I began my study of rich and successful people well over 40 years ago Of course, not all rich people are successful, and not all successful people are rich but remember I was much younger and more naïve then and wanted it all. I tried to understand why some people were rich while others kept…
Australia has never had a death tax. We’ve long prided ourselves on that, and many Australians have structured their estates carefully, knowing their wealth could pass to the next generation without the government taking a cut simply because they died. But buried in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ 2026-27 Budget are changes that estate planning lawyers and…
Australia remains one of the most prosperous nations in the world. We enjoy a stable political system, abundant natural resources, a relatively strong labour market and living standards many countries would envy. Yet beneath the surface, something important is shifting. The latest findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ General Social Survey reveal a growing…
Playing monopoly was a tradition in our family for a long time. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t come out as often these days – I guess I don’t play board games much anymore. In the good old days, I played Monopoly with my parents when I was young, with my children when they were young, and…
We live in uncertain times. Just look at all the financial, economic and political problems we are facing, as well as the social and political problems around the world. Amid all this, we must go about our business, our investing, and live our lives. And to do that we must feel comfortable with our long-term…
Housing affordability is the current topic of conversation in the media and at dinner tables across Australia. And for families with Gen Y children, in particular, it’s probably a discussion based around how they’ll struggle to ever buy their own home. There’s no denying it has become a lot harder to get a start on…
A billion – in Australia – is $1,000,000,000. You see this amount written everywhere these days. You cannot escape it. It was brought home to me a few weeks back, whilst driving through New South Wales. Road work signs proudly announced $2.3 billion worth of construction here, another $1.7 billion there. Governments love to announce…
There’s an old saying that the easiest tax to sell is one that only applies to “wealthy people.” Most Australians won’t complain too loudly if Canberra says it is closing a loophole used by high-income families, business owners or investors. But history shows that when governments start tinkering with the rules around wealth, tax and…
Have you ever wondered what the most common major problems are in life? I have. I spent 15 years studying the rich and the poor (Rich Habits Study) and found that there were 12 frequent big problems almost everyone has to contend with: Health Problems Financial Problems Family Problems Neighbour Problems Home Ownership Problems Car…
Want to avoid the taxman rejecting your claim? Even worse, do you want to prevent the taxman from digging deeper and auditing your affairs? The Australian Taxation Office has a lot of information on its website to help property investors. Whether you use a tax agent or choose to lodge your tax return yourself, the…
