waiting for?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gold prices jumped dramatically last year and then soared through the $US5,000 milestone last month: Now the price is suddenly heading south as profit...
Listener Questions Answered : Defensive assets, super tax sting and US investment risks
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The sharemarket is surging and we are trading like it's late 2007, which makes it a very good time to review how your portfolio would fare if things t...
Property tax risks rise for the year ahead
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you are planning to put more money in the property market this year, be warned the risks of tax changes are now clearly on the table: Top of the ag...
Your complete 2026 investment outlook
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How many years can a bull market last? What will it take to dampen investor sentiment in the year ahead, and what should you, the active investor, be ...
The outstanding property opportunity in 2026
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Property prices are tipped to rise by 5 per cent in 2026 : But where will investors really make their money?In our property investment ...
Top stock picks for 2026 (with Jun Bei Liu)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The ASX can return 10 per cent again in 2026...or maybe even more, says star stockpicker Jun Bei Liu...but what to buy? In this second part of our 202...
Your shares in 2026
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It looks like the sharemarket will once again be the place to make money in 2026, especially on Wall Street. But it's not going to be a smoo...
Summer series: Investing Secrets from $1.5bn Fund Manager Jun Bei Liu
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Money Puzzle, The Australian’s Wealth Editor, Julie-anne Sprague, unpacks what it takes to be a great investor with one o...
Summer series: Is your home the worst investment you’ll ever make?
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Summer series: FIRE - Financial Independence, Retire Early - Could you do it?
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the FIRE movement and how did it get started? It's not a club or a cult: It doesn't have a headquarters, rather it's a set of investment princ...
Money Movies - The Australian's film critic picks his all-time favourites
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn't love a good movie? Power, romance, ambition, betrayal...actually, that sounds more like a classic 'money movie'. In this special hol...
Struggling in the final lap: Your 2025 investment year
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Investment markets are sliding in the final days of the year with the ASX 200 looking like it will manage just 8 per cent in total returns: Even ...
The no 1 formula for locating property investment success
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Terry Ryder of the Hotspotting group is Australia’s top expert in choosing locations for investors.Today he spells out his ‘simple f...
Have Aussie shares let you down this year?
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It sounds reasonable at first glance: Shares on the ASX are up more than 5 per cent over the year to date - add your dividends and you might get close...
YIMBY! Building in the backyard: the intergenerational breakthrough
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone is feeling the squeeze of sky-high property prices: At the same time, state governments across Australia are actively encouraging 'densificat...
Die with zero: Why you should give it away sooner
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are you holding on to that investment property to help your kids buy a house one day? This question captures the broader concept raised by the 'Di...
Why fixing your mortgage rate means you will lose money
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Banks won't tell you if you're better off with a fixed-rate mortgage. But strong evidence shows most borrowers will lose when they bet against the ban...
Do I really need that much? The problem with superannuation calculators
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland is the top cop for consumers in the investment markets - and he wants you to know that those superannuation calculator...
The Olympic-sized property opportunity
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who remembers the powerful escalation in prices for the Sydney 2000 games does not need to be convinced that Brisbane is going to be a very goo...
Special Edition - Australia's Top Financial Adviser tells all
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Cassidy of Partners Wealth Group has just taken the top spot in this year's Barron's Top 150 Advisers List. He offers a unique perspecti...
Lending limits return as a risk in a red-hot residential market
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It had to happen, just as the residential property market is rebounding, there are concerns that regulators may 'remove the punchbowl.' NAB has revive...
Private equity - Are you getting the crumbs from the table?
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The avalanche of unlisted private funds aimed at retail investors is at full tilt. It's been a seriously profitable activity for endowment funds:...
Nowhere to move: The hidden driver of rising house prices
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to discuss the nation's rental crisis in terms of the difficulties faced by young renters: But a one per cent vacancy rate also means anybody ...
'Expense Creep': The silent killer of investment dreams
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most active investors are pretty good at making money: After all, if they were no good at it, then they would leave the work to someone else. But what...
Why house prices will keep going higher... even without further rate cuts
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The focus might be on interest rates, but the outstanding driver for residential prices is the lack of supply: We already know home building is fallin...
The Critical Minerals boom - how to play it?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australian investors are perfectly placed to profit from the critical minerals boom.In fact, fortunes have already been made and lost on the market.No...
Time to think about fixing rates?
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to believe that during the Covid crisis, nearly half of all mortgages were being 'fixed' - today the level is less than 5 per cent. With eco...
Final cut on the new super tax
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Treasurer has finally clarified how the revamped plans for the new super tax will work - including how Capital Gains Tax will work...it'...
Investors derailed! Hard lessons from Sydney Metro
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The opening of a 30 km new line across the middle of Sydney should have been a bonanza for investors; But one year later prices inside the rail c...
Is it too late to buy gold!?
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gold price records are being smashed. Moreover, the volume of money being sunk into gold ETFs and gold miner shares is also reaching spectacular level...
Property investors brace for new super tax squeeze
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Investors who have held property as the backbone of their retirement portfolios will be the first in line for the new taxes on super…especially...
The common financial mistakes forcing people to work longer
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people worry about whether they have enough money to have a comfortable retirement. Financial adviser James Wrigley has a framework to help ...
Mortgage wars: why the banks are offering sweeter deals
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The major banks don’t usually offer big deals to first home buyers, usually because beggars can’t be choosers. But that's changing. There'...
The great wealth transfer: what you need to know before gifting money
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many parents and grandparents want to be able to help their children, and do so while they’re alive rather than leaving a large inheritance. But...
How to pick a suburb ripe for booming house prices
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
House prices across most capital cities are expected to rise over the next 12 months. So how do you pick which is the best one to buy an investment pr...
Is using an SMSF for property a million-dollar mistake?
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A generation of investors have used Self Managed Super Funds for property investment, but steadily the numbers have changed in this area with higher r...
Melbourne rebound - where are the bargains?
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The nation’s second biggest city is climbing out of a decade-long period of severe property price underperformance - so where are the opportunit...
Private markets - A beginner’s guide
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Private credit, private debt...it's boom time out there for unlisted markets but how do you walk the fine line between shooting in the dark and making...
Double tax on paper gains in property - welcome to the new super tax
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inside the Self Managed Super Fund sector, it is professionals - such as auditors - who are on the front line: They will be dealing with valuatio...
My guest today is an AI bot
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's looking very much like 2025 is going to be the year that Artificial Intelligence changes the investment sector beyond recognition. A hot spot of ...
How 'rentvesting' could work for you
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Renting where you live and investing your spare funds to maximise capital growth is steadily becoming a key factor in the residential market - especia...
Is becoming a Sophisticated Investor in your best interest?
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It sounds so good: Sophisticated Investor status is open to all investors who have enough money to get across the line. But did you know a financial a...
How to cut your mortgage costs...now
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A remarkable 100,000 Australians refinanced their mortgage to a better rate in the three months to June this year. If you have yet to join the party, ...
BONUS: Roger Montgomery's investment journey: from fish and chips to fund management
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roger Montgomery is the founder of Montgomery Investment Management. While he is into adventure sports, when it comes to investing he's acutely focuse...
The ultimate solution to investment scams
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Investment scams empowered by AI are going to get worse in the years ahead - and no amount of regulation is going to stop 'bad actors' inside finance....
Fancy bidding against a super fund for your house?
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal government is pushing big super funds into the housing market: That market is currently dominated by 'mum and dad' investors - Would big f...
Will the economic summit trigger wealth tax changes?
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's economic summit coincided with a surprise move by the Albanese government to lift the deeming rate for the first time in four years: The m...
The return of the 'you can rent anything market'
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration numbers were meant to float lower this year but a surprise pick up in numbers over the last few months coincides with a tightening of the ...
Warning on 'Free Super Reviews'
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new super tax may dominate the headlines, but for most investors with less than $3m in super, a bigger headache is navigating increasingly risky m...
Is your home the worst investment you’ll ever make?
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
BONUS: Investing Secrets from $1.5bn Fund Manager Jun Bei Liu
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode of The Money Puzzle, The Australian’s Wealth Editor, Julie-anne Sprague, unpacks what it takes to be a great investo...
The retirement 'sweet spot' is under threat
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Melbourne property rebound… it’s happening
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Property investors have watched the Melbourne market sink for a decade. But the tide is turning, early investors are being rewarded as the latest numb...
Special edition: How The Australian’s Wealth team invests
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Public school zones are property goldmines...true or false?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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'...
Buying shares when you should be selling?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why house price forecasts are lifting even without a rate cut
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Mushroom murders: Inheritance lessons
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 extraord...
Buying off the plan property - should you ever?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Two things you must do as the $US drops
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it the end of the US markets as we once knew them? No way! But the US dollar is fading and that creates a major shift in global investment markets....
Here comes the property rebound
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rates are falling, demand is strong and rental vacancy levels remain at rock bottom: No wonder auction clearance rates across Australia are returning ...
Too good to be true? A closer look at the 10% return on the ASX
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it really this easy? You buy a share market index fund and it goes up by 10 per cent every year.....Hmm...Well, actually, the ASX 200 index is comp...
New financial year - Get ready to reset your portfolio
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the first week of the new financial year: Time to reset your portfolio for the year ahead. Hot share markets, patchy property prices and new rule...
Why AMP bought crypto (with Shane Oliver)
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our recent show on crypto, which was openly sceptical about Bitcoin, triggered a storm of response from listeners who believe Bitcoin is a very worthy...
A surprise pocket of property opportunity
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The residential property market is about to be split into very clear segments thanks to a wave of generous home loan incentives. For investors, t...
A billion reasons to reconsider crypto
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One in three Australian investors now have crypto, and that includes an estimated $1 billion inside the SMSF sector alone.Bitcoin is up more than 40 p...
The Secret to Buying Your House
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Buyer's advocates spend their entire time professionally working on the business of buying residential property: As our guest today suggests: "It's bo...
The number 1 secret to selling your house
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
McGrath’s Tony O’Doherty is one OF Australia’s top real estate agents: He has sold more than $270m worth of residential property ove...
Trumped or stumped…your sharemarket dilemma
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The second term of Donald Trump has been marked by a roller coaster global sharemarket: Even the biggest players among Australian industry funds are o...
Electric incentives...the sequel
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our show on the incentives available (federal and state) on turning your home into a clean energy powerhouse brought in a flood of questions.Today we ...