The Money Puzzle

The Australian publishes its annual Top Financial Advisors list this week - and it's the perfect time to find out how to select a financial adviser. In today's show we cover; how to choose a financial adviser, how much should you expect to pay, is there a way to sidestep rogue operators, and what you should expect from a top-end adviser. Sarah Abood, Chief Executive of the Financial Planners Association of Australia, joins James Kirby, Wealth Editor of The Australian, on today's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you choose a home loan? What's on the menu...and how on earth do you pick the package that is best for you? In today's show we cover; how to get a basic home loan, selecting between fixed and variable, offsets and interest-only, and moving beyond the 'Big Four' banks. Sally Tindall the Research Director at comparison service RateCity joins Wealth Editor James Kirby for this special series episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past share market investors built their portfolios with individual stocks with a bias toward bluechip banking and mining companies. But today with so many low-cost ETFs available, there has been an evolution in professional portfolio construction with a move towards an ETF-based core/satellite approach.The core component targets the average share market return through low-cost ETFs while the satellite component tries to outperform the market with 5 to 10-year themes. We cover how many ETFs to include, which ETFs to consider, and when to review, adjust and sell.In today's show, we also cover: proposed changes to tax in superannuation and capital gains, how the EV Discount Bill can result in a 47 percent tax deduction on your car, how to reduce the interest rate on your SMSF loan and should 'equal weight' ETFs be considered in a portfolio? Accountant Timothy Ricardo from Bishop Collins Chartered Accountants joins James Gerrard founder of www.financialadvisor.com.au on today's showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you sell a property? What are the essential moves to make to ensure you get the best deal for your home or investment? The choices have multiplied in recent years: Should you auction? Should you have an ‘expression of interest’ campaign? Do you really need a ‘stylist’?  In today’s show we cover; how to choose a real estate agent, how to choose a method of sale, preparing your property, and timing your sale.  Jarrod McCabe of Wakelin Property Advisory joins Wealth Editor James Kirby for this special series episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Qantas is more than just an airline to Australians. But the way shareholders see the airline has diverged considerably from how customers do. That has now cost the airline its previously well-respected CEO, and seen the aviation business lodge plans to change its flight path. In today's show, we also cover; interest rates, what to make of industry funds’ shift to offering indexed investment options, Newcrest’s takeover and holding foreign stock, and what the tax difference is between industry fund v SMSF.  Bruce Brammall, financial adviser at Bruce Brammall Financial, was this week’s host of The Money Puzzle and was joined by Eric Johnstone, associate editor, business, at The Australian.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this podcast, Kitty Parker from Kitty and Miles joins James Kirby to discuss the basics of buying a property. They cover topics such as selecting a property, the benefits of private sales, understanding real estate agent jargon, and setting a budget. They also delve into the challenges of buying a property, including inaccurate price guides and missing out on properties. Additionally, they explore the emotional challenges of auctions and provide strategies for managing emotions during the bidding process.

The expanded performance tests for super from the government set a new milestone in our investment market: Just about every investor in Australia has super savings and now we can see clearly if it is being managed well or not. Nearly one in ten funds failed: Is your fund one of them? In today's episode, we cover: how to make the best out of the super performance tests, using the my.gov website to see how your fund scored, stage three tax cuts and franked dividends, and investing for tax concessions. Will Hamilton of Hamilton Wealth Management joins Wealth Editor James Kirby in this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Active property investors are very often the same people who steer clear of shares and managed funds. At the same time, many advisors are heavily committed to shares and funds with little expertise when it comes to direct property: What to do?  In today's show, we cover: Financial advice for the property investor, the common mistake advisers make in property, investing in Australian property if you live overseas and offset account money and negative gearingFinancial adviser James Gerrard of www.financialadvisor.com.au joins Wealth Editor James Kirby on today's show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the puzzle: Should you depend on shares or cash for income? Well, your risky return from the ASX is represented by an average dividend yield of just over 4 percent. Meanwhile, with a cash term deposit, you can still get a 5 percent rate  - government guaranteed - it just might be the deal of the decade, know it when you see it. In today's show, we cover: The last of the best of the term deposit deals? How to play thematic exchange-traded funds,  shared equity home loans and when investment bonds make sense. Liam Shorte of the Sonas Wealth group is Wealth Editor James Kirby's guest on this episode See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the residential property sector stabilizes, the banks have been playing some games in the lending market - if you are borrowing for a home or an investment you need to know what's going on. In today's episode, we cover: why interest-only borrowers are being punished, how can banks offer more than the RBA for deposits, why home loan borrowers are fixing again and the bias against retirees in the lending system.  Steve Mickenbecker, chief commentator at Canstar, joins Wealth Editor James Kirby in this episode See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.