The Money Puzzle
Episodes
Tariffs or no tariffs: Don't give up on Wall Street
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, the current market crisis has been 'caused' by the US: You could say the same for the dot.com crash and the GFC. But is that an argument for...
Behind the sharemarket fall... your next move
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The share markets have dropped hard following a severe bout of selling by institutional investors, but share-broker data suggests that everyday invest...
Time to consider an SMSF?
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump's upending of world trade happens to coincide with challenging times for Big Super: The major funds face weak share markets while battling a ran...
Happy Liberation Day - Trump's turning point
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's unleashing of his tariff program through the Liberation Day plan has the share market reeling - and the US market is reeling the most w...
Sharing home ownership with the government: What could possibly go wrong?
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2025 Budget managed to squeeze in a few pre-election surprises. A teeny tax cut, a decision to 'do nothing' on pension access (with unchanged deem...
Property versus shares: we have a winner
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tug of war between property and shares never ends: But for many investors, one area is more attractive. My guest in this episode has spent a lifet...
The Rich 250 list special : The inside track
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It now takes more than $600m to even feature on the Australian’s Rich 250: But what does it take to build a fortune of that size in 2025? ...
The money puzzle wants to HEAR you
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most popular features of the Money Puzzle podcast has been listener questions which we read on air: Now we want to hear you asking you...
Sharemarket sell off : What to do?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It had to happen: Tariffs, recession indicators and an overpriced Wall Street: The sharemarket has taken a tumble. As luck would have it, the Money Pu...
The March 25 budget, standby for surprises
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finally, after much flipping and flopping the government has decided to go ahead with a pre-election budget on March 25: What will it mean for your in...
Rocky share market signals it's time to take out the trash
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US sharemarket has lost all of the gains it racked up since the Trump election and the spectre of a tariff war is casting gloom across global ...
Top-end property rebounds best after rate cut
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The upper end of the market - defined by properties which rank in the 25 per cent of most expensive sales - is the layer that is moving up after the r...
Key person risk: Musk, White & co…are they worth it?
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The superstar CEO is a complex package: You might love what they can do with the share price, but you might equally feel unsure about their behaviour ...
Why Queensland units are the future
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many property investors stand-alone homes will always win: Similarly, there is an investor bias towards the metropolitan centres of Sydney and Mel...
Rate cut tipping point for investors
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every investor needs to digest the changed direction of rates after the first cut in four years from the RBA: The headlines are all about mortgage cos...
Property investing and SMSFs - The facts
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For some investors a Self Managed Super Fund is their only entry point to the property market: But does it make sense? Stuart Wemyss of ProSolution Pr...
Dangers of the Trump trade
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australian investors have never put so much money into the US market: That's largely because Wall Street stocks have been twice as profitable as ASX i...
How to get the best deal on rates
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rates are set to drop throughout 2025: But who knows if the RBA will get to cut much?And if they do, who knows if the banks will put the cuts through?...
What might the 2025 Federal Budget bring?
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Standby for a 'giveaway' pre-election Federal Budget on March 25. If history is any guide there is little for investors to worry about this time aroun...
Real estate cybercrime - What you need to know (with Kitty Parker)
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Real estate transactions typically involve people who are not used to sending large amounts of money through the banking system; It's the perfect sett...
Bank of Mum and Dad: we've got the numbers (with Richard Schellbach)
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a defining feature of our economy: One in two Australians is involved in the Bank of Mum and Dad, and until now nobody had any hard numbers on th...
Why it's so hard to get property advice (with James Gerrard)
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They call it an 'information gap': Property professionals know property but can't be expected to offer independent advice. Meanwhile, independent fina...
What financial risks to avoid in the year ahead (with Liam Shorte)
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Interest rates are set to fall in 2025 - and we may have to say goodbye to the days of 5 per cent returns for zero risk. Of course, there is no lack o...
Fires, floods and property values (with Nerida Conisbee)
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the Los Angeles fires, it would be reasonable to assume that property values take a serious hit in the wake of a natural disaster. But this...
Your complete 2025 investment outlook
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the summer holidays we put together a series of shows on the outlook for the year ahead: In those three episodes we looked at share markets and p...
Your property investment in 2025
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The experts tell us house prices should move higher by between one and four per cent in 2025. But that average forecast conceals a wide range of varia...
Your Shares in 2025 - Part 2 : Top Picks
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If bank stocks ran too hot on the ASX in 2024, should investors chase them again in 2025? Perhaps there are better opportunities in the year ahea...
Your shares in 2025- Part 1 : Sharemarket outlook
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How could the sharemarkets possibly repeat the powerful performance of 2024 in the year ahead? It's time to take a look at what the experts are p...
FIRE - Financial Independence, Retire Early - Could you do it?
23 Dec 2024
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...
2024: Last-minute wobbles in a very good year
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Never count your chickens...until the last day of the year: A sober call from US Federal Reserve chair, Jay Powell, has cooled US markets this week wh...
What top stock CEOs are expecting in 2025
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Call it key person risk - or perhaps ' key person opportunity': Either way, the personality of the CEO is crucial to the operation of most top stocks ...
Too late to join Wall Street’s bull run?
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can the US possibly repeat its bumper returns again in 2025? Well, the pundits tell us that US markets will return at least twice the total retur...
Your property questions answered
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The inbox at [email protected] is not going to get cleared by Xmas if we don't do something soon! Here's a collection of our r...
How to find a financial advisor
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There were 30,000 advisers in Australia and there are 15,000 today. Worse still, there are only a teeny number of new recruits joining the sector each...
Distressed property sales rising - but are they bargains?
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It does not take long for distressed sales to appear in a soft property market: In Sydney and Melbourne there is now clear weakness in inner-city apar...
Relax... the new super tax looks dead in the water
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Call it a surprise if you like: But the unexpected, highly irregular, badly drafted new super tax is off the agenda: What's more, it's unlikely to rea...
My super, my property - What's possible?
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You can already use funds from an SMSF to buy an investment property. But what if you could use money from your Big Super fund to buy a home? It's ...
Special edition: 2024 Top Advisers list
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Need some advice about advice? At The Australian, we have expanded our annual roll call of the best advisers: The List: Top 150 Financial Advisers is ...
Big super cock-ups - Should you switch?
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Big Super funds are having a woeful run of high-profile cock-ups where customers have been let down by inept management procedures: Led by Cbus, t...
Investing in Trump time
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Australian investors have flocked to Wall Street in recent times favouring the 'Magnificent Seven' big tech stocks - and Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hat...
Unlocking the professional formula for investment property success
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many property investors never know if they will win or lose on a property until the day they finally sell it: In contrast, professional investors don'...
HECs - what just happened to your bill?
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The average HECs bill is now $27,000 and many listeners will have bills that are higher than that: This week the government restructured the entire wo...
Is Sophisticated Investor status worth the effort?
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are two classes of private investor in Australia: Everyday retail investors and legally certified sophisticated investors (defined by law as hav...
Are wayward CEOs costing you money?
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
CEO scandals are flooding the share market: Qantas, Wisetech, MinRes...the list keeps growing. The thing is, each of those companies has a board that ...
Biggest mistakes property buyers make at auction
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Buying at auction might seem straightforward, but unfortunately you are likely to become a bunny in the headlights when it comes to the big day. Sti...
Could you handle a share market crash?
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week - in 1987 - the ASX fell 25 per cent IN A DAY. Just now the local share market is going gangbusters: In fact, it is testing its all- time v...
Should we follow the PM to the beach?
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every spring property investors are tempted again by the lure of the beach house: This year the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made his move with a h...
Disappearing dividends - The hidden problem in our hot share market
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The chances are that your share portfolio is going gangbusters. But a paradox of our bull market on the ASX is that the dividend payouts are sliding: ...
Yes, I'd use my super to buy a home - here's why
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are now several efforts afoot to use super for home buying: Liberal party politicians are pushing to allow first-home buyers to tap up to $50,...
We have to talk about the inheritance tax on super (with Noel Whittaker)
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has no inheritance tax, or so they say: In reality, many people will have most of their life savings in super - and much of that money may b...
Keep that investment property out of super - here's why
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Property tax concessions are highly popular - and widely debated - because they work so well. So why would you water down those concessions by having...
What can a 24 year-old tell you about investing? (you will be surprised)
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest runs a social enterprise, owns several investment properties and got out of school as fast as he could. He's just written his first boo...
March of the millennials:The biggest trend in property
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For property investors looking long term, the future shape of Australia will dictate the future shape of investment returns...and the single bigges...
Things you've always wanted to ask a lawyer
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's usually too late to act when you realise you need a lawyer. And when it comes to money and finances, it is always good to be clued up on the lega...
Key indicators for long-term property success – what to focus on
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Warren Buffett once remarked that “forecasters will fill your ears but never your wallet.” With the media saturated by property price predictions,...
Let's face it - no one likes tax, but how do we pay less of it?
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Like the old saying goes there are only a few things certain in life - death and taxes. In this episode we cover some of the most important tax strate...
Investment Lending Hits All-Time High: What’s Driving the Surge?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lending to property investors has surged by 47% over the past 5 months, despite high interest rates, a drop in interest-only loans from 40% to 10%, ri...
Private equity playbook - tips from an insider
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever thought about investing in private equity but not sure where to start, what sort of returns are on offer and how to assess the risks, well this e...
Spring Property Market Outlook: What to Expect
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Spring's peak property market begins in September, making it the ideal time to for us explore what to expect. Capital city markets are at various stag...
Do You Need a Financial Adviser? The Truth About Picking and Being Chosen
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How to pick a financial adviser? It's one of the most common questions for investors...but a more realistic question is: Should you even bother? A...
Sunny outlook for Queensland property
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian property market has always been a collection of regional sectors: But one regional property sector stands out with the strongest long-t...
ETFs: Just when you thought you understood them, they've changed
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's taken about two decades for the wider investment public to understand ETFs: The index funds that allow you to buy anything from the ASX 200 to th...
If you don't buy, you rent until you die ... discuss
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We hear it more and more: 'Property is so dear, it's impossible...so we are just going to give up now.' Today the author who coined the contentious li...
He manages $120 billion, what keeps him awake?
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone with an investment portfolio has experienced stress: But what if you had nearly two million people depending on your investment skills to manag...
If banks are cutting deposit rates, will lending rates follow?
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The big banks have jumped the gun, putting through hefty cuts on deposit rates before the RBA has even conceded that official rates can move lower.Mon...
Why the rich are comfortable with investments they can't cash out fast
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today has been rated as one of the top advisers in the market for many years. He makes the point that virtually every Australian investor lo...
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) - Does it work?
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest ‘movements’ in finance is the FIRE concept. You work hard, you save even harder and you retire early. Does it work? Does it pa...
If the market has recovered, shouldn't you be bargain hunting?
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As today's guest points out, we are looking at a 'most distrusted share market rally' where investors are still trying to figure out what on earth pro...
What the share market pullback tells every investor
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The worst share market drop on the ASX for four years will have ripple effects for investors in every asset class. For a start, it takes speculation...
The AI Share Market Backlash
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It had to happen: The excitement around Artificial Intelligence ran hot on the share market and now the question is, where are the profits? For inves...
The state with an oversupply of property
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New data this week reveals the key to a slump in Victoria: Believe it or not there has been too much new property built in Melbourne. Moreover, there ...
Setting up for the new financial year
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So, you probably did very well in the year to June as an active investor: But what are your plans for the year ahead? Do you still believe rates are g...
Can’t pay that mortgage? Three ways to fix it
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you are an investor or an owner-occupier, the interest rate rises of recent years can be a squeeze. But you do have options, including exten...
Red-hot sharemarket - your next moves
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The ASX is up 12 per cent in a year, the US S&P is up 24 per cent and now 'pro-market' Republican Donald Trump looks set to win the US election. W...
Would we be better off with less landlords?
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Investors with multiple properties often get a hard time: Anissa Cavallo owns 15 investment properties having started as a divorced mum living in her ...
If Trump wins...what would it mean for sharemarkets?
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The sharemarkets are firing - the US market is on an absolute tear...and now we have the prospect that Republican Donald Trump could win again. The ...
Villa Units: What's not to like for the smart investor?
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Property investors and home buyers take a second look! Villa units - the humble single storey dwellings to be found in every metropolitan suburb are b...
How much should you have in super…seriously!
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the single most common question among Australian investors and the answer is different for everyone. But there are firm principles you can foll...
The four magic words for a better mortgage deal
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much is property costing you? Home loan borrowers are extending their mortgages to keep costs down: Investors are absorbing higher running charges...
Big Shorts: CBA, Guzman Y Gomex...what's up?
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The share market is heading for another strong year, but the short sellers are working hard to pull down some champion stocks on the ASX: Blue chip CB...
Secrets of buying your first home
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may think you are ready to join the property market but do you have your squad of professionals in place? And have you considered the humble villa...
The stocks the billionaires are buying
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tycoons win and lose on the sharemarket just like the rest of us: This week Peter Cooper had a win with Guzman Y Gomez but then 'Hungry Jack' Cowin ha...
Land tax: Time to shop around?
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As NSW follows Victoria with fresh moves to raise more money from Land Tax: Investors need to review their options and look at the different setti...
Money Shock - Dealing with a financial emergency
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us invest to make money for better times. But what about needing money for when things go very wrong. Today's guest was a patent lawyer when h...
Melbourne property: Bargain basement or 'Loserville'?
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The soon-to-be-biggest city in Australia is among the cheapest! It is also the weakest in terms of price gains this year...so what should an investor ...
What your accountant never told you
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever been to a BBQ where someone told you about a unique tax strategy and you're left wondering why your accountant never mentioned this before? It mi...
Property development playbook - tips from an insider
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
High risk, high return is the perception when it comes to property development. So, no wonder that only 2% of all property investors actually engage i...
Special edition: Listener questions answered
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The inbox at [email protected] has been bursting at the seams - it's time to give listener questions the attention they deserve. ...
Would you tap your super to buy a first home?
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Using super for any reason other than retirement savings used to be taboo: Not anymore, and not when the tax system is totally loaded in favour of the...
Should you have a Self Managed Super Fund?
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are SMSFs worth the trouble? How much should you have in funds to get started? There are now more than 600,000 SMSFs in the local market: If you don...
A golden age for the apartment investor?
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The argument against apartment investment has always been the same: 'They can just keep adding new developments'...well, not anymore. The market is c...
The Budget Special Edition
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 2024 budget was a deft piece of work: Politically astute, and supportive of low-income Australians but also a very mixed bag for investors. In tod...
New order: How Canberra and Brisbane now outpace Melbourne
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You might think you know the Australian property market but the goalposts are moving: Hobart had slid down the ladder, Canberra is second only to Sydn...
'Sell in May and go away' - fact or fiction?
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is there anything behind this piece of share market folk wisdom? We find out.Also, our biggest super funds are set to expand their offerings in financ...
Postcode discrimination - positive or negative ?
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The banks are starting to carve up the lending market by postcode. If you are inside one of the 145 (out of 3300) postcodes ANZ Bank has cherry picked...
So you thought you knew ETFs...
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The plain vanilla Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) turned the Australian funds management sector on its head. Now, the whole scene is changing again with ev...
What we can learn from the way Australia's billionaire families invest
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in the history of The Money Puzzle, James Kirby is off sick. James will be back on Thursday with a new episode, but for now we hope...
The case for raising rates now
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It might seem like only yesterday that rates were supposed to be coming down but the news changes fast: This week's inflation data has already prompte...
Why rental growth is going to weaken
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For renters it’s been tough, for property owners it’s been plain sailing as rents grew in double digits last year. With slowing immigration intake...
Secrets of a successful tax return this year
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
June 30 this year is a unique tax opportunity for the simple reason your tax bill in FY 2024 is very likely to be higher than FY 2025: That means the ...