Australian Investors Podcast

In this episode of the Australian Investors Podcast, Owen Rask speaks with Jon Stahl from Salesforce about how AI agents are moving beyond answering questions and starting to complete real work inside businesses.

Jon explains the difference between a chatbot and an agent, including how agents can reason through multistep tasks, call tools and APIs, update business systems and retain useful context. He shares where the technology is already creating value across customer service, software development, research, order management and commerce.

The conversation also tackles the controls businesses need before giving an AI agent meaningful autonomy. Jon compares an agent to the “world’s smartest but least experienced intern” and explains why permissions, clear identities, audit logs, hard-coded guardrails and human escalation remain essential.

Owen and Jon then explore what must happen before agents can safely buy products or make payments on our behalf. That includes verified authority, spending limits, tokenised payment credentials, merchant recognition and common standards across the payments ecosystem — challenges that cannot be solved by a smarter language model alone.

Finally, Jon separates the hype from the practical opportunity. Fully autonomous shopping is still largely experimental, while brand, trust and storefronts remain important. He also explains why trusted business data can dramatically improve an agent’s usefulness, and how businesses may soon use agents to resolve delayed orders, enrich product catalogues, support sales teams and help employees build their own tools.

Episode resources

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Join Pearler using the code "RASKSWITCH" and get $32 of Pearler Credit

– Whatever comes next for your business, power it with Stripe

Rask resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

Disclaimer

This podcast episode was sponsored by Stripe.

The information in this episode is provided by The Rask Group Pty Ltd and contains general financial product advice only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting, consider whether the information is appropriate for you and consider seeking personal advice from a licensed financial adviser. You can read our Financial Services Guide at www.rask.com.au/fsg. If a financial product is mentioned, consider the relevant PDS and TMD, where applicable, before making any financial decision.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns are not guaranteed and capital may be at risk.

The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1280930 of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd, AFSL 563 907.
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In this Australian Investors Podcast episode, Owen Rask explores why the business stack of the future may be changing investing faster than most markets really appreciate today.

Starting with Stripe’s 2025 annual letter, Owen breaks down four business clocks now speeding up at once: how fast companies can build, distribute, monetise and scale. He explains why APIs, cloud software, AI tools and global payments infrastructure are compressing the path from idea to paying customer.

This is not just an AI hype story. Owen looks at what faster growth means for investors, including why power-law winners may pull away harder, why weaker competitors can still launch more easily, and why speed is not the same thing as durability. Using Stripe, Anthropic and WiseTech, he shows how stronger products can create reinforcing flywheels of usage, revenue, talent and trust.

He finishes with a practical framework for analysing fast-growing businesses: what has actually become faster, what reinforces the lead, whether the economics improve with scale, whether the infrastructure itself is an advantage, and what headline number you are really looking at. If you want a clearer lens on AI, software infrastructure and modern business economics, this episode is a smart place to start.

Episode resources

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Join Pearler using the code "RASKSWITCH" and get $32 of Pearler Credit

– Whatever comes next for your business, power it with Stripe

Rask resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

Disclaimer

This podcast episode was sponsored by Stripe.

The information in this episode is provided by The Rask Group Pty Ltd and contains general financial product advice only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting, consider whether the information is appropriate for you and consider seeking personal advice from a licensed financial adviser. You can read our Financial Services Guide at www.rask.com.au/fsg. If a financial product is mentioned, consider the relevant PDS and TMD, where applicable, before making any financial decision.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns are not guaranteed and capital may be at risk.

The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1280930 of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd, AFSL 563 907.
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The Australian Investors Podcast host Owen Raszkiewicz and financial planner James Phelan (Co-Head of Advice at Rask Advice) discuss the major structural debate: Family Trusts vs. Holding Companies.

Click here to get advice.

They break down the latest discretionary trust tax changes proposed by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, explaining how the exposure draft legislation affects bucket companies and why trusts might not escape a stamp duty hit.

They also share their thoughts on OpenAI's Astra, evaluate whether government bonds are finally attractive again after the recent sell-off, and answer several listener questions.

Key Topics Covered:

- News of the Week: Jim Chalmers' proposed discretionary trust tax changes and exposure draft.

- OpenAI Astra: Owen's take on OpenAI's Astra and its potential impact on the stock market.

- Trusts 101: How family trusts work, legal vs. beneficial ownership, distributions vs. dividends, and costs.

- Companies 101: Cash flow, franking credits, director vs. trustee roles, and why some companies are taxed at 25% or 30%.

- Property & Bucket Companies: Are companies really a better structure for holding property, and how are bucket companies used?

- First Home Super Saver (FHSS): The benefits of the FHSS scheme inside super vs. holding your deposit in a cash savings account.

- Bonds & Fixed Interest: Are AAA-rated government bonds finally a long-term hold, or is the long end of the market still dangerous?

- AI Bubble & US Debt: How to protect your portfolio from high US debt levels and market concentration in tech.

- Maximising Returns & Diversification: Does a diversified portfolio eventually just trend toward a blended historical average, and how do you maximise returns in an SMSF?

- Super Allocations: Whether to invest outside your default super in thematic ETFs, small caps, and emerging markets, or stick to a core strategy.

Episode resources

– Treasury Exposure Draft on Discretionary Trusts

– AFR: Trusts might not escape stamp duty hit

– AFR: Chalmers' trust changes preserve the bucket company

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Join Pearler using the code "RASKSWITCH" and get $32 of Pearler Credit

– Whatever comes next for your business, power it with Stripe

Rask resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

Disclaimer

The information in this episode is provided by The Rask Group Pty Ltd and contains general financial product advice only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting, consider whether the information is appropriate for you and consider seeking personal advice from a licensed financial adviser. You can read our Financial Services Guide at www.rask.com.au/fsg. If a financial product is mentioned, consider the relevant PDS and TMD, where applicable, before making any financial decision.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns are not guaranteed and capital may be at risk.

The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1280930 of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd, AFSL 563 907.
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In this Australian Investors Podcast episode, Owen Rask sits down with Jess Leung from Global X for episode four of the portfolio construction series, this time focusing on the advanced mechanics that shape how a portfolio actually behaves through time.

Jess explains why professional portfolio management is really about managing risk, not chasing returns, and unpacks the key ideas many investors hear but rarely understand clearly: volatility, drawdowns, correlation, Sharpe ratios and the trade-offs that sit behind them. Rather than turning it into a maths lesson, she gives investors a practical framework for thinking about how a portfolio behaves when markets move.

The conversation also explores factor investing, including value, quality, momentum, low volatility and yield, and why these tilts can behave very differently across market cycles. Jess explains why factors are cyclical, why diversification is not just about owning more ETFs, and how two investments that sound different can still move together when markets come under stress.

They finish by talking through rebalancing, correlation, portfolio drift and a real-world example of how satellite ETF additions changed the risk and return profile of a core portfolio. If you want to move beyond beginner ETF ideas and start thinking more like a portfolio builder, this episode is a strong next step.

Episode resources

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Join Pearler using the code "RASKSWITCH" and get $32 of Pearler Credit

– Whatever comes next for your business, power it with Stripe

Rask resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

Disclaimer

The information in this episode is provided by The Rask Group Pty Ltd and contains general financial product advice only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting, consider whether the information is appropriate for you and consider seeking personal advice from a licensed financial adviser. You can read our Financial Services Guide at www.rask.com.au/fsg. If a financial product is mentioned, consider the relevant PDS and TMD, where applicable, before making any financial decision.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns are not guaranteed and capital may be at risk.

The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1280930 of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd, AFSL 563 907.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Australian Investors Podcast episode, Owen Rask puts Drew Meredith on the spot with a rapid-fire challenge: name the retirement mistakes Australians keep making before they quietly cost serious money. What follows is a practical checklist covering longevity risk, inflation, poor diversification, not reviewing super often enough, taking the wrong level of risk, carrying debt for too long, missing pension opportunities, overthinking aged care and even helping adult kids more than your plan can afford.

From there, the conversation widens into the market issues shaping retirement portfolios right now. Owen and Drew unpack what higher bond yields actually mean for income-seeking investors, why bonds can suddenly look more attractive relative to shares, and how falling property prices might create both hesitation and opportunity. They also touch on private credit, the role of realistic budgeting, and the danger of assuming your retirement spending will follow a straight line.

The final stretch takes on the broader investing backdrop, including Apple, AI capex and the latest bubble debate, but the heart of this episode is still simple: avoid the big retirement errors before they become expensive ones. If you want clearer thinking on retirement income, portfolio construction and the trade-offs investors face when rates stay higher for longer, this episode is well worth your time.

Episode resources

– Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Episode resources

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Join Pearler using the code "RASKSWITCH" and get $32 of Pearler Credit

– Whatever comes next for your business, power it with Stripe

Rask resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

Disclaimer

The information in this episode is provided by The Rask Group Pty Ltd and contains general financial product advice only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting, consider whether the information is appropriate for you and consider seeking personal advice from a licensed financial adviser. You can read our Financial Services Guide at www.rask.com.au/fsg. If a financial product is mentioned, consider the relevant PDS and TMD, where applicable, before making any financial decision.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns are not guaranteed and capital may be at risk.

The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1280930 of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd, AFSL 563 907.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices