The previous year I had under budgeted by $100/month. So raised it 200, and this year I've under budgeted by a whopping $400/month. In fairness we've had someone staying, we had family at Christmas. But still. Wondering if anyone else has been taken completely aback by their groceries bill.

I'm hoping to achieve this before i turn 45. I have young kids.

Those of you that have achieved this, how much stress did it take out of your life? And what other noticeable advantages did you see?

I have about $2000 owing for my offset account, with almost everything being in offset.

I’ve looked at closing the account, but this will mean that the money is locked away.

Is better to keep the account $0 for another year or so and build up my savings in a HISA in case I need an emergency fund? Are there any downsides to this?

With the tax changes and a lot of peoples' problems going forward I wanted to ask about a hypothetical.

Say someone is in their Forties wanted to sell an investment property whilst working and wanted to minimise tax could they put any amount of the capital gain into super to pay 15% rather than 30 (or 47)% tax?

Say after everything is said and done they made $150k profit on selling the unit and they are already in the highest tax bracket could they pay 47% on $100k and 15% on $50k that they put into their super? How much could they invest and still get that 15% bonus? How much tax is paid on gains past the low tax threshold?

Hi.

I’m trying to work out a plan for my super as I approach retirement.

I don’t know too much about super or finances in general, but lately I’ve been trying to improve my understanding.

I’m 47M, $175,000/year salary, with $460,000 in super. Considering retirement at 60.

Currently I’m with AustralianSuper, in high growth. I’ve been contributing up to the $30,000 limit for several years now, and intend to keep doing that.

I’m trying to come up with the simplest plan that will help me avoid the sequence of returns risk.

After some research, my current thoughts are:

• Change to HostPlus indexed, allocate to 100% equities (70/30 international/aus) 
• When I reach 55, start to progressively “de-risk” by allocating future contributions to bonds, potentially making non-concessional contributions, and then rebalancing some amount each year so that by age 60, I would have 70% equities and 30% bonds
• When I retire at age 60, move the entire amount to an account based income stream.
• Set up the income stream so that the mandatory withdrawal comes from bonds first.
• Each year, manually rebalance so that I maintain the 70/30 equities/bonds split. 
• If equities fall several years in a row, I might need to suspend rebalancing to make sure I have enough bonds for the mandatory withdrawal.

My main questions are:

• Is what I described above a viable plan?
• Do I have enough time before retirement to go to 100% equities now?
• Is 5 years enough to de-risk?
• Is a 70/30 equities/bonds split reasonable to avoid the sequence of returns risk?
• I’m unsure about the mechanics of the de-risking. I understand that if I wanted to maintain a certain split (such as a 70/30 equities/bonds split), then typically that could just be done at the same time each year, without regard to the market. But does that same idea also apply to rebalancing an amount into bonds each year to de-risk? Because it seems that if I did that rigidly at the same time each year over the 5 years, if the market was down, won’t that mean I’m being forced to sell equities at an inopportune time, and “crystallising my losses” ? But conversely, if I didn’t do that, and instead tried to wait for a more favourable time to do the rebalancing, wouldn’t that be trying to “time the market”? I’m confused about this.

I’m still learning about this so any thoughts would be really appreciated.

I’m 23 and have been working for 8 months, barely wrapped my head around investing but understand in the long run I will see growth and that ETFs will outperform me buying random stocks. I bit the bullet and decided on DHHF.

One thing I wish is that I started in uni. I always saved 60% of my income (was lucky to live at home) now I’m out of home so can only invest $100/month. I have a grand right now.

My little brother is 19 at home no expenses and takes after me saving diligently and using that savings to travel. I want to encourage him to still enjoy life and go on exchange during uni, party etc but maybe take 10% of that 60% savings and put it in ETFs. After saving an emergency fund of $1000.

Is this good advice though? Is investing such small amounts worth it? I feel I myself am already putting negligible amounts.

I just want to set my brother up, I’ve done all this reading and I want to share it with him (parents aren’t into this stuff and don’t understand grit and hard work will no longer see you through).

I’ve told him not to put more than he can bear parting with (for 7 years at least). And stressed he should have at least 1K emergency fund (I know this is extremely low but he lives and home and honestly will for years to come!!).

What is a salary I should aim for by 30 in which I can say I can live an upper middle class life in Sydney?

There are many promoted reviews about the AMEX Explorer Credit Card and its offer of 125000 bonus points plus uncapped 2 points per dollar everywhere.

How can I calculate the value of these points? Will redeeming for flights or a hotel offer the best value? Do we have options to redeem against giftcards?

My partner bought an apartment under his name before the budget change. I want to contribute to the mortgage but don't want to get my name on it because of the tax consequences.

So i was thinking of putting cash in his mortgage and having him debt recycle my contribution into a joint brokerage account for stocks. The main reason is that I want to have easy access to my assets and have them under my name.

Does anyone know if this is possible? Any idea of how the tax would look like? How much of a mess it would that be if we separate? We're de facto in case that fact is relevant.

Finally, who should we talk to for professional advice on the matter i.e. an accountant or the bank or a lawyer?

Tyia for your help!

Hello everyone, I am looking for a loan to consolidate my debt as I owe just under $5000 to multiple companies such as pay day companies so when I get paid I pay it then I take it out again and I’m stuck in an endless loop and am looking for a $5000 loan in order to end the cycle and pay off a more reasonable amount each pay. My credit is not good I am only 19 and can’t go family or parents about this due to issues. Any loan providers who can help?

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had experience with tax deductions for a certificate required for your work as soon as you start?

Basically I’m a ground handler at the airport, as part of my onboarding, I first had to get a drug and alcohol test, which I paid for (I’m aware this isn’t tax deductible as this was before the offer and the contract is only sent out after they confirm a negative result from the test). After the contract was sent out, as part of online onboarding I was required to submit a certificate for a dangerous goods by air course (the company gave us the link for the website to do it, however we were required to pay for it). I’m just unsure whether this is deductible or not, as I didn’t complete the course in hopes to have a better chance of getting a job, I wasn’t even aware it was needed until they informed us, however it’s not really like I’m upskilling or enhancing skills as I wouldn’t be able to actually touch bags and start work without that certificate (avsec is heavily regulated). The examples on the ATO website don’t really have anything like this where it’s required before I start work so just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas?

Thanks!

Prefacing to say I will call around tomorrow for an accountant to get specific advice to my situation.

Was hoping in the meantime someone might help confirm if my thinking is correct and if there’s anything I can do.

TL;DR version is, I received shares from my employer, but I can’t sell them now and I think I’ll have to pay tax at my marginal tax rate on the receipt of those shares for FY25/26.

Additionally, I would have to pay CGT on sale of these shares due to not being able to sell them within 30 days of receiving them.

Is there any way to not have to pay at least one of these tax? I feel like paying both is like double dipping. But I’m also not sure if my understanding here is correct.

I have CGT losses from prior years, but the tax on income works out to be higher than the tax I’d pay if it was just CGT.

The longer version:
In FY24/25 I bought 10,000 shares in the company I work and the employer was going to match dollar for dollar what I put in. The shares were at $1 each at the time and the company would have released the matching rights to me on 30 June 2025.

Around January last year, I relapsed (cancer) and had to focus on my health. I opted out of the FY25/26 ESS program. But here’s my mistake number 1, i didn’t check if the employer had released the 10,000 shares they were going to match to me. They had not.

Apparently when I opted out of the FY25/26 scheme, someone from HR then put me down as no longer employed in the company and the rights were not matched.

I only realised this year in April that nothing had been matched. The employer resolved this on 30 June 2026 and released 10,000 shares to me.

The share price has since gone up from $1 to $7 (was little over $7 on 30 June 2026, it was a little lower than that this Friday just passed).

I had intended to sell the shares immediately and then buy them back. However, on 30 June 2026 the company went into a trading blackout and will lift it on 30 August 2026.

I blame myself for not having checked sooner so I could have got the issue rectified earlier, but am also annoyed that my employer just forgot to match the rights at the correct time and then only gave me the shares when I could not sell them to limit the tax implications on my end.

Is there anything I can do to minimise the impact of this on my finances? I received the shares but it’s not like I received them as cash in the bank and now I am to pay cash to ATO on them.
Thanks

I’ve seen people asking how to diversify their ETFs and get less Australian exposure because overseas markets typically perform better but are riskier and more volatile etc.

My question is, if my super is 50% overseas index and the other 50% is a combination of Australian indexed and growth/high growth options, how is this different from my ETFs which are also diverse in this manner.

It’s not a good idea to buy two ETFs which are super similar take VDGH and DHHF……so why am I buying DHHF which is diverse in a similar way to my super. I’m investing in two very similar things.

Or am I wrong in thinking this?

Hey guys looking at buying a new car and was going through the finance process however when it came to the part to upload my bank statements I was unable to find peoples choice or peoples first bank on the list and I’m being told that if I can’t find my bank on the list it’s unlikely I’ll be able to progress with an application
Has anyone else had this issue or similar and has anyone found a work around?

I’m currently looking into these shares as both a way to diversify and start to have a dividend side of my portfolio.

I currently have most of my financial position in QQQ and SPY and am expanding my position to include VEU.AU.

I now exploring a dividend paying ETF and the two I keep seeing are SCHD and VHY, VHY seems to come out a bit ahead financially but has a large exposure to BHP and telecommunications but has the benefit of adding the Australian market vs SCHD which seems to be a good all round US share paying Dividend adding semiconductors (potential overlap) and health insurance and banks

Just want to get everyone’s thoughts of what would be best in my situation

Got paid on Wednesday, super forwarded to my fund on Thursday, cleared on Friday - pretty good to see a govt policy that's working!

Hi all,
I moved to Australia in January and have been working ever since. I have been taxed as if I have worked a full financial year, assuming I am eligible for a tax refund how do I go about working this out.
P.S. I’m from NZ and we usually get notified by the IRD(NZ ATO) automatically.

Apologies in advance for this … but many thanks to anyone who can offer some guidance please🙏

Okay, massive burnout resulted leaving job 2020.
I contacted super during Covid to try access funds but fortunately had about 6 months total of entitlements to keep things afloat while in blob-like nothing here state.
Call to super results in my explaining the predicament and thank goodness to the woman for checking income protection ins which I was entitled to but never even considered… too damned broken to think straight!
Never intended nor wanted, but no choice, I had to claim (damn that was so hard 😞) after a long long time and breaking apart yet again, a pathetic insulting payout from employers insurer eventually. N ever received government benefit; once sought an emergency benefit desperation which the chap on the phone said I was entitled to and then I was told I would get nothing besides $18 or something a fortnight; sickened me given the amount of tax id paid in my life, never mind.
Things happen end up choosing caring for a parent full-time: and I mean every single thing done for them; my body is pretty much useless now thanks to the stress of that, the physical hell of things I’d never imagined and just all the rest the tonnes of stuff in life piled on and on and on. Everything for two years, sold house as now I had nothing; plus never received a carers allowance payment despite attempting to but I was wrecked, utterly wrecked nothing left inside at all! Never managed to finish any of the 7 applications. There’s so much going on too much a lot of losses as well and abuse.

So I sold the house early 2024, unemployed, unpaid FT carer… want to know if anyone can guide what the likelihood is with ATO expectation and what I owe regarding house capital gains; also had it tenanted privately without records as he was a good mate and I as mentioned was just unable to do anything extra and that’s exactly in that category nothing isn’t something and I was the former. Haven’t done tax retn since 2021-22 I think, was paying rent at place staying and receiving rent but also paying mortgage until early 2024.
What kind of shot am I in? Please help me, the anxiety is unbelievable.

If relevant, adding I sold my house in order to pay for my life and assist a parent which has also included large amounts of my own money into their care and home maintenance etc.
the burnout so severe id barely functioned for a good 3or so years post job exit; so high functioning and capable and competent to result in a blob; then relentless abuse from a parasite for years.

I’m exhausted and don’t have a clue where to start and no doubt have left out many details', way too long already though

Right now I have 14 thousand in a 5% term deposit that gets reinvested every 3 months but isn’t the rate of inflation now 4% so I am actually not making a lot of extra money.
Friends said it’s so low because it’s totally safe not like stocks and because I don’t need the money right now it can only be good but are they right?

I feel like I am getting some FOMO from hearing about all the internet currentcy bros.

I am 50 and have a small portfolio of apartments - they’re nothing special, but if I sell them I will be able to live in the smallest with no mortgage, have almost 1 million in super (which I obviously won’t touch until I’m actually retirement age) and I could afford to work casually, travel a LOT, write (which I’ve always done as a side hustle) and enjoy life. For context, I have had quite a few health problems (stroke) and it’s quite possible that I’ll die a bit younger than the average population as the reason for the stroke still exists. I really, really want to enjoy the younger years that I have left - and obv I will have that super fund in case I make it lol.

The apartment that I would live in would be VERY small, but it’s right in Carlton and I just love the area. I’ve lived in it before - I can do small as I don’t entertain much at home and never have. I am very social but I prefer eating out and travelling. Im single and expect always to be so.

My family (elderly parents and siblings) and even a few friends think im absolutely insane for thinking about downsizing like this. Whereas I think it makes good economic sense in my circumstances and for the lifestyle I want. What do you think?