How Compound Interest Really Grows Your Super
Why your super doubles fastest late in life, the rule of 72, and how inflation quietly compounds against you. Real examples from Australian advisers.
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Financial Planning
Insights & Advice
Expert insights, practical strategies, and market updates to help you make informed financial decisions for your future.
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How to Retire Before 67 in Australia (Without Draining Your Super)
67 is the Age Pension age, not the retirement age. From 60, JobSeeker’s requirements can be met entirely through volunteering, super in accumulation is invisible to Centrelink, and one couple gained four years of part Age Pension just by splitting contributions. The gap years from 60 to 67 reward structure. Here’s how.
AI Deepfake and Investment Scams in Australia: What to Watch For in 2026
Australians lost $2.18 billion to scams in 2025, according to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s latest Targeting Scams report, and investment scams alone accounted for $837.7 million of it. Those are the reported numbers. The real figure is higher, because plenty of people feel too embarrassed to report it and never tell anyone.
We recorded a full episode of the Wealthlab podcast on this, partly because scams keep getting more sophisticated and partly because it has happened to us. Someone cloned our Instagram account, copied every photo we had ever posted, called it a community page and started inviting our own followers to join. Scott’s wife spotted it before we did. If it can happen to two advisers in Melbourne, it can happen to anyone.
The SMSF Residential Property Ban Explained: What Changed in 2026
On 23 June 2026, the federal government agreed to ban self-managed super funds from using new limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) to buy residential property. The Bill passed both houses of Parliament in under 48 hours, received Royal Assent on 26 June 2026, and the ban commences on 10 August 2026.
If your SMSF already holds residential property under an LRBA, nothing changes. If you were planning to set one up, the window has effectively closed. And if you were relying on this strategy as a core part of your retirement plan, it is worth understanding what happened, what the numbers actually show, and what still works.
Can an SMSF Still Borrow to Buy Property?
New SMSF loans for residential property are banned from 10 August 2026, the price of a Labor-Greens deal on the budget tax package. Existing arrangements are grandfathered, commercial property borrowing is untouched, and Scott and Phil’s read of the ATO data shows the market impact is close to nil.
How to Spot AI-Generated Financial Advice Online (And Why It’s a Problem for Your Retirement)
A YouTube channel sent in by a client looked like genuine financial guidance from a retired accountant. It was entirely AI-generated. Here’s how to spot AI financial advice, what ASIC says about it, and how to check whether the person giving you guidance is real and licensed.
How to Spot AI-Generated Financial Advice Online (And Why It’s a Problem for Your Retirement)
A YouTube channel sent in by a client looked like genuine financial guidance from a retired accountant. It was entirely AI-generated. Here’s how to spot AI financial advice, what ASIC says about it, and how to check whether the person giving you guidance is real and licensed.
SMSF Rule Changes 2026, What’s Actually Changed and What It Means for Your Retirement
Three big SMSF rule changes hit Australians in 2026, including the residential property borrowing ban. Here’s what changed, who’s affected, and what to do.
CFD Trading in Australia: Why 95% of Traders Lose (And What ASIC’s Record $300 Million Penalty Reveals)
ASIC just secured a record $300 million Federal Court penalty over CFD trading misconduct. Here’s what CFDs actually are, why 95 to 99 per cent of retail traders lose money, and how to protect yourself and your family.
Are Australian Property Prices Really Falling? What the Headlines Get Wrong in 2026
Are Australian property prices falling in 2026? The short answer is no, in most of the country. Here’s what the actual data shows, why the doom-and-gloom headlines are misleading, and what the slowdown means if you own property near retirement.
Pension Access Age Changes in Australia: What Has Changed, What Hasn’t, and What Could Be Next
A lot of confusion in retirement planning comes from conflating these two ages. They are separate rules, set by different parts of government, and they don’t move together.
The Cost of Being Single in Australia: What Solo Aussies Pay (And Why It Matters for Retirement)
Being single in Australia costs more than most realise. We break down the singles tax, the retirement gap, and what solo Aussies can do about it.
The SMSF Residential Property Ban Explained: What Changed in 2026
On 23 June 2026, the federal government agreed to ban self-managed super funds from using new limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) to buy residential property. The Bill passed both houses of Parliament in under 48 hours, received Royal Assent on 26 June 2026, and the ban commences on 10 August 2026.
If your SMSF already holds residential property under an LRBA, nothing changes. If you were planning to set one up, the window has effectively closed. And if you were relying on this strategy as a core part of your retirement plan, it is worth understanding what happened, what the numbers actually show, and what still works.
How to Spot AI-Generated Financial Advice Online (And Why It’s a Problem for Your Retirement)
A YouTube channel sent in by a client looked like genuine financial guidance from a retired accountant. It was entirely AI-generated. Here’s how to spot AI financial advice, what ASIC says about it, and how to check whether the person giving you guidance is real and licensed.
SMSF Rule Changes 2026, What’s Actually Changed and What It Means for Your Retirement
Three big SMSF rule changes hit Australians in 2026, including the residential property borrowing ban. Here’s what changed, who’s affected, and what to do.
CFD Trading in Australia: Why 95% of Traders Lose (And What ASIC’s Record $300 Million Penalty Reveals)
ASIC just secured a record $300 million Federal Court penalty over CFD trading misconduct. Here’s what CFDs actually are, why 95 to 99 per cent of retail traders lose money, and how to protect yourself and your family.
Are Australian Property Prices Really Falling? What the Headlines Get Wrong in 2026
Are Australian property prices falling in 2026? The short answer is no, in most of the country. Here’s what the actual data shows, why the doom-and-gloom headlines are misleading, and what the slowdown means if you own property near retirement.
Compounding Explained Properly
A $30,000 super contribution that beat an $81,000 one. The Rule of 72. The Aussie super advantage. This is compounding explained properly, with the maths most Australians have never sat with long enough to feel.
How Is Super Taxed in Australia?
The same dollar loses up to 47 cents as salary or 15 cents inside super. That gap is the whole deal. The 2026-27 caps and rules explained, plus the case study where timing and catch-up contributions turned a $98,000 CGT bill into $11,000.
Can You Trust AI With Your Super Questions?
In 2026 alone, super caps rose, deeming changed twice, Division 296 started and SMSF borrowing was banned. An AI trained last year missed all of it, and it won’t tell you. Where chatbots genuinely help with retirement research, and where the confident answers go wrong.
Legal Loopholes for Super & Age Pension
Phil and I explored effective “legal loopholes” from clarifying deeming rates to explaining why drawings from an account-based pension are generally not assessed as income by Centrelink, and including practical options such as structured gifting to avoid the five-year deprivation rule.
Superannuation Secrets No One Tells You (2025 Rules)
A “boring” super video just changed everything. In under two weeks: 53K views, 6.2K watch hours, and 1,100 new subscribers. Turns out Aussies love learning how to retire smarter. This month: gold’s record climb, the ASX’s quiet optimism, and what rising living costs mean for your super plan.
Super Myths Smashed (53K Views Say You’ll Love This)
Our recent episode got more than 500x views so we thought we share this with you as a reminder that small, smart moves in super can lead to big wins especially in today’s market.
Superannuation Secrets No One Tells You: Retirement in Australia 2025
Retiring in Australia? Discover the 2025 superannuation secrets when you can access your super, how much you need, and how the Age Pension fits in.
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