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Noel Whittaker

Time and tide should dampen negative gearing proposal

Estimates of the cost savings from abolishing negative gearing are overstated because the property becomes positively geared and incurs capital gains tax on sale, and allowing it on new homes only is dangerous.

There’s still time for some SMSFs to use 'anti-detriment' provisions

Superannuation's anti-detriment provisions may be abolished as part of the government's upcoming budget. It's worth checking whether your own circumstances can take advantage of these rules.

A lifetime of investing insights

Future retirees will be expected to be even more reliant on their own superannuation instead of the age pension. For the younger generation, your lifetime of investing should begin now, while time on your side.

How safe is my super from rule changes?

A common concern for superannuants is how changes to the super system will affect their retirement outcomes. In reality, the proposed changes won’t affect the majority, but poor investment choices will.

We should be encouraging self-sufficiency

The majority of Australians using negative gearing earn less than $80,000 a year, and it's part of a long term wealth creation strategy that should be encouraged, especially with such uncertainty about pensions and super.

Adapting to new pension asset testing

The government has announced changes to the pension asset test and taper rate effective 1 January 2017. While good news for many less affluent recipients, it means wealthier pensioners will receive less, or none at all.

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Investing

Markets without a margin for error

From US fiscal pressure to China’s shifting growth model and Australia’s structural constraints, markets are yet to reflect a less forgiving global investment landscape.

Investment strategies

The investment mistake killing your returns

Retail investors face an increasingly complex product environment, but simplicity may be the most overlooked advantage in building a portfolio you can actually live with.

The ticking clock on oil reserves

A sustained disruption through the Strait of Hormuz is forcing a rapid drawdown of global inventories. Without a resolution, the arithmetic points to a supply shock by early August and a sharp surge in the oil price.

Infrastructure

Managing the impact of the Middle East conflict on listed infrastructure

The outbreak of conflict in the Middle East in February 2026 marks an historic shock for oil and gas markets, with major implications for inflation, interest rates and ultimately for listed infrastructure companies.

Economy

Rent inflation and the missing policy

The government plans to remove negative gearing to help renters buy homes. For those who remain renters, the wrong levers are being pulled to try and increase rental unit supply.

Investment strategies

The Risk-Wealth Paradox: Why more money means you should take less risk

As wealth grows, so does the assumption that risk should too. But in reality, the opposite may be true: once you understand how the value of money changes over time, the case for taking less risk becomes far more compelling.

SMSF strategies

SMSF estate planning: Eight things to consider

As super balances grow, SMSFs are becoming central to retirement outcomes. Without proper planning for “Armageddon” scenarios, even well-structured funds can unravel when it matters most.

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