Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Money Magazine

Here in magazine land we live or die (ie hide from our bosses) by a certain set of metrics. The main one is the Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey, a large – about 64,000 person – survey that asks Australians about their magazine-reading habits. It is a way to measure the average number of people who read or look into a particular magazine over a year. And this year Money magazine got the best kind of news. We came third in the Business, Finance and Travel magazine category to which we belong. That alone is an achievement. But more importantly, we have grown our readership by 12.4% over the year to 202,000 readers – of which you, my friend, are one. This means you are part of a growing…

For anyone who's ever been in therapy there comes a time when their therapist encourages the examination of present behaviours in light of the insight gained from re-examining past behaviours. The reason for this is that many of our learned behaviours, which might have been useful or even life-saving given the circumstances that led to them being internalised in the first place, are no longer useful and, in fact, could be dangerous to our health, happiness and wealth. Which leads us to the question of the month. Are our investment behaviours damaging our investment outcomes? How do we go about answering the question? In this instance we are focused on Australian equities. That keeps it simple and provides for a measurable outcome. For many investors, the core of their Australian…

If you plan to lodge your tax return yourself, you need to be aware that the deadline for lodging your return is now just a few weeks away. The latest date for self-lodgers to get their tax returns in to the ATO is October 31, 2025. If you lodge after that date, you run the risk of incurring a late-lodgement penalty. Taxpayers who use a tax agent can usually lodge well beyond that deadline without penalty. The ATO gives tax agents concessional extended deadlines, which mean they can lodge returns on behalf of clients up to May 15, 2026 without incurring any penalty. If you are entitled (or believe you are entitled) to claim deductions, either for your business or as part of your job, it makes sense to get…

Australian households are feeling the pinch at the checkout, with grocery bills climbing at the fastest rate in half a decade. Canstar Blue's 2025 supermarket survey shows that the average weekly spend for a family of four has jumped 11% in the past year to $240 – the biggest annual increase in five years. That adds up to $12,480 a year, almost $3000 more than the same household spent in 2021. To cope, more than 80% of shoppers have changed their habits, often using multiple tactics to keep costs down. The most common are checking unit pricing more closely (44%), buying in bulk where possible (36%), and snapping up items close to expiry at a discount (35%). Canstar spokesperson Eden Radford says choosing to buy supermarket-owned brand products can also…

MORE INVESTING STORIES ON P66-77 Super members in a bind Who would your superannuation go to if you passed away? It's a question advocacy group Super Consumers Australia is urging super holders to ask themselves, following new research that found a significant number of Australians don't have a plan in place. In a survey conducted by Super Consumers, more than a third of respondents with super (36%) – which would translate to 6.5 million people – indicated that they hadn't lodged a death benefit nomination with their fund. In essence, this instructs the super fund as to the person you want to inherit the super. Perhaps more importantly though, the advocacy group found that only a quarter (24%) of super holders had made a binding death benefit nomination. As Xavier…

PWR had warned of a poor year, and the numbers were dutifully disappointing. Revenue, EBITDA and net profit all fell, with earnings per share 60% lower than last year. As well as business growth costs, the resurrection of tariffs is hurting, as is a cyclical funk in the automotive segment, where PWR sells cooling systems to limited-run hypercars and aftermarket products. The result met expectations but management believes margins would take three to five years to recover. Yet revenues are building and the Aerospace and Defence segment will deliver its first US government contract next year. It is now an approved supplier to 46 firms. PWR is a dominant business with world-leading technology that is hard to compete with. Motorsport products are developed while being embedded with customers and that…

Buying a home is stressful enough without scammers waiting to pounce, but almost every Australian property buyer could be at risk, according to a new report. New research from digital property exchange PEXA showed 97% of recent or prospective buyers failed to spot settlement scam warning signs in test emails, despite most believing they could. Settlement scams are among the most financially devastating forms of cybercrime, says PEXA's chief information security officer Graham Fairley. Unlike fraudulent credit card transactions, once money is diverted to a scammer's account, recovery is rare. “Property transactions involve large sums, tight timeframes and routine reliance on email – the exact conditions cybercriminals exploit,” says Fairley. “Criminals don't need to compromise systems, just trust.” Emails may include a subtle change in a sender's address, urgent requests…

Money is never just numbers on a spreadsheet. It is memories, security, freedom and, sometimes, anxiety. The hardest part of financial planning is not knowing what to do. The key is sticking to it – consistently – when your emotions, habits and environment try to pull you in the opposite direction. Why our brains struggle with balance Behavioural finance [how psychological influences and biases affect the financial behaviours of investors] shows that our decisions are shaped less by cold logic and more by mental short-cuts and emotional triggers. For example: Present bias: today's pleasures feel more valuable than tomorrow's gains. Loss aversion: we fear missing out now more than we value the benefit later. Lifestyle creep: income rises, spending quietly rises too. Herd behaviour: we copy others’ financial moves, even…

• Vanguard is the number one player in the Australian ETF market, with $68.5 billion FUM at March 31, 2025, according to financial research provider Rainmaker, publisher of Money. It's also one of the biggest global ETF and managed fund providers, headquartered in the US. After five decades of housing its mutual funds and ETFs under one umbrella, Vanguard has decided to divide them into two wholly owned management units. According to a statement from Vanguard: “Establishing separate investment management teams will create a number of benefits for our investors and our organisation, including management teams with an even deeper focus, investment teams with greater flexibility, and highly talented crew with more opportunities for growth.” • The second largest player is Betashares, an Australian-founded and managed firm specialising in ETFs.…

HOW REALISTIC IS THAT? Some of the recommendations to come out of the productivity round table in August are simpler and less controversial than others. For example, there was broad agreement on the need for a road usage charge on EVs to ensure governments can continue to fund road infrastructure. There was also broad agreement on the need to address intergenerational inequities in our tax system to ease the burden on younger people. But that brings sacred cows such as negative gearing and superannuation under the spotlight, and these will be more difficult to sell to the electorate – particularly in an environment where ‘new taxes’ is political dynamite. SO WHAT ARE THE PROPOSALS? There were 10 main recommendations, several of them focused on removing complexity and red tape, in…

One side effect of new airspace is that it can put new developments in the way of prized views. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge to an apartment overlooking the Melbourne Cricket Ground, losing a vista can cost more than bragging rights. Jarrod McCabe, director at Wakelin Property Advisory, told Domain the impact could cut between 5%-40% off a property's value. To counter this, Buy Airspace has developed a different approach: selling the right not to build. “What we're saying to developers is: if you're going to make money going up, how about we give you money not to build? Then everyone's happy.” For example, preserving an ocean view in Bondi could fetch $15,000 per year. Livesey credits the idea to Donald Trump, who secured the airspace to protect the views…

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell struck a more dovish tone at the recent Jackson Hole Symposium, suggesting he was more open to pivot policy stance towards further easing. This marks a material change in his tone, which is only likely to provide further support to the current sharemarket rally. It is material for couple of reasons: (1) Powell has long argued that uncertainty around tariffs’ impacts on future inflation meant there was no need to rush into cutting rates; and (2) given US President Donald Trump has been on Powell's case to lower interest rates, cutting interest rates could be perceived as Powell caving to President Trump's demands and so the Fed has lost its independence. Why the change in position? Powell offered several reasons: • On the back…

WHAT THEY MEAN Performance after fees: Rainmaker assumes a member has $50,000 in their account. Strategy: Some MySuper products invest super based on age and are known as lifecycle funds (LC). The table includes the LC option for 40-year-old members. Non-lifecycle funds are known as single strategy (S). Rank: Funds are ranked against all MySuper investment options in Australia. Indices and averages: To produce these indices, Rainmaker analyses the results of more than 3300 investment options. The table helps you compare super products. It showcases publicly available MySuper investment options offered by some of Australia's biggest funds. Rainmaker Information categorises them into risk options based on percentage of growth assets in their portfolio. The high-growth risk option has more than 85% in growth assets (growth has between 75% and 85%),…

Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) 1800 812 798 (outside Sydney) 9264 9300 (Sydney) superannuation.asn.au Australian Communications and Media Authority 1300 850 115 acma.gov.au Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 1300 302 502 accc.gov.au Australian Energy Regulator aer.gov.au/consumers/making-a-complaint Australian Financial Complaints Authority 1800 931 678 afca.org.au Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) 1300 300 630 asic.gov.au Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) 131 279 asx.com.au CPA Australia 1300 737 373 (within Australia) +61 3 9606 9677 (outside Australia) cpaaustralia.com.au Do Not Call Register To reduce telemarketing calls 1300 792 958 donotcall.gov.au/contact-us/contact-details Fair Trading/ Consumer Affairs ACT: 132 281 NSW: 133 220 NT: 1800 019 319 QLD: 137 468 SA: 131 882 TAS: 1300 654 499 VIC: 1300 558 181 WA: 1300 304 054 Financial Counselling Australia National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Thursday, October 2 Balance of trade Wednesday, October 8 NAB business confidence Thursday, October 9 Westpac consumer confidence Tuesday, October 14 RBA meeting minutes Thursday, October 16 Unemployment rate The future of e-commerce is here It all started with a Sting CD. In August 1994, a man by the name of Dan Kohn sold a copy of Sting's fourth studio album, Ten Summoner's Tales, to a friend for US$12.48 ($19.11), postage included. This was no normal exchange between two mates. It's considered to be one of – if the not the very first – secure retail transaction ever made over the internet. It was the start of e-commerce. In the decades since, e-commerce has had its fair share of game-changing developments. In the late 1990s, secure payments…

BOOK OF THE MONTH TOGETHER WE CAN by Peter Baines (Major Street, RRP $32.99) The inspiring story of Peter Baines who on December 1, 2024, at the age of 58, set off from the north of Thailand to run 1400km over 26 days. His goal? To raise $1 million. Once a forensic investigator with the NSW Police, he was deployed to Thailand after the Boxing Day tsunami where he met 32 children orphaned by the tsunami. Baines started a charity with the objective of building a home for these children. This home marked the finish line of his run, exactly 20 years to the day of the tsunami. In that 20-year period, the charity has raised more than $40 million. Read more on page 86. Five readers can win a…

An investor with a $10,000 hole burning in their pocket in 1995 would have found themselves between three and six times better off 30 years later had they invested in equities rather than cash. That's one takeaway from an analysis conducted by fund manager Vanguard, which looked into the performance of various assets over the past three decades. Vanguard found that an initial $10,000 investment in US shares in July 1995 would have grown to $214,332 by July 2025 – by far and away the best return. The same investment in Australian shares would have come out at $143,786. By contrast, had that initial $10,000 been put into savings it would have increased to $33,677. Daniel Shrimski, managing director of Vanguard Australia, says that even though the overall returns generated…

QUAFF 2024 St Halletts ‘Faith’ Shiraz $15 I've followed the Barossa's St Hallett brand for ages. However, you could have flattened me with a feather when I saw the price of the current vintage of the ‘Faith’ Shiraz. It's yet another example of the kind of value that Aldi delivers. This is a Barossa favourite with a long pedigree that lives up to expectations. Rich and ripe with silky texture, substantial power and depth – it lingers delightfully. SPLURGE 2023 Holm Oak ‘The Wizard’ Pinot Noir $65 These days the quality of Tassie Pinot is a given. The Tamar Valley's Holm Oak is the vineyard and winery of the Duffy family: Bec (winemaker), Tim (viticulturist) and Pinot Junior (general manager and resident pig). Their website tells the story of the…

Hi Paul, I'm 61, own my home, have no debt, only $264 in super, and have about $100,000 from an inheritance. It's only been a year since I lost my mum who had dementia. I cared for her for 20 years and I'm still grieving; it's a huge adjustment. I was on a carer's payment at the time, but now I'm on JobSeeker and it's a big drop in money. In terms of retirement, I would just like to be happy in my home and to be able to pay bills. My life has slowed down considerably since losing my mum. I have too much stuff, I would like to clear it out. CASE STUDY As for working, I guess I would probably like it more than I think. The…

InvestSmart's Ron Hodge says: “The 10 top performing ETFs speak volumes about three key trends that have shaped investment markets over the past 12 months – the extraordinary rise of digital currencies, the boom in gaming and esports and the flight to gold, which has been driven by volatile markets and an uncertain geopolitical environment.” 1 Digital Bitcoin ETF (BTXX) “This ETF couldn't help but delight investors over the past year, with a one-year return of 95.5% that would have seen investors nearly double their money in 12 months,” says Hodge. But the fund faces some challenges having launched just over a year ago and still to prove itself over the long term. “It's a passive holder of Bitcoin, leaving it highly exposed to downturns in a single cryptocurrency and history…

At some stage, many of us will decide to move to a smaller home. Maybe the family has left home and you need less space, maybe you want to enjoy the windfall gain you expect to make from your current property, you want a house with less maintenance or you just want a change. Often the decision to downsize is driven by a big life transition, like becoming an empty nester or the death of a partner. Retirement is an obvious trigger. Your income drops and lifestyle changes, and maintaining the sizeable family home become ever bigger burdens. Whatever the reason, it's a big move and needs to be carefully planned so you get the best outcome. Making a mistake can be costly – think selling costs, stamp duty and…

It sometimes feels like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been around forever, but in the grand scheme of things, they're still a relatively new innovation – yet they have reshaped how millions of investors build wealth. The original appeal was simple: buy the whole market for a low fee, in doing so getting instant diversification and avoiding the paralysis of choice that can stop beginners from even starting. The idea – first brought to life by Jack Bogle in the 1970s with the index fund and later expanded into ETFs – was revolutionary. While we're now used to them, they remain as powerful as ever. We can use them to get very low-cost exposure to a large basket of companies with a single click, and we can add to them simply…

MATTHEW GIBBS Contributor ETFs are the people's product for building wealth. One trade can offer exposure to indices, industries, asset classes or themes, in Australia or overseas. For me, with funds focused on technology and local and international markets, ETFs put the passion into passive and make ‘set and forget’ an alluring strategy. I let experts do the hard work and worry about other things that matter. Like the topic for my next Money article. Matt's story on franking credits is on page 78. PAM WALKLEY Contributor iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) has been one of my best long-term investments, with an average return of 7.9% a year for 25 years since launch and almost 20% a year for the past three years. After clearing my mortgage, I…

We're still asking which labels count as fast fashion, hoping our favourite isn't on the list. But whether it's the original culprits (Zara, H&M), the sports giants, the new ‘ultras’ or even high-end brands, the distinction is beside the point. The question itself lays bare the problem: we consume clothes at the same rate as groceries. To change that, we need early intervention. To value our clothes – save for them, mend them and gasp at the idea of dumping them – we need to reach what I call pre-consumers: tweens and teens, peer-pressured away from crafts and play, pulled early into image and fashion. At [circular fashion consultancy] Slogue, we talk about fashion as a verb, not a noun. When young people sew, mend and reimagine clothes as projects,…

Need Paul's help? Send your questions to: Ask Paul, Money magazine, Level 7, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 or money@moneymag.com.au. Paul can't personally answer your questions other than in the Q&A column. By submitting your question to Money, you consent to having your question and the response you receive from Paul published in the print and digital edition of Money. Norm has a simple but complex question about home loans. The decision depends on how disciplined you are. Q Hi Paul, I have seen suggestions that an interest-only loan is better than principal and interest on the basis that a home increases in value. Would a good option be to put the difference into super for maximum benefit in the long term? This is a really interesting question, Norm.…

FLIP IT Samsung – Galaxy Z Flip 7 For a time, it looked as though the flip phones of the early 2000s had gone the way of the dodo, but flip phones – like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 from Samsung – are well and truly back. Measuring just 8.5cm by 7.5cm when folded up (and 1.4cm thick) the Flip 7 truly is a smartphone that can fit in your pocket or palm of your hand. Unlike some of the flip phones of old, the Flip 7 has two displays: a 10cm display when folded and a 17cm display when unfolded. In terms of battery life, Samsung claims the Flip 7 can handle up to 31 hours of video playback on a single charge. It comes in a range of…

1 CMC Invest $0 brokerage for ASX trading of less than $1000. ETF screeners allow investors to filter funds to suit their investment strategy. 2 Betashares Direct The auto-invest feature allows investors to set up recurring deposits into their Betashares ETF. $0 brokerage on ASX-listed ETFs. A good option for investors looking to dollar-cost average into the market. 3 Wellbull $0 brokerage offer on Australian and US ETFs. 4 Vanguard Personal Investor $0 brokerage for trading in Vanguard ETFs with a $9 fee for other trades. 5 Tiger Brokers Low fees and a low minimum investment. ETF brokerage fees are $3 per trade on Australian stocks and US$2 on US stocks. Investors can set up a regular deposit into US stocks or ETFs with as low as US$2.…

I have friends who can't face retiring. It isn't because they don't have enough superannuation to live on. They can't seem to get their heads around going from a busy life to an easy life. They worry they will be bored or irrelevant without a job. I understand ‘retirement’ is complex and deeply personal. It is a huge leap into the unknown. Some people fear the end of employer payments. They worry about running out of money because they don't know how long they are going to live, how much they will spend on their health as they age or whether they will need to pay for aged care. Rollercoaster markets and high inflation keeps them checking their superannuation balance constantly. Some delay leaving work because they are worried about…

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. This is why, despite all their financial logic, stuck in the mud, long-term, set-and-forget investors, refuse to consider using stop losses. Let's face it, computers are just too hard, so is stockmarket software, and who wants to be seen as a trader, a manic obsessive with sunken eyes and a pale complexion, McDonald's mayonnaise dripped down the front of their T-shirt, stuck in a darkened room trading online and never seeing the light of day. God forbid. And anyway, if your granddad had used stop losses, he'd have sold those BHP shares back in 1886. Everyone who doesn't want to engage their brain in the stockmarket has a great reason in hindsight, why it'll be alright in the end if you just…

Peter Baines Charity founder. Forensic investigator. Farmer. Helicopter pilot. Keynote speaker. Peter Baines has quite the resume. During more than 22 years with the NSW Police, Peter led teams responding to terrorism and natural disasters, later advising Interpol, the UN and the Saudi Arabian government. In the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami, Peter founded Hands Across the Water, a charity that has raised more than $40 million and transformed the lives of thousands of orphaned Thai children. In 2024, Peter completed a 1400km run across Thailand to mark 20 years since the tsunami. His book, Together We Can, explores this mission through the heat of Southeast Asia, proving that what may look like an individual achievement is always powered by community. Q Tell us about your career in law…