This special episode is a replay of a YouTube presentation which is a calm, numbers-led walkthrough of the 2026 Federal Budget - recorded roughly 40 hours after budget night - focused on the three proposals most likely to affect investors: negative gearing, capital gains tax, and family trusts. The deliberate frame throughout is that nothing is law yet, the political debate is far from settled, and listeners should resist making 20-year decisions on 40-hour-old announcements.

On negative gearing, you and Mena explain that existing properties are grandfathered, with a transitionary window to 1 July 2027 and carve-outs for new builds, commercial property and shares. The modelling is sobering: combining the proposed loss of negative gearing with the higher CGT cuts the after-tax internal rate of return on a typical investment-grade property from around 11% to 8.4% - a 24% drop - raising the question of whether direct residential property still compensates for its risks compared with superannuation.

On CGT, a minimum 30% rate (or an indexation method) applies across all asset classes from 1 July 2027, with cost-base resets, pre-1985 assets and the maths of indexation versus the old 50% discount worked through in detail.

On family trusts, the proposed flat 30% rate on distributions, combined with the loss of franking credit flow-through via corporate beneficiaries, could push effective tax on retained business earnings as high as 60% - the change you both flag as most likely to be wound back.

Other angles include why new house-and-land packages remain a poor investment despite their tax appeal, the likely (modest) aggregate impact on prices and rents, the 15–20% hit to borrowing capacity, bank credit-policy uncertainty, and why the family home and super become even more central wealth vehicles.

My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at questions@investopoly.com.au.

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

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IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

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The 2026-27 Federal Budget included some of the most significant proposed tax changes we have seen in many years.

In this episode, I unpack the key announcements affecting investors, property owners, business owners, and families, including proposed changes to capital gains tax, negative gearing, and the taxation of discretionary trusts. I also cover the permanent extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off, proposed personal tax changes, the return of company loss carry-back rules, start-up loss refundability, and the wind-back of the electric vehicle FBT exemption.

The biggest proposed changes are substantial. The Government has announced a new capital gains tax framework, changes that would limit negative gearing on established residential property, and a 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts. If legislated in their current form, these measures could materially affect long-term investment decisions, business structures, and family wealth strategies.

But the most important point is this: none of the major reforms has been legislated yet.

Tax announcements often change before they become law, and some never become law at all. So, whilst these proposals deserve close attention, they should not trigger rushed decisions. The prudent approach is to understand the potential implications, monitor the legislation closely, and only act once the final rules are known.

Good financial decisions are rarely made in panic. The aim is to remain calm, informed and strategic.

My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at questions@investopoly.com.au.

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

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This episode brings together four listener questions that each wrestle with some of the most practical and consequential decisions in personal finance: how hard to push for a first home, where to deploy idle equity, when an SMSF makes sense, and how to identify genuinely investment-grade property in a market where houses are out of reach.

A couple in their early thirties transitioning out of academia, with $500k in ETFs and a clear desire to buy a home in Brisbane before starting a family. The question is how much to stretch and whether selling down shares to secure a larger land component in a blue-chip suburb is worth the reduction in leverage and long-term return.

The second involves a high-income investor in the top tax bracket with $250k of usable equity sitting idle in an investment property. With blue-chip Brisbane houses beyond comfortable reach and a preference for liquidity and flexibility, he questions whether a leveraged ETF path is a rational default over further property exposure.

The third question examines whether an SMSF makes sense for a couple with $420k in combined super who plan to invest exclusively in ETFs, weighing the tax drag, administrative burden, and complexity against the simplicity of a choice investment option.

The final scenario tackles how to evaluate land value in investment-grade apartments, using a specific Melbourne listing as a practical case study for a couple priced out of houses but committed to a smart first purchase.

My new book out in mid-2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at questions@investopoly.com.au.

If you're interested in working with our team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/family-office-services

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://prosolution.com.au/stay-connected

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.