The Fin

This week, deputy economics editor Michael Read and wealth reporter Andrew Hobbs on the latest round of the super wars, whether you should be able to access your superannuation early and what is the magic number for a comfortable retirement.
Further reading:Hanson poses the super question Australia stopped askingHow much super is too much and, in the trade-off between living standards today and in retirement, do we really need to put 12 per cent away?Support grows to tap superannuation for wages, housingAbout 62 per cent of voters support using super to boost take-home pay, as some in the Coalition consider a policy allowing people to pay their mortgage out of super.Gazumped again? Hanson announces previous Coalition super policyOne Nation’s plan to let workers access 3 percentage points of their super is the same policy the Coalition planned to announce under Sussan Ley.
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This week, markets reporter Alex Gluyas on what the AI threat debate means for tech stocks, why Cathie Wood is predicting a golden era and whether the bond market might spoil the party.
This podcast is sponsored by Ripple
Further reading:Cathie Wood declares ‘golden age’ for equities after bumpy rideThe high-profile investor is betting equity markets are at the start of a decade-long bull market driven by artificial intelligence. And she’s an Elon Musk fan.Investors see their own threats in push to slow AI developmentOne fund manager said tighter restrictions would be a commercial advantage to Anthropic and OpenAI, and hurt newer start-ups and microchip manufacturers.The market’s biggest fear is no longer the AI bubble. It’s thisInvestors are worried about a disorderly meltdown in bonds. Australia – now almost halfway to a correction – provides a window into how it could unfold.
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Senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro and associate editor Primrose Riordan on how Bathla built its property empire, why it all fell apart and why its effects will be felt well beyond western Sydney.
This podcast is sponsored by Elston.
Further reading:Living in ‘half a house’: How Bathla turned cheap housing into a nightmareThe downfall of the developer has left families stranded in half-built homes and sent shockwaves through the private credit market.This developer could be private credit's ticking time bombBathla Group, a property developer has almost $3.2 billion in debt, it will be private credit investors who could lose out.Bathla’s collapse has property insiders panicking like it’s 2007Australia’s ever-rising property market has masked all manner of sins, particularly in private credit, which has been shown up for its lack of discipline.
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This week, editor-in-chief James Chessell and Victorian political correspondent Sumeyya Ilanbey on the project that has come to sum up Victoria’s problems, whether it is too big to cancel and how it will play into November’s state election.
This podcast is sponsored by Elston.
Further reading:The secret tax that says everything about Victorian LaborThe revelation that Labor secretly introduced a tax on public transport users is the latest chapter in a saga in which political momentum has trumped fiscal responsibility. (edited)
Vic Labor’s secret tax exposes fiscal transparency voidThe opposition and leading economists say a charter of budget honesty is needed after the Victorian government introduced a new tax without telling the public. (edited)
Carroll’s budget scalpel misses the $34b elephant in the roomPremier Ben Carroll is looking to scrape off as many costly, wasteful barnacles he can find before the November 28 state election
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Associate editor Primrose Riordan and courts correspondent Max Mason on why Jon Adgemis is struggling to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret and what his story tells us about the private credit market.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac.
Further reading:Jon Adgemis thought he was winning. Then his CFO took the standThe failed pub baron has been trying to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret. But a chatty former accountant is making that difficult.Adgemis’ right-hand man alleges tax con funded ‘exorbitant lifestyle’The business affairs of the former KPMG deal maker-turned-bankrupt are being scrutinised, with allegations of “sham arrangements” to pay for his spending.From playboy pub baron to bankruptcy: Inside Jon Adgemis’ $1.8b fallFrom KPMG consultant to “glamour banker” with the “Midas touch” to junk-debt-laden bankrupt. It’s been a wild ride for Jon Adgemis and Public Hospitality Group.
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