The Investor Lab

Days before the Federal Budget, the property tax reform being discussed has shifted into something fundamentally different... and the structural mechanics of the new policy may do the exact opposite of what it claims to do. We unpack what's actually being proposed, why it's designed to fail at its own stated objective, and what it actually means for property investors right now.

See you on the inside!

Recorded 30 April 2026

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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0:00 - The 3am discovery

3:39 - From CGT discount to indexation

9:49 - What inflation indexation actually means

11:48 - The maths: indexation vs current discount

17:58 - Why this policy is structurally designed to fail

18:43 - Negative gearing: what's actually being proposed

21:57 - The tax incidence problem

26:11 - Why holding costs go up and entry gets harder

33:38 - The supply problem nobody is solving

37:40 - The dogmatic belief problem in policy design

46:32 - The doom loop: why we can't get out of it

50:58 - What property investors should actually do

53:57 - Goose's prediction

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Watch this episode on Youtube:

The Property Tax Pivot Nobody Saw Coming

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RESOURCES TO HELP:

Mentioned Episode - 'Cashflow Jiujitsu'

* https://youtu.be/1zfo9QejloE?si=xSVbMGeN6lQlQc9g

Join The Investor Lab Free Community:

The home for freedom-seeking investors ✨

https://bit.ly/jointheTILcommunity

Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio?

Join Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa

Need finance guidance?

Chat with the Dashdot Finance team: http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall

Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!

https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Goose McGrath and Gabi Billing are the founders of Dashdot — portfolio growth partners who combine data science, strategy, and human insight to help Australians build property portfolios that create lasting freedom. As hosts of The Investor Lab, they explore the intersection of markets, money, and mindset, challenging conventional wisdom and empowering people to think differently about wealth, purpose, and the future.

Connect:

https://www.dashdot.com.au

https://youtube.com/@theinvestorlab

https://instagram.com/dashdotproperty

https://instagram.com/goosemcgrath

https://instagram.com/gabi.billing

The CGT discount conversation is back in the headlines. Investors are starting to ask whether the whole thesis still holds. Some are even getting cold feet.

This week, we're sitting down to work through it honestly. We walk through the history of how CGT got to where it is, what's actually being proposed for the May budget, and what the numbers really show when you run them across every scenario. 

We get into why the leverage available to a property investor changes the maths in ways most of the commentary completely misses, why the reform might actually push rents and prices up rather than down, and whether any of it even solves the affordability problem the government says it's trying to fix.

Not a hot take. Just an honest look at what the maths says.

If you're trying to think clearly about the CGT debate before the May budget, this is the conversation.

* Read Goose's full report: tools.dashdot.com.au/cgtanalysis
* Get The Signal (weekly macro intelligence for property investors): dashdot.com.au/thesignal

See you on the inside.

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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To check out the research and charts, watch this episode on Youtube: 
We Ran the Maths on CGT Changes... Here's What We Found

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fuel prices have nearly doubled. Two back-to-back rate hikes. Consumer confidence at its lowest point in over 50 years. A war in the Middle East.

Should you be investing right now? It's a fair question.

This week, we sit down and work through it honestly. We unpack what's actually happening with fuel supply (it's not what the headlines suggest), what the 1970s oil crisis tells us about investing through periods like this, and what Australian property has done through every major crisis since 2001.

We also run through a scenario analysis overlaying 1970s conditions onto today's market, and talk through how to think clearly about your own situation when everything around you feels chaotic.

Not a pep talk. Just an honest conversation.

If you're looking for signal in all this noise, this is it.

Check out the oil scenario analysis: tools.dashdot.com.au/oilscenarios

See you on the inside.

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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To check out the research and charts, watch this episode on Youtube:

Should I Be Investing in Times Like These?

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RESOURCES TO HELP:

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio?
3. Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
4. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
5. http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
6. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
7. https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:

dashdot.com.au

youtube.com/@theinvestorlab

instagram.com/dashdotproperty

instagram.com/goosemcgrath

instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know that satisfying feeling of cancelling a subscription you forgot you were paying for? What if we told you there's one running right now... and it's costing you $275 a day. 

With back-to-back rate hikes, a war in the Middle East, and consumer confidence at its lowest since COVID lockdowns, a lot of people have quietly hit pause on their financial future. 

We call that the Fear Tax: the invisible, compounding cost of letting uncertainty keep you on the sidelines. We walk through every major crisis since 2001, what happened to property through each one, and why the most expensive thing you can do right now is nothing.

See you on the inside. 

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

--

To check out the research and charts, watch this episode on Youtube: 
Australia Hasn't Been This Scared Since COVID. Here's What It's Costing You.

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CGT discount might be changing. The property market is in a frenzy. There's a war in the Middle East. And everyone's frozen.

This week we pull apart the three topics every Australian property investor is thinking about right now — and why most people are reacting to them wrong.

These are the conversations we're having at the dinner table. Now they're on camera.

See you on the inside,

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In this episode we cover:
0:00  Why people freeze when there's noise in the market
7:53  CGT discount changes: what's actually being proposed
14:45 Running the numbers: 50% vs 25% discount
24:49  The contrarian take: why CGT changes are actually bullish for property
32:10  How affordability is changing where and what to invest in
46:00  Houses vs units
56:30  Land size doesn't drive growth the way people think
1:01:30  New builds and house & land packages: when do they make sense?
1:25:00  Geopolitical tension and the impact on Australia

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

--

Watch on Youtube: 
CGT, Affordability & War: The Topics Every Property Investor Is Thinking About Right Now

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy isn't just broken. It's splitting — and most people have no idea what's going on.

This week, Goose and Gabi break down a concept everyone needs to understand right now: the K-Shaped Economy. Two trajectories. Two very different futures. And what you can actually do about it.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: working hard isn't enough anymore. The rules have changed, the gap is widening — and the window to get on the right side of it won't be open forever.

See you on the inside. 

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

--

To check out the research and charts, watch this episode on Youtube: 
The Wealth Window Is Closing (Why You Need To Act Now)

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interest rates just went up again — and right on cue, everyone lost their minds.

This week, we've brought in Julien Mougenot, Head of Dashdot Technology, to do something wild: pull apart our own original correlation research — live, on air — and break down what the data actually says in real time.

We ran a fresh correlation analysis (literally 24-48 hours before this conversation) comparing median sales price growth against interest rates, interest rate changes, and M3 money supply across every major market in Australia. 

The findings? They'll challenge everything you thought you knew about the relationship between rates and property prices.

Here's what we unpack:

• Why interest rates and property prices are actually positively correlated (yes, they tend to move in the same direction)
• The real driver behind Australian property prices — and it's not rates
• How COVID fundamentally changed the way property markets behave
• What compressed market cycles mean for your investment strategy
• Why chasing hotspots without a system is the new trap

This one gets nerdy. There are heat maps, correlation tables, and a genuine live analysis on what all this data really means.

If you want to understand what's actually driving the market right now — not what the headlines tell you — this is the episode.

See you on the inside. 

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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To check out the research and charts, watch this episode on Youtube: 
Stop Worrying About Interest Rates

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Build Your FREE Portfolio Growth Plan on Property Pathfinder:
   https://propertypathfinder.io
5. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

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Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think you'll need to keep buying properties forever? You won’t. Today, Goose is showing you how just a few focused years of active property investing can be enough to set yourselves up for life — and how, after that, time and growth can do most of the work. You're in for a grounded take on property investing, restraint, and building wealth that doesn’t require constant action. 

See you on the inside. 

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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To check out the Portfolio Growth Plans & examples, watch this episode on Youtube: 
How To Get Rich Doing Nothing (Using Property)

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Want a team in your corner as you build your property portfolio? 
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Build Your FREE Portfolio Growth Plan on Property Pathfinder:
   https://propertypathfinder.io
5. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

-- 

Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people think investing is about getting rich or buying nicer things. It isn’t.

This episode explores the real reason we invest: to create choice, time, and presence when life becomes unpredictable.

Investing isn’t about luxury or status — it’s about removing hesitation from the moments that matter most. It’s about having the resources to put people first, to make decisions without fear or regret, and to protect the most valuable asset we have: time.

Because life doesn’t give warnings. And the moment you need financial freedom is never the moment you can start building it.

This is a conversation about investing as a tool for living well — not someday, but when it counts.

See you on the inside. 

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IMPORTANT: The Investor Lab is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions.

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WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
Why We Invest

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RESOURCES TO HELP: 

1. Join the conversation: The Investor Lab Community 
2. Looking for a team to partner with you in your portfolio building journey?
   Book a no-obligation discovery call with Dashdot: https://bit.ly/3E0wKGa
3. Need finance guidance? Chat with the Dashdot Finance team:
   http://hey.dashdotfinance.com.au/discoverycall
4. Build Your FREE Portfolio Growth Plan on Property Pathfinder:
   https://propertypathfinder.io
5. Got a question or some feedback? We're all ears!
   https://bit.ly/tilqs

-- 

Connect:
dashdot.com.au 
youtube.com/@theinvestorlab 
instagram.com/dashdotproperty
instagram.com/goosemcgrath
instagram.com/gabi.billing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A brief end-of-year note to say thank you for being part of The Investor Lab in 2025.

For tuning in, asking questions, and actually applying what we talk about. We hope the break gives you space to rest, reset, and recharge.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. We’ll see you in 2026.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.