The ALP’s proposed ban on negative gearing has been well publicised and debated. However, its proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) have received far less attention. I suspect that this is because investors tend to overestimate short-term consequences and underestimate more significant long-term outcomes. But, since most of us are long-term investors, I’d suggest…
“The roads are clogged; the buses and trains are full. The schools are taking no more enrolments. I hear what you are saying. I hear you loud and clear.” Scott Morrison, Australian Prime Minister, November 2018. In March this year the PM announced a 15% cut in the ‘official migration ceiling’ from 190,000 to 160,000…
You can’t help first home buyers without making other buyers worse off, writes … Brendan Coates, Grattan Institute and John Daley, Grattan Institute On housing, the contrast between the two major parties couldn’t be clearer. The Coalition is still pretending that you can help first homebuyers without hurting anyone. Labor isn’t. This matters, because Australian…
![[Podcast] Here’s how Labor’s $200 million tax slug will impact you](https://cdn.propertyupdate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MY-podcast-97-tax_slug-270x200.jpg)
Labor has proposed $200 Billion worth of new taxes. That’s a staggering amount – almost unfathomable. The numbers are so large they are almost meaningless unless of course they are explained, so I’ll try and break them down. Loss of negative gearing benefits This has received a lot of publicity recently and it has been…
Housing prices are falling in Sydney and Melbourne, so housing must be becoming more affordable — right? Well you’d think that would be the case, but it’s not really as simple as that. A rise in house prices is a mixed blessing. For those who have developed the financial discipline to save a deposit and…
Winter is coming and a cold change has swept across the Hobart property market. What was once a nicely heated Hobart hub has gone off the boil, with CoreLogic figures showing a 0.9 per cent slide of dwelling prices last month. Houses fell 1.2%, while unit growth was only 0.3% in March. Our analysis in…
Even though Australia recently overtook Switzerland as having the highest average wealth per adult in the world, only a small proportion of our population achieves financial independence. Sure, generally speaking, most Aussies can expect to live a relatively middle-class working life, thanks to our robust economy and generous government family support provisions. Come retirement, though,…
The benefits of gardening go way beyond having an abundant harvest, with beautiful fruits and vegetables. Ever wondered why people garden in prisons, nursing homes, and hospitals? It is because gardening is very effective for maintaining good mental health. There’s something healing and soothing about getting your hands dirty and reconnecting with nature. The beautiful…
Inflation has barely been within the Governor Philip Lowe’s target band his entire time in office. Zero inflation means he should cut now, before the election. The last time inflation was zero the Reserve Bank cut rates twice. It’ll get the chance on May 7. The immediate issue for Lowe is Wednesday’s inflation figures released…
We’re now experiencing what will be the longest and deepest property market downturn in modern history. But it shouldn’t be that way! Previous property slumps have been due to rising interest rates or economic recessions or high levels of unemployment, but currently our economic and property fundamentals are really not that bad. Sure, our economic…
