Three hikes, back to the peak: what 4.35% means for Australian investors
With its May increase, the RBA has now delivered three consecutive hikes in 2026 — lifting the cash rate to 4.35 per cent and erasing every cut it made in 2025. The rate cycle has come full circle. The implications for portfolios and borrowers are worth working through carefully.
Federal Budget 2026–27: what the capital gains, trust, and negative gearing changes mean for your planning
The 50 per cent CGT discount ends 1 July 2027. Negative gearing narrows. Trusts face a 30 per cent floor. EGU's complete guide to what the Budget means for your planning.
Five tax planning actions for individuals before 30 June 2026
The most valuable tax planning for individuals happens before 30 June — not at lodgement time. These are the five actions that consistently produce the most material outcomes for individual taxpayers in the 2025–26 financial year.
Five tax planning priorities for small businesses before 30 June 2026
With less than two months until 30 June, the window for meaningful tax planning for small businesses is narrowing. These are the five areas that consistently deliver the most material outcomes for businesses with turnover under $10 million.
Personal insurance: what each type covers and why it belongs in a financial plan
Life, TPD, Trauma, and Income Protection insurance are four distinct products that address four distinct risks. Most Australians hold at least one in default form without knowing what it covers. The differences matter.
Inflation at 4.6%, rates at 4.10%: what the current RBA cycle means for your portfolio
The RBA raised the cash rate to 4.10 per cent in March — a split decision, in a cycle that was supposed to be easing. With Australian inflation back at 4.6 per cent and the May meeting underway, the implications for portfolios and debt are worth working through carefully.
When markets rally on hope: what the Iran ceasefire tells us about portfolio discipline
The US-Iran ceasefire on 7 April sent equity markets sharply higher. Within days, the Strait of Hormuz closed again and those gains reversed. The pattern is instructive — and not for the first time.
The $20,000 instant asset write-off ends 30 June 2026
The instant asset write-off threshold drops from $20,000 to $1,000 on 1 July 2026. For business owners weighing a purchase before 30 June, the arithmetic of the write-off changes significantly after that date.
Payday super: what changes on 1 July 2026 and what employers need to address
From 1 July 2026, employers must pay superannuation at the same time as wages. For most businesses, the operational consequence is straightforward: super must now be funded from operating cash flow on every payday, not quarterly. The preparation required is real.
Saving and investing: understanding the difference and why it matters
Saving and investing are used interchangeably. They mean different things — and the distinction shapes every decision about time horizon, risk, and the role of compounding in building a financial future.
Division 296: the new tax on large superannuation balances takes effect 1 July 2026
The Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Act 2026 passed both houses of Parliament in early March 2026. Division 296 — the new tax on superannuation balances above $3 million — takes effect on 1 July 2026.
Diversification and geopolitical shock: what the Iran conflict tells us about portfolio construction
On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran. Within hours, the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. What followed was not a geopolitical surprise — it was a portfolio test.
Household costs in a sustained inflation environment
Inflation erodes purchasing power quietly and consistently. Understanding how it moves through a household budget — and where the practical adjustments lie — is the first step toward managing it deliberately rather than absorbing it passively.
The annual financial audit: a structured approach
Most people have a reasonable sense of their financial position. Fewer have examined it with the kind of structured attention that reveals where the gaps are and what to do about them. A systematic review of your financial affairs — done properly, once a year — is one of the most useful things you can do.
Contactless payments: what the security difference actually means
Contactless payments — Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay — are now the default for many Australians. The question worth asking is whether they are more secure than tapping a physical card, and where the actual risks lie.
Assisting an adult child into property: the decisions worth making carefully
The decision to help a child buy their first home is not a simple one. It is an act of generosity that can, if structured poorly, compromise the very financial security that makes such generosity possible. The question worth asking before any commitment is made is how to help without diminishing what has been built — not whether to help at all.
Early access to superannuation: the conditions that apply and the risks worth understanding
For many Australians, superannuation is their largest asset. The rules governing early access are narrow, the compliance risks are real, and the penalties for getting it wrong are significant.
Supermarket unit pricing reform: what the consultation signals for suppliers and retailers
The Federal Government's review of supermarket unit pricing is not a consumer protection exercise in isolation. For businesses supplying into the grocery sector, the proposals on the table carry real compliance and commercial implications.
ATO interest charges are no longer deductible: the implications for tax debt management
The ATO's general interest charge is running at 11.17 per cent per annum and is no longer deductible. For many taxpayers, that makes an ATO payment plan one of the most expensive financing arrangements on their balance sheet.
Goldenville and the cost of retrospective documentation
Trust distribution resolutions prepared after year-end — even where the underlying decision was sound — can be declared invalid by the ATO. The Goldenville case illustrates what that costs.