In the final Wealth, Wine & Wisdom episode of 2025, Andy and Jason debrief the year's most outrageous financial events, starting with the ATO's latest move to aggressively redefine income splitting for family trusts and the bombshell news that Australian governments have collected a record trillion dollars in taxes.

They dive into the property market's two conflicting stories: record-breaking sales in Brisbane and the return of luxury real estate versus APRA's new, controversial Debt-to-Income (DTI) limits aimed at restricting investor lending. They also expose the ongoing "Build-to-Rent" scandal, where billions in Australian real estate have been sold to foreign corporations, and the hosts lay out a powerful new investment thesis for 2026: strategically acquiring "picks and shovels" real estate that will be necessary for the coming AI infrastructure revolution.

Episode Highlights

Fenton and Whitten are together in person for a special edition of Wine and Wisdom, debriefing the week and navigating the political uncertainty and clickbait journalism surrounding wealth creation.

They dive deep into the booming Australian residential real estate market, tearing down the "mortgage stress" narrative and debating the potential for a property price crash by looking at the lessons from Japan. The hosts also rant on government overreach, including the ATO's latest attempt to police holiday home tax deductions , and the lunacy of policies that punish Australians for simply creating wealth. Finally, they look at the simple, disciplined strategy for maximizing your Superannuation and discuss the future of work in the age of AI.

Andy Fenton is joined by property expert Sammy Saggers (The Australian Property Game) to dissect the biggest issues in finance and real estate this week.

They tackle the media's "affordability" clickbait, debating whether Australia's youth can truly afford property, and expose the massive, unintended consequence of government-backed first-home buyer grants, which have caused property prices to spike almost immediately. In a stunning exposé, they reveal a multi-billion dollar banking failure that affects homeowners across Australia. Finally, Sam breaks down the state government's new, unprecedented policies to boost housing supply through rezoning for duplexes and granny flats, and why this represents a huge, though risky, opportunity for property investors and developers.

It's Halloween on Wealth Wine and Wisdom, and after a quick shout-out to the wine and an important scam alert from Fenton, the hosts dive into the week's critical economic topics.

Jason delivers the property stats, noting nationwide low vacancy rates (under 1% in Sydney and Brisbane) and persistently rising asking prices, signaling no immediate slowdown for the market.

Fenton drills into the recent spike in Australian CPI (inflation) data, challenging the clickbait journalism that warns of rate hikes. He connects the inflation increase—driven by electricity, petrol, and housing costs—directly to government interference and subsidies (e.g., net zero policies, first-home buyer grants), arguing that market fundamentals still point to potential interest rate cuts.

The episode wraps up by celebrating some "Good News" stories: big construction builders are back in the black, Melbourne University is ranked top in Australia, and Victoria has achieved positive interstate migration for the first time in 20 years.

However, the mood shifts as the duo discusses the future of Australia's massive $3.7 Trillion Superannuation fund and recent changes in its definition, cautioning investors to pay close attention to the government's next moves. Plus, a look at the energy-hungry rise of data centers as a hot new commercial real estate market.

Welcome to Wealth Wine and Wisdom, where hosts Fenton and Jason (The Offsider) debrief the week's financial and economic chaos over a glass of wine. This week, the conversation is heated as the duo tackles the spike in Australian insolvencies, noting record highs in the construction and food/accommodation sectors, and the pressure created by rising minimum wages.

In the property market, they analyze the slow pace of new home completions and the New South Wales government's billion-dollar plan to underwrite pre-sales in multi-density dwellings, discussing whether this controversial move can genuinely unlock supply.

The debrief finishes with a look at the stock market. Fenton walks through the dramatic evolution of the S&P 500's top companies from 1990 to today, showcasing the rise of tech giants like Apple and Nvidia. He shares the crushing returns of the FANG index (44.8% annually over the last three years) and makes the case for investing in the "picks and shovels" that support the AI and crypto revolutions, including a look at the Crypto Innovators index.

Tune in for clarity, a compass for the week, and to join the conversation!

Join Jason & Andy as they debrief the week that was. Wine, banter, and education all rolled into an hour of where the pro's dig deep, don't miss it! S2 E11

Join Jason & Andy as they debrief the week that was. Wine, banter, and education all rolled into an hour of where the pro's dig deep, don't miss it! S2 E10

Join Jason & Andy as they debrief the week that was. Wine, banter, and education all rolled into an hour where the pro's dig deep, don't miss it! S2 E9

Join Jason & Andy as they debrief the week that was. Wine, banter, and education all rolled into an hour of where the pro's dig deep, don't miss it! S2 E8

Join Jason & Andy as they debrief the week that was. Wine, banter, and education all rolled into an hour of where the pro's dig deep, don't miss it! S2 E7