Talk Investing Podcast

Superannuation has been all over the news lately, but we’re far more interested in the people who aren’t sitting on $3 million balances. We focus on the practical reality for everyday Australians: building retirement savings while life is expensive, the rules feel changeable, and it’s hard to know what “enough” even looks like.

We start with the big question of targets and how to approach them at different stages of life, especially if you’re younger or working as an independent contractor without regular employer contributions. Then we unpack why super is best understood as a long-term, tax-effective investing structure: concessional contributions taxed at 15% inside the fund, and potentially 0% tax in retirement phase. That simple framing explains why starting early can make a huge difference over 40 to 50 years of compounding.

Listener questions take us into the details that trip people up, including concessional and non-concessional contribution caps, what happens if you exceed them, and whether you can replace money withdrawn during COVID. We also cover “conditions of release” for accessing super early, the tricky decision of growth versus balanced investment options when retirement could last 30 to 40 years, and the pros and cons of buying property through an SMSF, including concentration risk. We finish with what to look for when choosing a super fund, and where to start if you want a reputable financial adviser.

If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with someone who worries about their super, and leave a review so more Australians can find clear, practical retirement planning advice.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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Superannuation rules can feel simple right up until you try to do something real with your money: top up after a late start, replace COVID withdrawals, sell an investment property, or help your kids with their mortgage. We take listener questions live and turn them into a practical guide to the super decisions Australians are making right now, with clear language around what you can do, what you can’t do, and what to ask your fund before you act.

We walk through the key super contribution caps and how they actually work in practice: the $27,500 concessional contributions limit (including employer Super Guarantee), the $110,000 non-concessional cap, and why that 15% contributions tax can still be a win when your marginal tax rate is higher. We also dig into strategies people miss, like catch-up concessional contributions for balances under $500,000 and how that can help in a high-tax year, especially after a capital gain. If you’re worried about market swings close to retirement, we talk through how contributions and investment options can be adjusted together.

Then we tackle the messy, real-world edge cases: when you can withdraw super tax-free after 60, what a condition of release really means, how gifting can affect Centrelink and the Age Pension, and why early release for medical reasons is so hard under the sole purpose test. We also cover what to do if you’ve been locked out of a member investment option after a platform upgrade, why illiquid investments can trap you, and when APRA or an SMSF might be part of the solution.

If you want your super to feel less like a black box and more like a plan, hit subscribe, share this with a mate who’s been putting it off, and leave us a review so more Australians can find the episode.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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Markets don’t take a break, and neither does investor psychology. After a year where plenty of people felt “punched in the face” by volatility, we dig into the moment that really tests you: when you’ve sold to cash for safety, then the share market roars back and you’re left asking whether to buy in again or sit frozen on the sidelines. Our focus is building an investing plan that assumes bad times will happen, so you don’t get bullied into selling at the worst possible moment.

We also get practical about income, because higher rates have changed the options for Australians chasing yield. We talk through term deposits, senior bank bonds, corporate bond exposures and bank hybrids, including what those products are and how the risk and repayment “queue” works. We tackle the term deposit dilemma too: lock in a longer rate or roll shorter deposits, and how reinvestment risk shows up when “hope” becomes the strategy.

From there we jump into listener questions that hit real retirement and portfolio decisions: why superannuation reporting often focuses on total return rather than separating dividends from capital growth, how to think about planning in your 50s, and what to do when you need cash for life goals like an overseas holiday. We also cover the lithium sector and EV battery hype, plus a timely question on whether selling shares to park money in a mortgage offset can deliver a powerful after tax benefit once you run the numbers and consider capital gains tax.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with someone who’s rethinking their plan, and leave us a review. What rule do you follow when markets drop sharply?

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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Your portfolio hasn’t felt equal-opportunity lately. Technology shares have taken a hiding offshore, while the Australian share market has been far more resilient and once you count dividends, some investors have barely moved at all. We sit down with financial adviser Remo Greco to unpack what that gap really means for everyday Australians trying to invest through a bear market without getting whiplash from the news cycle.

We talk through why Australia can look like a “lucky country” for investors, how franking credits and dividends change the picture, and why sector mix matters more than most people realise. Remo explains why the UK market did well despite political chaos, and why your day-to-day experience of the economy doesn’t always predict what the share market will do. We also dig into the nuance behind “buy Aussie”: many ASX companies are global businesses, while banks, building materials, and consumer stocks can be far more tied to interest rates and recession risk at home.

Then we open the lines. You’ll hear a plain-English breakdown of short selling, thoughts on buying property in Europe during a downturn, what a US debt ceiling stoush can do to markets, and practical questions about CGT, SMSFs, and paying a tax bill from super versus selling shares. We also cover story stocks like Tesla, the dangers of penny stocks in a tight capital market, AGL’s tricky energy transition, and the red flags to watch for in new investing apps and online banking offers.

If you want clearer thinking about Australian investing, retirement planning, and risk management when markets feel shaky, hit subscribe, share this with a mate, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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A headline can make it feel like your superannuation is one bad week away from disaster, but the day-to-day reality is usually far less dramatic. We take a hard look at the “super performance plunging” narrative and unpack what a modest down year actually means for Australians in default super funds, especially when the media compares it to the GFC. We also put inflation in its proper place: yes, it hurts purchasing power, but it doesn’t automatically mean you should bail out of growth assets.

We then shift to retirement planning and the coming wave of Australians moving into drawdown. We talk about what happens when outflows rise, why funds may tilt more liquid or defensive over time, and the surprisingly common problem of retirees underspending. Minimum drawdown rules can push money out, but if you’re drawing more and spending less, you can end up with cash piling up outside super and a plan that’s built on fear instead of living.

From there, we get practical. We answer listener questions on rebuilding COVID early release amounts, why cash and fixed interest can fall behind in a high inflation environment, and how staged entry (dollar cost averaging) can make investing feel more manageable. We also cover transition to retirement risk settings, whether using super to pay down a mortgage stacks up when rates are high, and how to contribute extra without copping an avoidable tax bill. If you want a calmer framework for super, investing and retirement income, hit subscribe, share this with someone who’s worried about their balance, and leave us a review with your biggest super question.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show