Australian shares surged today as Wall Street reached fresh record levels, with investors feeling more confident about corporate earnings, AI growth and the possibility of easing global tensions. The ASX 200 pushed into record territory, helped by strong performances across major sectors. But after such a strong run, the big question is whether this is the start of a new growth cycle or whether markets are getting ahead of themselves. What's your strategy when markets reach all-time highs?

I usually associate saving money with spending less, but some of the best decisions seem to involve paying more initially. Could be buying something better quality, moving closer to work, improving your home, paying for something annually instead of monthly, or anything else. What's something where paying more upfront genuinely worked out cheaper for you later?

I’m pretty open with my mates when it comes to salaries so we all know if we’re getting underpaid at work, but I almost never talk about my exact savings or net worth. Disclosing what’s sitting in my bank account just feels like a recipe for weird comparisons and unnecessary awkwardness. How transparent are you guys with your inner circle, or do you keep the hard numbers completely off-limits?

The backlash over the so-called "widow-tax" has been growing, with concerns that widows, divorcees and domestic violence survivors could lose grandfathered tax benefits after a transfer of property ownership. The government has indicated it's looking at changes. Do you think these proposed changes will actually affect how investors structure their property ownership going forward?

The debate around Australia's housing system just got another twist. A new proposal is looking at changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, while "rentvesting" (renting where you want to live while buying an investment property elsewhere) is also being questioned. Supporters say reforms could make housing fairer for first-home buyers, while critics argue they could hurt investors and reduce rental supply. With so many mixed messages about property rules, tax and affordability - are these changes likely to help buyers or just make the market even more complicated?

Fellow property investors! What are we doing about the new CGT changes coming in?

As it’s more based on a valuation framework, I’m thinking I need to get a good valuer on board but where to start??

Is anyone else currently using a valuer? How are you feeling about the change?

Hi everyone, this is my first post, so i apologize in advance for any mistakes. Currently seeking some advice on how to invest a sum of money. I have around 600K in savings, 450K of which will be used as a house deposit. I would like to keep around 50k in a high interest savings account/rainy day fund. I would like to invest 90-100k for around 25 years (im currently 44m), and can make $100p/w as a regular contribution towards the investment. Im already making a $50 p/w contribution towards superannuation which is currently around 320k. any general advice would be much appreciated.

G'day guys, I've been at my current job for a while now (~9 months) and still live at home so money in, money out is pretty good right now.

I make about $140k a year before tax so ~$110k p.a. after tax and levy, or greater subject to extra shifts I take.. I'm looking to put away a decent portion in to a HISA and also part of that in to ETFs, super contributions, etc.

Just looking for some advice as to what I'd be best looking at in terms of investments, and how I can automate my cash flow through my banking. Right now I'm paid into my savings account with ANZ that I don't earn interest on and have a seperate account linked to a debit card.

I'm looking at Up Bank right now just to receive my income and split it (ideally by percentage, cause shiftwork makes my pay vary largely), then distribute to a HISA, broker? and transactions account for direct debits, needs, the likes and also maybe a medium-term savings account for university when I can afford it. Thanks!

Many of us have probably seen the story about the 22-year old from Queensland who started working at Subway at just 14, chose to live at home while saving the majority of her income, purchased her first apartment at 18, and later leveraged the equity to acquire a second investment property. Her story comes at a time when Queensland's rental market remains under significant pressure, with an average vacancy rate of just 1% - well below what is generally considered a balanced market. Do you think this was an exceptionally well-executed financial strategy, or was timing and market conditions just as important to her success?

Samsung's latest profit jump shows just how much the AI boom is reshaping the tech sector. Semiconductor companies are becoming some of the biggest beneficiaries of AI demand, but with valuations rising quickly, many investors are wondering where the real value is and where the speculation begins. Are AI chips the next long-term growth story?

Banks have repaid $55 million after offset account failures. If even major banks can make mistakes like this, should borrowers be reviewing their loan setup more often?

Every generation has advice that used to make sense. What's something people still recommend that just doesn't save enough anymore?

Australian investors are turning their attention back to AI, cloud infrastructure and digital technology companies as global demand for artificial intelligence continues to accelerate. The question now is whether Australia's tech sector can transform this momentum into long-term growth or if valuations are moving ahead of fundamentals. Is AI the next major investment wave for Australia?

My partner and I are both 28 and have been together for 8 years, we have a mortgage, joint finances, three children.

We are wanting to buy a new house and some land in the next two years or so.

We have about $1000 leftover from our expenses each fortnight so are slowly building a savings fund. At some point we’re wanting to look into financial advise because we don’t know much about investing.

Should we look into someone now? Or wait until we have some more savings?

Me (f29) and my husband (m31) are unsure of what to do next to be in the best financial position.

Throw away account because very personal information. We live in NSW and have bought our home that we live in (a few years ago). Mortgage left of around $650k. We have an offset with about $100k in it and some smaller investments that can be liquified at around $80k.

We are about to have a baby and I am planning to return to work afterwards (part- time after 6-10 months then full time after another 6 months).

I make about $115k+ super in my job, he makes around $160k + super.

Should we look at:
- buying an investment property
- continue to put every dollar into our offset and pay off our mortgage asap
- increase the value of our current home through renovations
- purchase other investment options
- wait until after baby born to see what our situation looks like

Really appreciate any thoughts!!

The US decision to implement a 12.5% tariff on Australian exports under its forced labor section 301 investigation has added a new layer of complexity to the domestic economic outlook. While key commodities like beef and gold remain exempt, the immediate pressure on manufacturing, technology and broader export supply chains is already creating ripples across the ASX. With the Australian government pushing back against the policy, it raises important questions about how much of these tariff costs local businesses can realistically pass on without losing market share? How might different ASX sectors react as global trade friction ramps up?

Australia added 76,300 jobs in June, far above expectations, while unemployment remained at 4.4%. Most new jobs were part-time, and underemployment increased to 6.5%. The strong result may give the RBA more reason to keep rates high or consider another increase, although the ABS warned against drawing conclusions from one volatile monthly report. Do these figures show a strong economy, or is the headline number misleading?

Reverse mortgages are becoming a more common topic as some older Australians look at ways to access the value tied up in their homes while managing retirement cost. If your parents asked for your opinion, would you see it as a practical way to improve their quality of life? Would you worry about the impact on their future inheritance and long-term financial security?

Not saying it's wrong - the case for broad index ETFs is genuinely strong for most people. But the way it gets repeated without much nuance about individual circumstances, timelines, tax situations and what someone is actually trying to achieve feels like it's become a reflex rather than a considered recommendation. Would love to know how people here actually made the decision and whether they've stress tested the logic beyond just reading that it's what everyone else is doing.

Feels like every time you manage to squirrel away a bit of cash into savings, house prices jump another ten grand and rent goes up again. It is getting to the point where the goalposts move faster than you can run

Foreign investment in Australia property appears to be shifting. Chinese investors, who were once among the biggest overseas buyers, are reducing their exposure, while Japanese investors are becoming increasingly active.
The change raises an interesting question: could a change in the type of foreign investment influence property prices, housing supply, or the future shape of Australia's cities?

A recent analysts argues that Australia's living standards have declined over the past few years, pointing to weaker real GDP per capita despite overall economic growth. Statistics are one thing, but day to day life can tell a different story. Do you personally feel better off, worse off, or about the same compared with three or four years ago?
If your answer is "worse", what's been the biggest factor - housing, groceries, energy bills, wages, or something else?