Investopoly

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The 2026-27 Federal Budget included some of the most significant proposed tax changes we have seen in many years.
In this episode, I unpack the key announcements affecting investors, property owners, business owners, and families, including proposed changes to capital gains tax, negative gearing, and the taxation of discretionary trusts. I also cover the permanent extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off, proposed personal tax changes, the return of company loss carry-back rules, start-up loss refundability, and the wind-back of the electric vehicle FBT exemption.
The biggest proposed changes are substantial. The Government has announced a new capital gains tax framework, changes that would limit negative gearing on established residential property, and a 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts. If legislated in their current form, these measures could materially affect long-term investment decisions, business structures, and family wealth strategies.
But the most important point is this: none of the major reforms has been legislated yet.
Tax announcements often change before they become law, and some never become law at all. So, whilst these proposals deserve close attention, they should not trigger rushed decisions. The prudent approach is to understand the potential implications, monitor the legislation closely, and only act once the final rules are known.
Good financial decisions are rarely made in panic. The aim is to remain calm, informed and strategic.
My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

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IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

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This episode brings together four listener questions that each wrestle with some of the most practical and consequential decisions in personal finance: how hard to push for a first home, where to deploy idle equity, when an SMSF makes sense, and how to identify genuinely investment-grade property in a market where houses are out of reach.
A couple in their early thirties transitioning out of academia, with $500k in ETFs and a clear desire to buy a home in Brisbane before starting a family. The question is how much to stretch and whether selling down shares to secure a larger land component in a blue-chip suburb is worth the reduction in leverage and long-term return.
The second involves a high-income investor in the top tax bracket with $250k of usable equity sitting idle in an investment property. With blue-chip Brisbane houses beyond comfortable reach and a preference for liquidity and flexibility, he questions whether a leveraged ETF path is a rational default over further property exposure.
The third question examines whether an SMSF makes sense for a couple with $420k in combined super who plan to invest exclusively in ETFs, weighing the tax drag, administrative burden, and complexity against the simplicity of a choice investment option.
The final scenario tackles how to evaluate land value in investment-grade apartments, using a specific Melbourne listing as a practical case study for a couple priced out of houses but committed to a smart first purchase.
My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

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Tax is psychologically painful, but for investors, over-fixating on it is a genuine risk. The drive to minimise tax can lead to decisions far more costly than the tax itself, and this blog makes the case for keeping it in its proper place.
Using financial modelling across both property and shares, Stuart examines the real impact of capital gains tax on internal rates of return over 30 years. The findings are instructive: CGT changes have a surprisingly modest effect on outcomes. What actually drives returns is gearing and the asset's underlying performance. In fact, modelling a scenario where tax is eliminated produces a lower return, because the negative gearing deductions lost along the way are worth more than the CGT saved at the end.
The blog then works through the decisions that genuinely matter: ownership structure, funding structure, and asset selection. Whether to hold investments personally, through a family trust, or in a company, whether and how much to gear, and how proactively investments are managed, these variables shape the bulk of long-term outcomes before tax planning even enters the picture.
The closing hierarchy is clear: asset quality first, gearing second, structure third, tax optimisation last. By the time investors reach item four, most of the outcome is already determined.
My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

This episode brings together three listener questions that each wrestle, in different ways, with the tension between financial optimisation and practical simplicity, and whether the most technically efficient strategy is always the right one for a given stage of life.
The first scenario involves a couple in their mid-thirties with a solid net worth of $2.5 million, a newborn, and a clear long-term goal of achieving financial independence by 55. With their forever home complete, the question is whether to retain their investment property and continue debt recycling, or sell, simplify the structure, and redeploy proceeds into a leveraged ETF portfolio trading some long-term upside for meaningfully reduced complexity and stress.
The second scenario involves a Melbourne real estate agent with commission-only income, a young family, and a fully offset investment loan sitting idle. He is weighing three options: do nothing, deploy the loan into a diversified ETF, or use it as a deposit on an investment property, all while preserving flexibility for a planned home upgrade within five to ten years.
The third question shifts to the superannuation structure, exploring platform super vehicles like Netwealth, how they differ from industry funds, what protections investors should understand, and whether a split strategy across fund types can make sense depending on balance and investment goals.
My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

Read Full Blog Here
Australian property investment is facing a structural shift, and regulatory change is at the centre of it. This blog examines how rising holding costs, taxation, and tenancy reform are altering long-term return dynamics for investors, using Melbourne as a detailed case study.
The analysis explores the interaction between subdued capital growth, weakening investor sentiment, and tightening rental supply, alongside broader national trends reshaping the investment landscape. Melbourne's experience is particularly instructive, a market where headline data can mask significant variation at the individual asset level, and where regulatory headwinds have added meaningful complexity to investment decisions that once appeared straightforward.
For many investors, the traditional set-and-forget approach of buying a quality property, holding it long term, and letting time do the work is no longer sufficient on its own. Rising holding costs and shifting tenancy regulations are compressing net returns, while tighter rental supply is creating both risk and opportunity depending on asset quality and location.
The blog makes a compelling case for why value-add approaches, geographic diversification, and higher return thresholds are becoming essential tools for serious property investors. In a more complex regulatory environment, strategy and adaptability matter more than ever.
My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.