Australian Retirement Podcast

In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, your hosts Drew Meredith, from Wattle Partners, and James O’Reilly, from Northeast Wealth, bust the myth that financial advice fees are fully tax-deductible after the 2024 changes, walk through a real client case where an insurance refund accidentally triggered the bring-forward non-concessional cap, and run the numbers on what a daily coffee, a weekly pub meal, and three streaming services really cost a retiree over 25 years. They also explain what professional indemnity insurance actually covers (and what it does not), and answer two listener questions: the best month of the year to retire, and whether a still-working 60-year-old with $2 million should set up an allocated pension now.

Topics covered today

– The myth that all financial advice fees are tax-deductible — what actually changed in 2024 and why accountants are tightening up

– A real case study: an insurance premium refund accidentally treated as a non-concessional contribution and the bring-forward trap it triggered

– Why the latest age pension increase was completely wiped out by higher deeming rates, petrol, and grocery prices

– The $432,000 cost of a daily coffee, weekly pub meal, and three streaming services over 25 years — and why we still say spend it anyway

– Professional indemnity insurance: what it actually covers, what it doesn’t, and why “bad returns” aren’t a claim

– Mad About Money’s question: what is the best time of year to retire? (Hint: August)

– Super Sandwich’s question: 60 years old, $2 million in super, still working five more years — should you start an allocated pension now?

– The over-60 super recycling strategy: meeting a condition of release, drawing the minimum, and re-contributing to save up to $14,000 a year in tax

If you like this Australian Retirement Podcast episode on tax, coffee, and the over-60 super loophole, you’ll love the series. Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly shows on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources for this episode

– Wattle Partners

– Northeast Wealth

– ATO — deductibility of financial advice fees (TD 2024/7)

– Services Australia — deeming rates

– ASIC Moneysmart — conditions of release

– Drew’s book — request a free copy via the show

– Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast)

Show partner resources

– Visit TermPlus to learn more

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

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 contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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This episode was originally featured on the Australian Investors Podcast.

In this episode, Owen Rask sits down with Senator Andrew Bragg for a wide-ranging conversation about the Federal Budget, housing supply, tax, productivity and why so many Australians feel the country has become harder to get ahead in. Rather than getting stuck in party talking points, they focus on the practical questions investors, business owners and workers are asking right now: what happens when policy makes it harder to build homes, why does productivity matter so much for living standards, and how do taxes, regulation and incentives shape whether Australia creates more wealth or simply fights over what already exists?

Andrew explains why he believes cutting housing supply is one of the worst policy choices Australia can make, how rising rents, higher rates and broader cost-of-living pressure are changing the national mood, and why small business, private investment and simpler rules still matter if Australia wants to stay competitive. The conversation also touches on super, the role of large institutions, and why clearer economic thinking matters more when confidence is low.

Owen pushes on the bigger picture too: whether Australia has lost ambition, why the policy debate feels less honest than it should, and what needs to change if Australians want better opportunities over the next decade. If you want a plain-English discussion about housing, tax, productivity, competitiveness and the long-run direction of Australia, this is a timely episode to queue next.

Episode resources

– Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast)

Show partner resources

– Visit TermPlus to learn more

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

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 contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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Drew Meredith and James O’Reilly on why AI-built retirement modelling routinely gets the numbers dangerously wrong, plus the end-of-financial-year traps and condition-of-release tricks every Australian retiree should know before June 30.

In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, your hosts Drew Meredith, from Wattle Partners, and James O’Reilly, from Northeast Wealth, work through five high-stakes mistakes they keep seeing in DIY retirement plans — from AI tools that forget income tax and the age pension, to notice-of-intent timing errors that quietly delete tax deductions worth tens of thousands. They also unpack a clever (and entirely legal) condition-of-release strategy involving the Census, plus how to think about gifting an adult child a house deposit without blowing up your own retirement.

Topics covered

- Why AI-built and industry-fund retirement calculators keep missing income tax and the age pension

- Treating AI like a sharp intern — useful, but you still have to check the work

- End-of-financial-year planning: why “June” is too late and what to be doing in March and April

- Notice of intent to claim — the timing trap that quietly deletes tax deductions

- Excess concessional contributions: how the ATO’s flexibility has changed the game

- Property settlements vs exchange-of-contracts — why the date you assume isn’t the tax date

- The Census condition-of-release trick: unlocking tax-free super after 60

- Cash-out and re-contribution — saving adult-child beneficiaries tens of thousands in tax

- How secure are annuities really? APRA, statutory funds, and what the government guarantee does (and doesn’t) cover

- Gifting an adult child a $150k house deposit — gifting limits, the 5-year deeming rule, and why a guarantor arrangement is often the better move

Resources for this episode

- Wattle Partners

- Northeast Wealth

- ATO myGov — check your concessional cap and carry-forward space

- ATO — Notice of intent to claim a deduction for personal super contributions

- Services Australia — Gifting and the age pension

- Challenger — Australia’s biggest annuity provider (mentioned in the annuities discussion)

– Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast)

Show partner resources

– Visit TermPlus to learn more

– Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

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 contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, Drew Meredith and James O'Reilly tackle one of the trickiest questions for Australians heading into retirement: if you still have a large home loan in your 50s, should every spare dollar go into the mortgage, or could super actually be the better lever?

Using a real-world case study, they unpack why maximising personal deductible super contributions can sometimes leave retirees in a stronger position than aggressively paying down the loan, particularly when catch-up concessional caps and tax deductions come into play. They also explain the risks: super is locked away, markets are never linear, and the right move depends on cash flow, time horizon and confidence in the plan.

The episode also explores a new push to make pensions easier to start, including the idea of defaulting older Australians into pension products later in life. Drew and James dig into where that could help, where it could go too far, and why personal choice still matters.

Plus, there’s a practical conversation on how retirees can use AI in everyday life — from planning trips and social activities to making day-to-day admin easier.

If you’re weighing up mortgage versus super, thinking about pension timing, or just want to retire with more clarity, this is a sharp and practical listen.

Episode resources

Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast)

Show partner resources

Visit TermPlus to learn more

Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

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 contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, your hosts Drew Meredith from Wattle Partners and James O'Reilly from Northeast Wealth open with footy chaos and ageing parents challenges, then dive into what's really happening in property markets using the fresh Cotality April 2026 report.

The Boomer Briefing exposes the super rollover waiting period double hit: outgoing funds must now provide risk warnings before you can switch - designed to make you think twice. But here's the absurd catch: those same funds cannot pay for independent advice about whether switching is right for you. The rules are so restrictive (SOA requirements, payment limits) that advisers won't touch it. So you get the warning... but no help navigating it.

Then Drew and James unpack the growing issues in property values. The Cotality April 2026 report reveals what retirees planning to downsize or leverage equity need to know right now - pages 5 and 7 tell the real story behind the headlines.

Plus: Are SMSFs actually good for retiree couples, or are most people simply not up to full control? Drew doesn't hold back.

If you like this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, don't forget to subscribe for weekly shows on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Topics covered today:

Super rollover waiting period - the double hit for fund switchers

Why outgoing funds can't pay for switching advice (and what that means)

$250M AustralianSuper exodus - members switching blind

Property values reality check - Cotality April 2026 report deep dive

Are SMSFs good for retiree couples? Most aren't up to it

Resources for this episode

Cotality Housing Chart Pack April 2026

Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast)

Show partner resources

Visit TermPlus to learn more

Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

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 contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices