Policy Watch

Card surcharges are set to disappear from October 2026, but lower merchant fees do not automatically mean lower prices. The real winner is still up for debate.

A negative gearing cap would sting some landlords. But the bigger threat may be what happens when investors try to cash out.

Australia’s 1.2 million-home target is already off pace. The shortfall is growing, costs are rising, and the budget now has nowhere to hide.

Official wages look stronger on paper. Add house prices to the equation, and a very different affordability story emerges.

Tax settings meant to reward investment may be locking younger buyers out. If Canberra changes the balance, property investors will feel it.

Labor’s Reserve Bank overhaul was meant to modernise monetary policy and improve confidence. But with inflation still awkward, split votes now public, and the bank’s priorities under debate, the harder question is whether the new model is actually making decisions better.

A quiet tax issue is turning into a costly one for family groups. The ATO is offering a limited chance to cut interest charges on old trust mistakes, but the window narrows once a review starts.

Most self-managed super trustees do not use a financial adviser. So why are they being dragged into a compensation scheme built around adviser blow-ups?

Most Australians think a will covers everything. It doesn’t. And when super is left to the wrong people the tax hit can be far bigger than families expect.

Victoria’s latest housing move looks technical on the surface. In practice, it could redraw the balance between growth and local resistance.

One message from Canberra says restraint. The other says intervention. Buried inside that split is the part property investors should be watching.

Budget rumours and tax chatter can paralyse buyers. Here’s what a CGT discount change might do, the sneaky supply side-effect many miss, and why land sell-offs could reshape a few local pockets.

Understanding the implications of taxing unrealised gains in superannuation 

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