The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys

Australia is caught in a complicated, fast-moving financial landscape—what Westpac CEO Anthony Miller calls a "swirling economy." In this episode, Sylvia sits down with the leader of one of the nation’s Big Four banks for an unfiltered, data-backed assessment of the country's economic future.

Anthony shares his candid perspective on the structural hurdles holding Australia back and the massive opportunities waiting to be unlocked, including:

• The Budget Verdict & Tax Changes: Why Anthony backs the productivity agenda but argues that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) adjustments need a strict carve-out for small businesses and startups.

• The $1M Housing Reality Check: The stark math behind Australia’s supply crisis— and how regional development and flexible work play a role.

• Interest Rates & Consumer Stress: Why Westpac is currently forecasting two more rate rises this year, and how Australian mortgage holders are holding up against the pressure.

• The Truth About AI & Unemployment: Why Anthony completely rejects the scary predictions of a 15% unemployment rate

• Skilled Migration & Nation Building: A look at why a precise, evidence-based immigration debate is vital 

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It's the question that weighs upon every parent: where do I send my kids to school?
But with yearly tuition fees for private schooling reaching truly staggering numbers, another question often follows: is it worth it?

In this eye-opening episode, Skye Predavec, researcher behind the Australia Institute's recent report on private schooling unpacks the data and the stark structural realities of our school system, including:

• Does private schooling equate to better outcomes?
• How does Australia's school system compare to the other parts of the world?
• A look at how private fees consistently outpace inflation, and what it will realistically cost to educate a child born today within the private system
• Why current trends suggest most Australian high school students will be in private systems within a few decades, and what that means for societal inequality

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If you've ever wanted to ensure you're giving your kids the best possible financial start - imparting not just wealth, but the means for them to generate and handle their own wealth throughout their lives, this is the episode for you! Finance expert, mother of three and author of 'How to Raise Rich Kids' Sarah Megginson is here to share her expertise, including:

• What rich really means 
• Her top tips for pocket money
• How to involve your kids in family finances the right way
• Navigating dangers of frictionless payments and online influences
• Communicating concepts like saving and investing in a way kids can connect to

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Between the cost-of-living crisis, a brutal housing market, and the constant "doom-scrolling" of financial news, it’s easy to feel financially disheartened. But today’s guest has a different perspective.

In this episode, Sylvia sits down with Scott Phillips, Chief Investment Officer at The Motley Fool Australia to explain why (and how) your long-term financial future could be brighter than you think.

In this episode, we dive into:

• The Power of Simplicity: Why the financial industry thrives on making things look hard just to charge you more—and how Scott’s "One-Page Investing Plan" can change your life.

• The Housing Crisis & "Inherited Inequality": A candid look at the structural failures of the property market and why "inheritocracy" is creating a societal divide.

• Historical Resilience: How the Australian market has turned $10,000 into $130,000 over 30 years—despite wars, depressions, and recessions.

• The Future of Work and AI: Why we shouldn't fear the coming changes

Connect with Scott Phillips: Look out for his upcoming book, The One Page Investing Plan, and find him across social media and on The Motley Fool Money podcast.

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Sylvia Jeffreys and financial advisor Ben Nash continue dissecting the latest federal budget, exploring how the proposed property tax and CGT changes will affect young Australians. And if they become law, what are some other investment opportunities for younger Aussies to mull over?

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What happens when you take the "blinkered" focus of an elite swimmer and apply it to the high-stakes world of stockbroking, fintech and entrepreneurship?

The success of Luke Trickett, ex-competitive swimmer and founder of Marmalade and Blue Stamp Company, is the answer.

Luke reveals why "satisfaction" is a foreign concept to him, the reality of transitioning from the pool to stockbroking during the GFC, what watching his world-champion wife Libby's own transition out of the pool taught him, and what it’s really like to build a business with 100% conviction while raising five children. 

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Are we sleepwalking into a national food crisis?

A war in the Middle East, a global shipping bottleneck, blown-up fuel and LNG plants are contributing to a global fuel crisis. But beyond fuel, it's the effect on fertiliser supply that might shock Australians if the crisis isn't solved sometime soon.

Farmer and social media star Charlie Blomfield joins Sylvia to talk about the massive geopolitical forces shifting the goalposts out in the bush. Plus, why the government’s latest headline-grabbing supply deals are just a "drop in the ocean".

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On December 14 2025, an evening of Hanukkah celebration in Dover Heights rapidly became something very different for NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane. In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Kellie recounts the moments she jumped into a Hatzolah ambulance to race toward the danger of Bondi beach, arriving at the scene as the final shots were being fired.

Kellie provides a visceral, first-hand account of acting as an impromptu first responder - and importantly how this experience, occurring less than three weeks into her tenure as Opposition Leader, has left her a "changed person" with a newfound "clarity of purpose".  

Beyond the trauma of Bondi, she explores the journey that brought her to that moment: from a regional "country girl" to a high-stakes journalist and CEO, and finally, her transition into the political arena.

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With a generational overhaul of property taxes, family trusts, and negative gearing, the government has finally picked a side in the housing war. 

Sylvia, Amy Remeikis, and Joel Gibson dig into who wins and who loses, why your rentvesting strategy just hit a wall, and if the broken promise of this budget will actually be forgiven at the ballot box.

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Next week, the federal budget drops. For most of us, it’s a flurry of headlines and jargon that feels a world away from our daily bank balance. But behind the billion-dollar figures are the decisions that dictate your rent, your grocery bills, and your job security.

And luckily, to help us 'get it', there's Nine Finance Editor Chris Kohler.

In this episode, Chris breaks down what might be the budgets biggest tickets - including capital gains tax, negative gearing, housing affordability, grandfathering, gas exports, unemployment and more.

He also discusses some of the tools he's heard have been most helpful to people from his book 'How They Get You', including giving delivery apps a second thought and scheduling a 'hell day', and why he decided to start a podcast of his own: 'How We Got Here'

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